OSU's Smart Named Finalist For Robertson, Tisdale Awards

Marcus Smart, a freshman on Oklahoma State's 15th-ranked men's basketball team, has been named a finalist for both the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Year Trophy and the Integris Wayman Tisdale Award, it was announced this morning by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Smart is one of 14 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented annually by the USBWA since the 1958-59 season. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. Other finalists for the award are: UNLV's Anthony Bennett, Trey Burke of Michigan, Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams, Doug McDermott of Creighton, Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey of Kanss, Indiana's Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga, Duke's Mason Plumlee, Otto Porter of Georgetown, Louisville's Russ Smith, and Deshaun Thomas of Ohio State.

One of three freshman up for the Robertson Trophy, Smart is also one of eight finalists for the Tisdale Award, given annually to the national freshman of the year since 1988-89. It was named after Wayman Tisdale in 2011. Other finalists for the award are: Bennett of UNLV and McLemore of Kansas, Arizona State's Jahii Carson, Gary Harris of Michigan State, UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad, Nerlens Noel of Kentucky, and Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon.

The recipients of both awards will be announced on Friday, April 5, at the Final Four in Atlanta, Ga. They will then be formally presented their awards at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on Monday, April 15, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award, named after the former Oklahoma State Hall of Fame coach, will also be presented at the gala to be held annually the Monday following the NCAA Men's Final Four.