Atlanta Tipoff Club | February 11, 2016 Naismith Watch: Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield among midseason finalists LSU's Ben Simmons (left) and Oklahoma's Buddy Hield (right) highlight the Naismith midseason watch list. Share The list of players eligible for the Naismith Trophy has been trimmed to 35. The initial 50-man 2015-16 watch list was released last December. The 10 semifinalists will be announced March 2 and four finalists will be revealed on March 20. The winner receives the award on the first weekend of April during the Final Four in Houston. RELATED:Oakland's Kay Felder has put up some incredible numbers this season Since 1969, The Naismith Trophy has been given annually to the nation’s best college basketball player. Dominant center Lew Alcindor (UCLA) won the first award and scoring machine Pete Maravich (LSU) earned it the following year. In recent seasons past winners included seniors Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin, 2015) and Doug McDermott (Creighton, 2014), freshmen Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007), guards such as Trey Burke (Michigan, 2013) and forwards like Blake Griffin (Oklahoma, 2009). See the complete midseason list of players below: Name CLASS POSITION SCHOOL CONFERENCE AJ Hammons Senior C Purdue Big 10 Anthony "Cat" Barber Junior G North Carolina State ACC Ben Bentil Sophomore F Providence Big East Ben Simmons Freshman F LSU SEC Brandon Ingram Freshman G-F Duke ACC Brice Johnson Senior F North Carolina ACC Buddy Hield Senior SG Oklahoma Big 12 Damion Lee Senior G Louisville ACC Demetrius Jackson Junior G Notre Dame ACC Denzel Valentine Senior G Michigan State Big 10 Dillon Brooks Sophomore F Oregon Pac 12 Domantas Sabonis Sophomore PF Gonzaga West Coast Fred VanVleet Senior PG Wichita St. Missouri Valley Gary Payton II Senior G Oregon State Pac 12 Georges Niang Senior PF Iowa State Big 12 Grayson Allen Sophomore SG Duke ACC Jakob Poeltl Sophomore F-C Utah Pac 12 Jalen Jones Junior G-F Texas A&M SEC Jamal Murray Freshman SG Kentucky SEC Jameel Warney Senior F Stony Brook American East Jarrod Uthoff Senior F Iowa Big 10 Josh Hart Junior SG Villanova Big East Kay Felder Junior PG Oakland Horizon Kris Dunn Junior G Providence Big East Kyle Wiltjer Senior PF Gonzaga West Coast Malcolm Brogdon Senior SG Virginia ACC Melo Trimble Sophomore PG Maryland Big 10 Monte Morris Junior G Iowa State Big 12 Nic Moore Senior PG SMU American Athletic Perry Ellis Senior PF Kansas Big 12 Sheldon McClellan Senior G Miami (Fla.) ACC Trevon Bluiett Sophomore G Xavier Big East Tyler Ulis Sophomore PG Kentucky SEC Wayne Selden Jr. Junior G-F Kansas Big 12 Yogi Ferrell Senior PG Indiana Big 10