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Villanova junior Josh Hart has been named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason List earlier on Thursday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Hart, who just became the 61st member of Villanova's 1,000 Point Club, was named a finalist for the Jerry West Awardfor the nation's best shooting guard earlier this week.
Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, founder of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy is awarded annually to the women's and men's college basketball players of the year. First awarded in 1969 to UCLA's Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Naismith Trophy was sculpted by Marty C. Dawe of Atlanta and has become one of the most prestigious national honors awarded each year to the top women's and men's college basketball players in the nation.
Each year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's board of selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, vote on player performance to ultimately select the winners.
Hart is leading the #1 ranked Wildcats in scoring with 15.5 points per game and is second in rebounding with 7.4 boards.
Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is the favorite to win the award this year, but Hart's presence on the list shows the value and importance that the Maryland native has on this 'Nova squad.
2016 Naismith Midseason List
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| AJ Hammons | Center | Purdue |
| Cat Barber | Guard | N.C. State |
| Ben Bentil | Forward | Providence |
| Ben Simmons | Forward | LSU |
| Brandon Ingram | Forward | Duke |
| Brice Johnson | Forward | North Carolina |
| Buddy Hield | Guard | Oklahoma |
| Damion Lee | Guard | Louisville |
| Demetrius Jackson | Guard | Notre Dame |
| Denzel Valentine | Guard | Michigan State |
| Dillon Brooks | Forward | Oregon |
| Domantas Sabonis | Center | Gonzaga |
| Fred VanVleet | Guard | Wichita State |
| Gary Payton | Guard | Oregon State |
| Georges Niang | Forward | Iowa State |
| Grayson Allen | Guard | Duke |
| Jakob Poeltl | Center | Utah |
| Jalen Jones | Forward | Texas A&M |
| Jamaal Murray | Forward | Kentucky |
| Jameel Warney | Forward | Stony Brook |
| Jarrod Uthoff | Forward | Iowa |
| Josh Hart | Guard | Villanova |
| Kay Felder | Guard | Oakland |
| Kris Dunn | Guard | Providence |
| Kyle Wiltjer | Forward | Gonzaga |
| Malcolm Brogdon | Guard | Virginia |
| Melo Trimble | Guard | Maryland |
| Monte Morris | Guard | Iowa State |
| Nic Moore | Guard | SMU |
| Perry Ellis | Forward | Kansas |
| Sheldon McClelland | Guard | Miami |
| Trevon Bluiett | Guard | Xavier |
| Tyler Ulis | Guard | Kentucky |
| Wayne Selden | Forward | Kansas |
| Yogi Ferrell | Guard | Indiana |