Three Kansas basketball players named to Naismith Trophy Watch List for POY

Every season, the best player in men's college basketball is awarded the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Award. It is one of the longest-standing traditions in the NCAA. On Wednesday, the 49 players on the Naismith Trophy Watch List were announced.

Three Kansas Jayhawks — Hunter Dickinson, AJ Storr, and Dajuan Harris — made the list. Baylor joined Kansas as one of only two schools to have three players named to the watch list.

Dickinson is one of the best players in the country. He is the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year after earning Consensus All-American honors his first season in Lawrence. The former Michigan center averaged 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds last year and figures to compete for a spot among the Naismith Trophy finalists at the year's end.

Storr is a transfer from Wisconsin who averaged 16.8 points for the Badgers in 2023-24, leading them to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He is expected to step into a starting role immediately and become a major contributor at KU.

Harris is entering his sixth and final year of college basketball. The three-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team selection averaged a career-high 6.5 assists per game last season, cementing himself as one of college basketball's best playmakers. He was the starting point guard for the Kansas squad that won a national title in 2022.

What is the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award?

Named after basketball's creator and former Kansas coach, James Naismith, the Naismith Men's College Player of the Year is an annual award by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to recognize the country's top men's college basketball player.

Which Kansas Jayhawks basketball players have won the Naismith Award?

Only two Kansas basketball players all-time have captured the Naismith Award. Danny Manning was the first to do so in 1988 when the Jayhawks won a national championship, and Frank Mason III was the most recent winner in 2017.

Who was Dr. James Naismith, and how did he invent basketball?

In December 1891, Naismith decided to create a game that could be played indoors during cold weather at the Y.M.C.A. at Springfield College. He compiled two peach baskets, a soccer ball, and wrote 13 rules to create the game "basket ball." The team that scored the ball into the target basket the most times would win. Since then, the game has evolved, but fundamental rules remain the same.