Northwestern University Athletics
Shurna Selected to Naismith Award Watch List
11/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 16, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern junior forward John Shurna (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2010-11 Naismith Award. The list is comprised of 50 student-athletes from 44 schools who are being considered for the honor of the nation's top collegiate basketball player.
Shurna was previously named a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010-11 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four in Houston.
Shurna was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season, pacing the Wildcats with averages of 18.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. His 619 points set a Northwestern single-season record and helped the team to a program-best 20 victories and its second straight appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
Shurna's scoring average ranked third overall in the Big Ten, while his norm of 20.1 points per game in conference play were one point shy of surpassing Ohio State's Evan Turner for the scoring title. For his efforts, Shurna was named the nation's Most Improved Player by Sporting News.
This summer he competed in Las Vegas as a member of the United States Select Team which helped the USA National Team train for the FIBA World Championships where the squad eventually won the gold medal.
The Big Ten Conference led all conference with 10 individuals being named to the list. Shurna is joined by JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore of Purdue, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers of Michigan State, Illinois' Demetri McCamey, Ohio State's William Buford and Jared Sullenger, Penn State's Talor Battle and Wisconsin's Jon Leuer.
Since 2005, presenting sponsor AT&T has set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining the trophy winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for 25 percent of all of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award.
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
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