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Russ Smith has been named a finalist for the Naismith Award, which is given annually to the best player in college basketball. Smith made the final cut along with Creighton' Doug McDermott, Arizona's Nick Johnson and Duke's Jabari Parker.
Here's a portion of the release:
A unique lineup comprising a freshman, a junior and two seniors represents the variety among the four remaining candidates vying for the 2014 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T. Duke freshman Jabari Parker, Arizona junior Nick Johnson, Creighton senior Doug McDermott, and Louisville senior Russ Smith are the 2014 Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year finalists, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. McDermott also was a finalist for the 2012 and 2013 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based selections on individual performances throughout the 2013-14 men's college basketball regular season. The winner of the Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Trophy presented by AT&T will be revealed April 6, 2014, in Dallas.
For the 10th consecutive year, fans will have the opportunity to vote for the player of their choice and help determine the 2014 Naismith Trophy winner. Beginning March 24 and running through April 5 fans can cast their vote through the online and mobile optimized site www.NaismithVote.com. The fan vote represents 25 percent of the selection process - the largest fan impact of any collegiate basketball award.
