Feb. 27, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame junior forward Luke Harangody (Schererville, Ind.) has been selected as one of 15 finalists for the 2009 Oscar Robertson Trophy. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has announced the finalists for the trophy, to be presented to the association’s national player of the year.
Harangody is the only player in the nation to rank in the top six in both scoring average (24.0) and rebounds per game (12.6) this season. After missing two games early in the season due to pneumonia, the junior has scored in double figures in 19 of 20 contests since his return. Overall this season, he has reached double figures in 24 of 25 games.
The junior has posted 20 double-doubles this season. That total ranks tied for fifth in program history for a single season. He ranks in a tie for fourth in Fighting Irish history with 45 career double-doubles. Harangody recently became just the seventh player in the 104-year history of the Notre Dame basketball program to score 1,500 points and grab 800 rebounds. He currently has 1,631 points and 864 rebounds during his two-plus seasons in an Irish uniform.
Last season, Harangody was a second team NCAA Consensus All-American as he averaged 20.4 points per game and 10.6 rebounds a game. In addition, he was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year. Harangody was tabbed as the 2008-09 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year along with being named to The Associated Press’ preseason All-America squad. He also has been named to the Midseason Top 30 list for the 2009 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy along with the 30-man midseason list for the Naismith Trophy.
The presentation of this year’s Oscar Robertson award will take place on Friday, April 3 at the USBWA’s annual awards breakfast at the downtown Detroit Athletic Club in conjunction with the Men’s Final Four. The breakfast will also honor the winner of the Henry Iba Award, the association’s coach of the year, as well as the 1979 Michigan State national championship team that was led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership of the association, which consists of nearly 800 journalists. The ballot will be distributed to the membership on Mon., March 2.
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is awarded to the USBWA’s Player of the Year. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The legendary Oscar Robertson was the USBWA’s first player of the year in 1959. The USBWA renamed its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998. Finalists for the Henry Iba Award will be announced on Monday. The award has also been presented since 1959 and is named for the legendary Oklahoma State coach.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its awards, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-421-0339.
2009 Oscar Robertson Trophy Finalists
Name, Class, Position, School
DeJuan Blair, So., Center, Pittsburgh
Sherron Collins, Jr., Guard, Kansas
Dante Cunningham, Sr., Forward, Villanova
Stephen Curry, Jr., Guard, Davidson
Tyreke Evans, Fr., Guard Memphis
Blake Griffin, So., Forward, Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough, Sr., Forward, North Carolina
Luke Harangody, Jr., Forward, Notre Dame
James Harden, So., Guard, Arizona State
Ty Lawson, Jr., Guard, North Carolina
Jerel McNeal, Sr., Guard, Marquette
Jodie Meeks, Jr., Guard, Kentucky
Jeff Teague, So., Guard, Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet, Jr., Center, Connecticut
Evan Turner, So., Guard/Forward, Ohio State