Oct. 20, 2011

LEXINGTON, KY – UK freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague are among 12 players announced Thursday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as preseason candidates for the Wayman Tisdale Award, honoring the nation’s top freshman for the 2011-12 college basketball season.

The three freshmen were part of the top-ranked recruiting class in the country and were three of the five finalists for the Naismith Award for the national high school player of the year. Together they make up a quarter of the preseason watch list.

Others named on the list are Bradley Beal, Florida; Chane Behanan, Louisville; Khem Birch, Pittsburgh; Andre Drummond, Connecticut; Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State; Austin Rivers, Duke; Adonis Thomas, Memphis; Josiah Turner, Arizona; and Cody Zeller, Indiana.

The USBWA has chosen a national freshman of the year since the 1988-89 season when LSU’s Chris Jackson was the recipient. This is the first year it is named for the late Wayman Tisdale who was a three-time USBWA All-American at the University of Oklahoma.

The Wildcats will be in action in the Blue-White scrimmage on Wed., Oct. 26 at Rupp Arena. Tickets for the scrimmage are still available. The cost of the tickets will be $10 and all seating is reserved and no general admission eRUPPtion Zone tickets will be available for this contest. They can be purchased in the same manner as the first three games along with calling the Rupp Arena Box Office (859.233.3535).