3 St. Louisians on Oscar Robertson List

Collins, Love and Kalkbrenner

Editor: The following is a portion of a press release from USBWA.

(Indianapolis, IN – USBWA) – The returning winner who continues to lead the country in rebounding, a two-time All-American and the leading scorer, assist man and double-doubles leader are on the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List. The USBWA’s list highlights 50 outstanding players from 18 different conferences including teammates from six schools.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the award. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2023 Men’s Final Four in Houston with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.

All Division I players remain eligible for the 2022-23 Oscar Robertson Trophy. The watch list merely spotlights the top candidates, as selected by the USBWA board.

Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, the 2022 Oscar Robertson Trophy winner, leads the way on this midseason list. The 6-9 forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the nation’s top rebounder at present averaging 13.8 per game with a Southeastern Conference-leading 11 double-doubles. He’s produced 39 double-doubles in 50 career games, none more impressive than Tuesday night’s win over Georgia when he posted 37 points and 24 rebounds in an 85-71 home win.

Tshiebwe is trying to become the first repeat winner since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson won the award three straight seasons (1981-83). Only Sampson, UCLA’s Bill Walton (1972-74), LSU’s Pete Maravich (1969-70), UCLA’s Lew Alcindor (1967-68), Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas (1961-62) and the award’s namesake, Oscar Robertson (1959-60) have won the award multiple times.

Drew Timme, a two-time USBWA All-American, is the lone selection from the West Coast Conference. Timme is 10th nationally at 21.5 ppg and attempting the 9th-most free throws with 130, making 80 thus far.

The Big 12 led all conferences with eight selections.

The nation’s current top six scorers also highlight the list with Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis among the leaders in multiple categories. Davis is currently the country’s top scorer, averaging 26.2 points per game, more than a field goal (2.4 ppg) better than the next-best scorer – UAB’s Jordan Walkerm – and he’s doing it with makes from beyond the arc. Davis is second in the nation in three-pointers, making 4.42 per game, Walkerm is third at 4.38 per game. Jordan Dingle of Penn (3rd, 23.4 ppg) is just ahead of Jake Stephens of Chattanooga and Purdue’s Zach Edey (21.9 ppg each) on the scoring list. Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas (6th, 21.8) also made the list.

Yuri Collins of Saint Louis, who leads the nation in assists averaging 10.9 per game, also made the list. New Mexico’s Jaelen House is second in the country in steals per game at 2.89.

North Carolina also sports a pair of players on the list with Armando Bacot, fifth nationally in rebounding at 11.2 per game with 11 double-doubles, and Caleb Love. The ACC has seven players on the list from six different schools. The Big East and Big Ten each had six players on the list, all of them from different schools.

Collins from St. Mary’s High School, Love from CBS and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner from Trinity Catholic are players from the St. Louis area.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.