AMES, IOWA – Iowa State’s Monté Morris and Georges Niang, along with Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff are among 20 players named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List, announced today by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Iowa State is the only school with two players on the list.
Morris is averaging 15.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds in his junior season. He has twice been named Big 12 Player of the Week and is averaging 19 points and shooting 62.7 percent from the field in the last five games.
Niang is leading the Cyclones with 19.3 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The senior has been in double figures for all 19 games this season and 28 games in a row dating back to last season. He has scored 20 or more points eight times this season, while going over 30 points twice.
Uthoff, a senior forward, has led the Hawkeyes to a number 3 ranking in polls released today. The 2011 Mr. Basketball and 2011 Gatorade Player of the Year in Iowa, Uthoff is averaging 18.9 points per game and blocked shots (3.0 bpg) and leads the Big Ten in both stats. He is the only player from a Power 5 conference with 350-plus points, 115-plus rebounds, and 55-plus blocked shots. He is also the only player in the country to reach double figures and block at least one shot in every contest this season and is the only college player the last 20 years to average three blocks, while also shooting at a 40 percent clip from 3-point range (min. 35 3-pointers made).
Over his last five games, Uthoff is 15-of-27 (.556) from 3-point range and has scored 20 or more points in five of his last six contests. The 6-foot-9, 221-pound forward averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three blocks against nine teams currently ranked in the RPI Top 50.
Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List
Grayson Allen, Duke
Kris Dunn, Providence
Kahlil Felder, Oakland
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Jalen Jones, Texas A&M
Sheldon McClellan, Miami
Monté Morris, Iowa State
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Gary Payton II, Oregon State
Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas
Ben Simmons, LSU
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Tyler Ullis, Kentucky
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga