Marcus Foster
Photo by: Porter Binks
Marcus Foster Named To Naismith Trophy Watch List
11/9/2017 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Senior guard up for one of nation's most prestigious awards
ATLANTA (November 9, 2017) – Creighton men's basketball senior Marcus Foster has been named one of 50 candidates for the Citizen Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. A list of 30 midseason candidates will be released on Feb. 14, 2018 before the 50th presentation of the award April 1, 2018.
"We are proud to recognize our former winners during this special season and reflect on the heritage and tradition of the past 50 years," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "There are tremendously talented candidates vying to win the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy and that process starts today."
A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware following the 2013-14 campaign.
Creighton opens the 2017-18 season on Friday when it meets Yale in a game scheduled for 8 p.m. Central.
Citizen Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
Overall, nine players on the Watch List represent the ACC, while the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC each placed eight candidates. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, leads the Watch List with four players, followed by Arizona and USC with three players apiece. Players who do not make the Watch List are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
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, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men's and Women's College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
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.
"We are proud to recognize our former winners during this special season and reflect on the heritage and tradition of the past 50 years," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "There are tremendously talented candidates vying to win the 50th Citizen Naismith Trophy and that process starts today."
A senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, Foster was a unanimous All-BIG EAST selection last year after leading Creighton with 18.2 points per game a year ago. He ranked among the league leaders in scoring after posting the highest scoring average for a Bluejay newcomer since 1970. Foster's 638 points were the 10th-most in CU history and the most ever by a Bluejay newcomer in their debut season on the court.
Creighton has had one previous winner of the Naismith Trophy, as Doug McDermott collected the hardware following the 2013-14 campaign.
Creighton opens the 2017-18 season on Friday when it meets Yale in a game scheduled for 8 p.m. Central.
Citizen Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Jaylen Adams | Sr. | G | St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 |
| Deng Adel | Jr. | F | Louisville | ACC |
| Rawle Alkins | So. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Grayson Allen | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| KeVaughn Allen | Jr. | G | Florida | SEC |
| Deandre Ayton | Fr. | F | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Marvin Bagley III | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Mohamed Bamba | Fr. | F | Texas | Big 12 |
| Joel Berry II | Sr. | G | UNC | ACC |
| Trevon Bluiett | Sr. | G | Xavier | BIG East |
| Bennie Boatwright | Jr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Miles Bridges | So. | G/F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Bruce Brown | So. | G | Miami | ACC |
| Jalen Brunson | Jr. | G | Villanova | BIG EAST |
| Jeffrey Carroll | Sr. | G | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Jevon Carter | Sr. | G | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | Fr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Bonzie Colson | Sr. | F | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Mike Daum | Jr. | F | South Dakota State | Summit League |
| Tyler Davis | Jr. | C | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Angel Delgado | Sr. | C | Seton Hall | BIG EAST |
| Hamidou Diallo | Fr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Trevon Duval | Fr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Vince Edwards | Sr. | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Matt Farrell | Sr. | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Marcus Foster | Sr. | G | Creighton | BIG EAST |
| Devonte' Graham | Sr. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Ethan Happ | Jr. | F | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Aaron Holiday | Jr. | G | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Chandler Hutchison | Sr. | G | Boise State | Mountain West |
| Justin Jackson | So. | F | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Kevin Knox | Fr. | F | Kentucky | SEC |
| Jock Landale | Sr. | C | St. Mary's | WCC |
| Kelan Martin | Sr. | F | Butler | BIG EAST |
| Nate Mason | Sr. | G | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| Yante Maten | Sr. | F | Georgia | SEC |
| Bryant McIntosh | Sr. | G | Northwestern | Big Ten |
| Jordan McLaughlin | Sr. | G | USC | Pac-12 |
| Chimezie Metu | Jr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Shake Milton | Jr. | G | SMU | American Athletic |
| Malik Newman | So. | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | Fr. | F | Missouri | SEC |
| Collin Sexton | Fr. | G | Alabama | SEC |
| Landry Shamet | So. | G | Wichita State | American Athletic |
| Reid Travis | Sr. | F | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Allonzo Trier | Jr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Moritz Wagner | Jr. | F | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Nick Ward | So. | F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Jonathan Williams | Sr. | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Robert Williams | So. | F | Texas A&M | SEC |
Overall, nine players on the Watch List represent the ACC, while the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC each placed eight candidates. Duke, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (7) than any other school, leads the Watch List with four players, followed by Arizona and USC with three players apiece. Players who do not make the Watch List are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
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, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men's and Women's College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballCreighton Men's Basketball vs. South Dakota Press Conference - 11/5/25
Tuesday, November 04
Creighton Men's Basketball Availability - 11/3/25
Monday, November 03
MBB: Creighton vs. Colorado State Exhibition
Saturday, October 25
Creighton Men's Basketball vs. Colorado State Press Conference - 10/25/25
Saturday, October 25
