Kansas Duo Named to Freshman Award Midseason Watch List
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Kansas men’s basketball freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre, Jr., have been named to the 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason Watch List, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced Friday. Members of the USBWA’s board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the national freshman of the year award.
Alexander and Oubre were two of 14 named to the midseason list and Texas’ Myles Turner is the only other Big 12 representative. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Oubre has started 10 games for the No. 11/14 Jayhawks (15-3, 4-1 Big 12). In his last nine starts, the 6-7 New Orleans guard has averaged 13.8 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three-point range. He also has 18 steals in that span. For the season, Oubre averages 8.6 points and 4.7 rebounds.
A 6-8 forward from Chicago, Alexander leads Kansas with 25 blocked shots in 2014-15. He averages 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds for the season and is shooting 70.8 percent from the field in KU’s five Big 12 games. In his last outing, Alexander posted his second double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds in KU’s 85-78 win versus No. 19/20 Oklahoma on Jan. 19. His 13 rebounds tied the most by any Jayhawk this season.
The 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award is to be presented to the national freshman of the year at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 14 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 season when LSU’s Chris Jackson was the recipient. Last season, Duke’s Jabari Parker became the fourth winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award. Other notable previous winners of the national freshman of the year award include Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Chris Webber.
The late Wayman Tisdale was a three-time USBWA All-American at the University of Oklahoma. Following a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team, he played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 1997 to focus on a blossoming jazz music career. In March 2007, he was diagnosed with cancer and, following a courageous and difficult battle that included the amputation of his right leg in 2008, he passed away in May 2009.
Kansas will play at No. 17/18 Texas (14-4, 3-2) on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. on CBS.
For a complete list of those on the 2015 Integris Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason Watch List go to: http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2015/tisdale150123.html.
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