Feb. 26, 2013
ATLANTA - San Diego State junior Jamaal Franklin is one of 30 student-athletes up for the Naismith Award, the Atlanta Tip-Off Club announced Tuesday morning.
The top 30 candidates were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances to this point in the 2013 men's college basketball season. In late March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will narrow down the list to four finalists. The Naismith Men's College Player of the Year presented by AT&T will be awarded on April 7, 2013 in Atlanta.
The guard from Hawthorne, Calif., is leading the Aztecs in scoring (17.3), rebounding (9.1), assists (3.2) and steals (1.5) and is one of two players in the nation leading his team in all four categories. Additionally, Franklin is the only player in America, and just the seventh since 1996-97, to average at least 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals. He is the first Aztec since Kawhi Leonard in 2011 to be a top-30 player for this award.
For the ninth consecutive year, fans will have the opportunity to text their votes for the player of their choice and help determine the 2013 Naismith Trophy winner. Voting will open to fans on Monday, March 25. Naismith Trophy presenting sponsor AT&T is making the voting open to other wireless carriers, enabling even more fans to participate.
Other notable Naismith Trophy alumni include a pair of three-time winners in Bill Walton (1972, 73, 74) and Ralph Sampson (181, 82, 83), Michael Jordan (1984), Kevin Durant (2007) and last year's winner, Anthony Davis of Kentucky. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball's best player.