Feb. 26, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball player Jodie Meeks has been named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy as announced by U.S. Basketball Writers Association on Thursday.    

Meeks currently leads the Southeastern Conference and ranks fifth in the country in scoring with 25.1 ppg, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field, including 43.0 percent from three-point range. The 6-4 junior is also shooting 89.6 percent from the free throw line. His three-point percentage ranks seventh nationally while his free throw percentage ranks eighth in the country.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is awarded to the USBWA’s Player of the Year. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player. The legendary Oscar Robertson was the USBWA’s first player of the year in 1959. The USBWA renamed its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998.

The presentation of this year’s award will take place on Friday, April 3 at the USBWA’s annual awards breakfast at the downtown Detroit Athletic Club in conjunction with the Men’s Final Four. The breakfast will also honor the winner of the Henry Iba Award, the association’s coach of the year, as well as the 1979 Michigan State national championship team that was led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy is voted on by the entire membership of the association, which consists of nearly 800 journalists. The ballot will be distributed to the membership on Mon., March 2.