The Atlanta Tip-Off Club has announced the list of semifinalists for the Naismith Award, which is given to the National College Basketball Player of the Year.
The list is very similar to the top ten in the NBC Sports Player of the Year Power Rankings. In fact, I am a voter for the Naismith Award, and this was actually the top ten I submitted last week. I flip-flopped on Josh Jackson and Jawun Evans between then and yesterday, when I updated the Player of the Year rankings.
Here are the 10 semifinalists:
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Josh Hart, Villanova
Josh Jackson, Kansas
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Luke Kennard, Duke
Frank Mason III, Kansas
Jonathan Motley, Baylor
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga