Diakite Named to Robertson Award Watch List
Virginia Athletics Paster Plan
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Thursday (Dec. 5) that Virginia’s Mamadi Diakite (Conakry, Guinea) is one of 46 players named to the watch list for the 2020 Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented to the men’s national player of the year.
Diakite has led No. 5 Virginia to a 7-1 record, averaging a team-high 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. Diakite, who has led the Cavaliers in scoring in five games, recorded his first career double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds against JMU. Diakite has spearheaded UVA’s top-ranked defense, which has limited opponents to 43.9 points per game.
Since its founding in 1956, the USBWA has named a national player of the year. In the 1997-98 season, the award was named in honor of the legendary Oscar Robertson, “The Big O.” In addition, the USBWA selects an All-America team and All-District teams, players and coaches of the year.
The 2019-20 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be presented at the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta in April. The winner will be also be honored at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Mon., April 13, 2020. The association’s Henry Iba Award (national coach of the year) and Wayman Tisdale Award (national freshman player of the year) winners will also be honored at the luncheon as well as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the Tamika Catchings Award, honoring the women’s national and freshman players of the year.
While all Division I players are eligible for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the USBWA board has chosen the players on the watch list to promote the award and give the membership, which votes on all USBWA awards, an early look at some of the best players in the country. In January, the USBWA will release a second watch list, followed by finalists after All-America balloting is complete in March. Last season, Duke’s Zion Williamson was the recipient of both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the Wayman Tisdale Award.
The USBWA formally expanded its All-America team to 15 players in 2019 and many of the players on this watch list will contend for All-America honors. In addition, the USBWA continues to name an Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week each Tuesday.
2019-20 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY WATCH LIST
G Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton (6-4, 195, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
G Cole Anthony, North Carolina (6-3, 190, Fr., New York, N.Y.)
C Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (7-0, 270, Jr., Delta, Nigeria)
G Desmond Bane, TCU (6-6, 215, Sr., Richmond, Ind.)
C Charles Bassey, WKU (6-11, 230, So., Lagos, Nigeria)
F Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida (6-10, 241, Gr., Orlando, Fla.)
G Jared Butler, Baylor (6-3, 190, So., Reserve, La.)
G Anthony Cowan, Maryland (6-0, 180, Sr., Bowie, Md.)
G Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati (6-5, 210, Sr., Wilmington, Ohio)
G Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy (6-1, 160, So., Birmingham, Ala.)
F Mamadi Diakite, Virginia (6-9, 224, Sr., Conakry, Guinea)
G Devon Dotson, Kansas (6-2, 185, So., Charlotte, N.C.)
F Anthony Edwards, Georgia (6-5, 225, Fr., Atlanta, Ga.)
G Jordan Ford, Saint Mary’s (6-1, 175, Sr., Folsom, Calif.)
C Luka Garza, Iowa (6-11, 260, Jr., Washington, D.C.)
G Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson (6-5, 200, Sr., Grindavik, Iceland)
F TJ Holyfield, Texas Tech (6-8, 225, Sr., Albuquerque, N.M.)
G Markus Howard, Marquette (5-11, 180, Sr., Chandler, Ariz.)
G Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA (6-0, 170, Jr., Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
G Tre Jones, Duke (6-3, 185, So., Apple Valley, Minn.)
F/C Nathan Knight, William & Mary (6-10, 253, Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.)
F Anthony Lamb, Vermont (6-6, 227, Sr., Rochester, N.Y.)
G Jermaine Marrow, Hampton (6-0, 182, Sr., Newport News, Va.)
G Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (6-3, 198, Fr., Garland, Texas)
G Skylar Mays, LSU (6-4, 205, Sr., Baton Rouge, La.)
G Sam Merrill, Utah State (6-5, 205, Sr., Bountiful, Utah)
F John Mooney, Notre Dame (6-9, 245, Sr., Orlando, Fla.)
F Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt (6-6, 213, So., Charleston, S.C.)
F Zeke Nnaji, Arizona (6-11, 240, Fr., Hopkins, Minn.)
F Jordan Nwora, Louisville (6-7, 225, Jr., Buffalo, N.Y.)
F Reggie Perry, Mississippi State (6-10, 250, So., Thomasville, Ga.)
F Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga (6-11, 235, So., Belgrade, Serbia)
G Myles Powell, Seton Hall (6-2, 195, Sr., Trenton, N.J.)
G Payton Pritchard, Oregon (6-2, 190, Sr., West Linn, Ore.)
F Nick Rakocevic, USC (6-11, 225, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
G Jordan Roland, Northeastern (6-1, 171, Sr., Syracuse, N.Y.)
F Marcus Santos-Silva, VCU (6-7, 250, Jr., Taunton, Mass.)
F Lamar Stevens, Penn State (6-8, 225, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.)
C Jon Teske, Michigan (7-1, 265, Sr., Medina, Ohio)
F Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (6-7, 225, Sr., Missoula, Mont.)
F Obi Toppin, Dayton (6-9, 220, So., Brooklyn, N.Y.)
F Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (6-9, 270, Jr., Westerville, Ohio)
G Cassius Winston, Michigan State (6-1, 185, Sr., Detroit, Mich.)
C James Wiseman, Memphis (7-1, 240, Fr., Nashville, Tenn.)
G McKinley Wright IV, Colorado (6-0, 196, Jr., North Robbinsdale, Minn.)
C Omer Yurtseven, Georgetown (7-0, 264, Sr., Istanbul, Turkey)
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.