ST. LOUIS (February 6, 2012) -- Baylor men’s basketball sophomore F Perry Jones III is one of 20 players selected to the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason watch list, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced Monday.

Members of the association’s board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, to be presented to the National Player of the Year by its namesake March 30 at the USBWA’s College Basketball Awards Breakfast in New Orleans.

Jones III is joined on the list by two other Big 12 representatives – Missouri’s Marcus Denmon and Kansas’ Thomas Robinson. PJ3, the 2011-12 Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging a team-best 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in 18 games. He ranks third on the team in field goal percentage (55.2), while averaging a team-high 31.8 minutes. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and 2012 John R. Wooden Award midseason list honoree, Jones III was a preseason All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches and is the first player in program history to earn conference preseason Player of the Year honors.

While these standout players are the leading contenders to be named to the USBWA’s All-America Team and as finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, all Division I players remain eligible for postseason honors from the USBWA. The association will announce its 2012 All-America Team in mid-March. At that time, finalists will also be chosen for the Player of the Year. Once finalists are announced, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University Of Cincinnati Hall Of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

2012 OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY MIDSEASON WATCH LIST

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Isaiah Canaan, Murray State

Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Marcus Denmon, Missouri

Draymond Green, Michigan State

John Henson, North Carolina

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt

Kevin Jones, West Virginia

Michael Kidd-Gilcrist, Kentucky

Jeremy Lamb, UConn

Perry Jones III, Baylor

Damian Lillard, Weber State

Doug McDermott, Creighton

Mike Moser, UNLV

Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State

Thomas Robinson, Kansas

Mike Scott, Virginia

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Cody Zeller, Indiana

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina