Feb. 26, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame senior forward Jack Cooley (Glenview, Ill.) is one of 30 candidates named today by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the 2013 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award list. Cooley is one of five BIG EAST players named to the list.
The top 30 candidates for the award, which is presented by AT&T, were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff’s Club Board of Selectors and bases its criteria on player performances to date during the 2013 men’s college basketball campaign. In late March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will narrow down the list to four finalists and the winner will be named on April 7, 2013 in Atlanta, Ga. at the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
For the ninth consecutive year, fans will have the opportunity to text their votes for the player of their choice and help determine the ’13 Naismith Trophy winner. Voting will open to fans on Monday, March 25. Naismith Trophy presenting sponsor AT&T also is making the voting open to other wireless carriers, enabling even more fans to participate this season.
Cooley, who leads the Irish in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (11.0), also is on the John R. Wooden Midseason Top 25 Watch List. The 6-9, 246-pound forward is tied for second nationally with 18 double-doubles this season, ranks fifth in rebounding and ninth in field goal percentage (.589). A preseason first team all-BIG EAST candidate and Irish tri-captain, Cooley is just 38 points from becoming the 53rd player in Notre Dame history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. He has played in 116 career outings for the Irish and has made 59 starts throughout his career. Cooley owns career averages of 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds.
A three-time BIG EAST Honor Roll honoree, he has reached double figures 49 times throughout his career and netted 20-plus points in eight contests, including a career-high 26 points against DePaul on Feb. 2 of this year. He also has grabbed 10-plus rebounds in 34 career outings and that includes career-bests of 16 boards against Villanova and DePaul in back-to-back games during this season.
Cooley and the Irish are 22-6 overall and 10-5 in BIG EAST play and are ranked 21st in the Associated Press Poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today ranking.
The 29 other candidates include Anthony Bennett (UNLV), Jared Berggren (Wisconsin), Trey Burke (Michigan), Isaiah Canaan (Murray State), Michael Carter-Williams (Syracuse), Ian Clark (Belmont), Rotnei Clarke (Butler), Allan Crabbe (California), Seth Curry (Duke), Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary’s), Jamaal Franklin (San Diego State), Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati), Shane Larkin (Miami), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Rodney McGruder (Kansas State), Ben McLemore (Kansas), Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA), Mike Muscala (Bucknell), Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga), Brandon Paul (Illinois), Mason Plumlee (Duke), Otto Porter (Georgetown), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Russ Smith (Louisville), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State), Jeff Withey (Kansas), Nate Wolters (South Dakota State) and Cody Zeller (Indiana).