Nov. 8, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Tim Abromaitis, a forward on the Notre Dame men’s basketball team, has been named to the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. The Fighting Irish graduate student was one of 50 players selected to the list.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2012 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy will be awarded at the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans. The list represents 14 different athletic conferences and features 28 upperclassmen and 22 underclassmen.
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.
Notable Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year winners include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and last year’s winner, Jimmer Fredette. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year.
Last month, Abromaitis was named to the Preseason Top 50 List for the John R. Wooden Award. The Notre Dame team captain also was selected to the 2011-12 preseason All-BIG EAST First Team and he is a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Candidate.
Last season, Abromaitis started all 34 games and registered 15.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He earned third-team all-BIG EAST honors in 2010-11 in addition to taking home the BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for men’s basketball for the second straight year. Abromaitis also has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team for men’s basketball each of the past two seasons.
Abromaitis (Unionville, Conn.), who is entering his fifth season with the Irish, graduated from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business with a degree in finance and a 3.73 GPA in May 2010 and earned his MBA in May 2011 after being enrolled in an intensified one-year MBA program during the 2010-11 school year.
Abromaitis represented the United States this past August at the 2011 World University Games in China. Abromaitis and the U.S. men’s basketball squad posted a 7-1 mark and placed fifth.
2011-12 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List:Last First School Class Position
Abromaitis Tim Notre Dame GS F
Barnes Harrison North Carolina So. F
Barton Will Memphis So. G
Beal Bradley Florida Fr. G
Buford William Ohio State Sr. G
Craft Aaron Ohio State So. G
Davis Anthony Kentucky Fr. F
Denmon Marcus Missouri Sr. G
Drummond Andre Connecticut Fr. C
Ezeli Festus Vanderbilt Sr. C
Gibbs Ashton Pitt Sr. G
Glover Michael Iona Sr. F
Gordon Drew New Mexico Sr. F
Green Draymond Michigan State Sr. F
Green JaMychal Alabama Sr. F
Hardaway Jr. Tim Michigan So. G
Harris Elias Gonzaga Jr. F
Henson John North Carolina Jr. F
Holloway Tu Xavier Sr. G
Hummel Robbie Purdue Sr. F
Jackson Joe Memphis Jr. G
Jenkins John Vanderbilt So. G
Johnson Orlando UC Santa Barbara Sr. G
Johnson-Odom Darius Marquette Sr. G
Jones III Perry Baylor So. F
Jones Terrence Kentucky So. F
Jones Kevin West Virginia Sr. F
Joseph Kris Syracuse Sr. F
Kidd-Gilchrist Michael Kentucky Fr. F
Lamb Jeremy Connecticut So. G
Marshall Kendall North Carolina So. G
McCallum Ray Detroit So. G
McDermott Doug Creighton So. F
Middleton Khris Texas A&M Jr. F
Miller Quincy Baylor Fr. F
Nelson Reeves UCLA Jr. F
Nicholson Andrew St. Bonaventure Sr. F
Oriakhi Alex Connecticut Jr. C
Rivers Austin Duke Fr. G
Robinson Thomas Kansas Jr. F
Ross Terrence Washington So. G
Shurna John Northwestern Sr. F
Siva Peyton Louisville Jr. G
Smith Joshua UCLA So. C
Sullinger Jared Ohio State So. C
Taylor Jordan Wisconsin Sr. G
Taylor Jeffery Vanderbilt Sr. G/F
Teague Marquis Kentucky Fr. G
Young Patric Florida So. F/C
Zeller Tyler North Carolina Sr. F
–ND–