ATLANTA – The Atlanta Tipoff Club released today the 50 names on the Citizen Naismith Trophy Women’s Watch List which included Marquette’s Allazia Blockton and DePaul’s Kelly Campbell. The midseason 30 team will be announced on Feb. 11, 2019, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 4, 2019. The four finalists will be named on March 22, 2019, and the winner of the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on April 6, 2019.
Blockton is garnering national attention as she is also a member of the 20-person Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List. The BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year opened the season guiding No. 19/19 Marquette to a 3-0 record behind 21.3 points per game and 59.1 percent shooting from the field, earning the season’s first Player of the Week certificate. Blockton was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in March as she led the Golden Eagles and BIG EAST Conference with 19.1 points per game, breaking a long-standing Marquette record for points scored in a single season with 648. She entered 2018-19 No. 3 all-time on the MU scoring list and is poised to become the Golden Eagles’ all-time leading scorer.
Campbell is an All-BIG EAST First Team selection (2017-18) who helped lead the Blue Demons to their fifth consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title and their third conference crown in the last five years. The junior guard is one of the top all-around players in the BIG EAST as she finished first in the league in assists (6.2) and assist-turnover ratio (4.1), and second in rebounding (10.3), while being among the leaders in scoring (10.3) and three-point shooting (.400). She recorded the lone triple-double in the BIG EAST last season. Campbell was also named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award Preseason Top 20 Watch List.
For the complete watch list, click HERE.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the top men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include the Citizen Watch Company, Werner Ladder and Bona.
ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates "Better Starts Now," searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.
For over 40 years, Citizen's Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.