Griffin Up for Oscar Robertson Honor

Feb. 26, 2009

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) - The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has announced finalists for the 2009 Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the association's national player of the year.

Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin, who leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and double-doubles, is one of 15 players selected as finalists.

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, among three senior finalists, was the 2008 Oscar Robertson Trophy winner. No player has won back-to-back USBWA Player of the Year awards since Virginia's Ralph Sampson won three straight from 1981-83.

The presentation of this year's award will take place on Friday, April 3 at the USBWA's annual awards breakfast at the downtown Detroit Athletic Club in conjunction with the Men's Final Four. The breakfast will also honor the winner of the Henry Iba Award, the association's coach of the year, as well as the 1979 Michigan State national championship team that was led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership of the association, which consists of nearly 800 journalists. The ballot will be distributed to the membership on Mon., March 2.

The following players are finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy:

DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh (6-7, 265, Soph., Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Sherron Collins, Kansas (5-11, 200, Jr., Chicago, Ill.)
Dante Cunningham, Villanova (6-8, 230, Sr., Silver Spring, Md.)
Stephen Curry, Davidson (6-3, 185, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.)
Tyreke Evans, Memphis (6-6, 219, Fr., Chester, Pa.)
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (6-10, 251, Soph., Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (6-9, 250, Sr., Poplar Bluff, Mo.)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (6-8, 255, Jr., Schererville, Ind.)
James Harden, Arizona State (6-5, 218, Soph., Los Angeles, Calif.)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (5-11, 195, Jr., Clinton, Md.)
Jerel McNeal, Marquette (6-3, 200, Sr., Chicago, Ill.)
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky (6-4, 208, Jr., Norcross, Ga.)
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (7-3, 263, Jr., Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania)
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (6-2, 180, Soph., Indianapolis, Ind.)
Evan Turner, Ohio State (6-7, 205, Soph., Chicago, Ill.)

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is awarded to the USBWA's Player of the Year. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The legendary Oscar Robertson was the USBWA's first player of the year in 1959. The USBWA renamed its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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