BERKELEY – Senior Tyrone Wallace and freshman Jaylen Brown added to their inventory of accolades Wednesday when the Cal men's basketball teammates were named to the 2016 Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List.
Both Wallace and Brown were also tabbed for the preseason top 50 list for the 2016 John R. Wooden Award. In addition, Wallace is one of 30 student-athletes on the Luke Olson Award Preseason Watch List and on the preseason list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award (he was a finalist last season). Brown, meanwhile, is among the early candidates for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
Overseen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, the Naismith Award has recognized the national player of the year since 1969. The watch list includes 50 student-athletes from around the country and a list of 30 mid-season candidates will be announced later in the year. A national voting academy of basketball coaches, administrators and journalists will narrow the group to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.
For the complete list of Naismith candidates, click here.
In leading the Golden Bears to a 5-2 start, Wallace paces the squad with 18.4 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. He was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Week after Cal's season-opening victory over Rice. Brown is second on the squad with 15.7 ppg, including a high of 27 points vs. Richmond, and he is contributing 6.0 rebounds per game.
Cal next plays at Wyoming Saturday at 12 noon PT, and the Bears will be back in Haas Pavilion twice next week, hosting Incarnate Word Dec. 9 and Saint Mary's Dec. 12.