Kansas Jayhawks’ Udoka Azubuike one of five finalists for Naismith Trophy
Kansas senior center Udoka Azubuike is one of five finalists for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday.
Other finalists for the award, which recognizes the most outstanding men’s college basketball player: Myles Powell (Seton Hall), Payton Pritchard (Oregon), Luka Garza (Iowa) and Obi Toppin (Dayton).
Azubuike, 7-foot from Delta, Nigeria was the only player in the Big 12 Conference to average a double-double (13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) during the 2019-20 season.
He led NCAA Division I in field goal percentage at 74.8% and completed his career as the NCAA leader in field goal percentage (74.4%). He topped the old record of 74% by Central Florida’s Tacko Fall.
KU’s Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason (2017) are past Jayhawks who’ve won the award.
Fans can vote for their favorite finalist from March 20 to April 1 at naismithfanvote.com or on the @NaismithTrophy Twitter page. The fan vote will account for 5% of the overall vote. The 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy winner will be announced on April 1.
“He is a monster,” KU coach Bill Self said recently of Azubuike, calling him “the best post in America.
“He is a guy that I’m sure somebody else in America has one, but there’s not many.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks’ Udoka Azubuike one of five finalists for Naismith Trophy."
