Max Abmas named to Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy preseason watch list
Texas guard Max Abmas is one of 50 preseason watch list candidates for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year preseason watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday. The Naismith Trophy is annually awarded to the nation’s top men’s and women’s college basketball players.
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The Oral Roberts University transfer is one of 20 players on the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award (nation’s top point guard) and was tabbed to the five-person Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Abmas was also named a preseason 2nd team All-America selection by FOX Sports and a preseason 3rd team All-America honoree by CBS Sports.
Abmas enters 2023 as the NCAA Division I active career scoring leader (2,562 points) and career scoring average leader (20.8 ppg). He also played and started 123 career games and registered 2,562 points (20.8 ppg), 396 assists (3.2 apg), 409 rebounds (3.3 rpg) and 139 steals (1.1 spg) in 4,275 minutes (34.8 mpg) over the last four seasons at ORU. He converted 38.8-percent (420-1083) from three-point range and 88.1-percent (460-522) from the free throw line during his time at ORU.
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Abmas was a three-time honorable mention All-America selection (The Associated Press) and twice named Summit League Player of the Year (2021 and 2023). As a senior in 2022-23 at Oral Roberts, he averaged 21.9 ppg, 4.0 apg and 4.4 rpg in 36.0 mpg and ranked ninth in Division I in scoring and fifth in free throw percentage (.919). In 2020-21, Abmas guided ORU to the NCAA Sweet 16 while leading Division I in scoring (24.5 ppg) and ranking second nationally in three-point field goals made per game (3.6). He earned his BS in Mathematics from ORU in Spring 2023 and is pursuing a graduate certificate in Strategic Communication.
No. 18 Texas opens the 2023-24 regular season later tonight (Nov. 6) with a home game against Incarnate Word. Tip is set for 7 p.m. Central at the Moody Center, and the contest will be televised by Longhorn Network.
2023-24 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
| Player | School |
| Max Abmas | TEXAS |
| Trey Alexander | Creighton |
| Armando Bacot | North Carolina |
| Oumar Ballo | Arizona |
| Reece Beekman | Virginia |
| Adem Bona | UCLA |
| Trevon Brazile | Arkansas |
| Johni Broome | Auburn |
| Boo Buie | Northwestern |
| Donovan Clingan | UConn |
| Isaiah Collier | USC |
| LJ Cryer | Houston |
| Tristan da Silva | Colorado |
| Johnell Davis | FAU |
| RJ Davis | North Carolina |
| Tucker DeVries | Drake |
| Hunter Dickinson | Kansas |
| Zach Edey | Purdue |
| Justin Edwards | Kentucky |
| Boogie Ellis | USC |
| Kyle Filipowski | Duke |
| PJ Hall | Clemson |
| Dajuan Harris Jr. | Kansas |
| A.J. Hoggard | Michigan State |
| DaRon Holmes II | Dayton |
| Bryce Hopkins | Providence |
| Kam Jones | Marquette |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | Creighton |
| Tyler Kolek | Marquette |
| Caleb Love | Arizona |
| Aidan Mahaney | Saint Mary’s |
| Alijah Martin | FAU |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | Kansas |
| Judah Mintz | Syracuse |
| Justin Moore | Villanova |
| Grant Nelson | Alabama |
| Ryan Nembhard | Gonzaga |
| Norchad Omier | Miami |
| Clifford Omoruyi | Rutgers |
| Nijel Pack | Miami |
| Tylor Perry | Kansas State |
| Tyrese Proctor | Duke |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | Illinois |
| Jamal Shead | Houston |
| Tolu Smith | Mississippi State |
| Isaiah Stevens | Colorado State |
| Wade Taylor IV | Texas A&M |
| Santiago Vescovi | Tennessee |
| Tyson Walker | Michigan State |
| Jahmir Young | Maryland |
