(From Illinois Sports Information Office)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis is on the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced on Monday.

Jakucionis is having a standout freshman campaign for the Fighting Illini. He is averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on the season, shooting 47% from the field, 35% from 3-point range, and 83.5% from the foul line. A two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree, Jakucionis has eight 20-point games, tying the UI freshman season record.

Members of the USBWA's board of directors chose the 50 players that will be considered as contenders for the National Player of the Year. The following is the complete watch list:

• Jaden Akins, Michigan State
• Ace Bailey, Rutgers
• Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
• Nate Bittle, Oregon
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• Lamont Butler, Kentucky
• Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
• Donovan Dent, New Mexico
• Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
• Eric Dixon, Villanova
• Cooper Flagg, Duke
• Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
• Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Maryland
• PJ Haggerty, Memphis
• Dylan Harper, Rutgers
• Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
• Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
• Chase Hunter, Clemson
• Graham Ike, Gonzaga
• Ian Jackson, North Carolina
• Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
• Curtis Jones, Iowa State
• Kam Jones, Marquette
• Alex Karaban, UConn
• Trey Kauffman-Renn, Purdue
• Kon Knueppel, Duke
• Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
• Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB
• Caleb Love, Arizona
• RJ Luis, St. John's
• Nick Martinelli, Northwestern
• Jamal Mashburn Jr., Temple
• Trent McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
• Jacksen Moni, North Dakota State
• Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
• Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
• Asa Newell, Georgia
• Norchad Omier, Baylor
• Otega Oweh, Kentucky
• Zhuric Phelps, Texas A&M
• Maxime Raynuad, Stanford
• Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
• Mark Sears, Alabama
• Emanuel Sharp, Houston
• Javon Small, West Virginia
• Braden Smith, Purdue
• John Tonje, Wisconsin
• Darrion Williams, Texas Tech
• Danny Wolf, Michigan
• Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

The Oscar Robertson Trophy winner will be announced at the NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio, from April 5-7. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. A final watch list will be released in early March and those chosen will be included on the USBWA's annual awards ballot.