PJ Washington named Naismith Trophy semifinalist

The Kentucky Wildcats are 25-5 and are poised for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

A big part of that has been the play of PJ Washington, who has become one of the best players in college basketball. So of course, Washington is going to be in the running for awards and honors, one of which is the prestigious Naismith Trophy.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Washington is a semifinalist for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy, awarded annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the national player of the year. He is one of 10 players on the semifinalist list.

A sophomore forward, Washington leads the Wildcats in both scoring (14.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). He has scored 20 or more points in eight of the last 13 games. His play is a big reason why he Wildcats are 15-2 over their last 17 games. He’s also shooting 52.5% from the field and 43.5% from deep.

For this award, four finalists will be announced March 19, at which point fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite player leading up to the final announcement. The Naismith Trophy winner be named on April 7 during the Final Four in Minneapolis.

2019 Naismith Trophy Semifinalists

Name, School (Class, Position)

• R.J. Barrett, Duke (Fr., F)
• Carsen Edwards, Purdue (Jr., G)
• Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (Jr., F)
• Markus Howard, Marquette (Jr., G)
• Dedric Lawson, Kansas (Jr., F)
• Ja Morant, Murray State (So., G)
• PJ Washington, Kentucky (So., F)
• Grant Williams, Tennessee (Jr., F)
• Zion Williamson, Duke (Fr., F)
• Cassius Winston, Michigan State (Jr., G)

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