Indiana redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg is one of 50 candidates for the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List, announced on Wednesday.
It’s the fourth preseason honor for Patberg, who has also picked up honors as an All-Big Ten preseason honoree, one of 20 point guards on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List and a Wooden Award Preseason Top 30.
Patberg returns as the program’s leader in assists last season with 4.8 per game while also returning as the team’s leading scorer from the 2018-19 season. She played and started in 31 games in her first season at IU, as she helped guide Indiana to a NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance in Eugene that featured a win over Texas. The All-Big Ten Second Team selection averaged 15.8 points per game as she scored in double figures 24 times.
The Columbus, Ind. native also averaged 5.0 rebounds per game as she also shot 80.4 percent from the free throw line. She set a career-high 13 assists against Missouri State last season and dished out multiple assists in 29 games.
The Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy list midseason 30 team will be announced in early February, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 3, 2020. Following those results, four finalists will be named on March 20, 2020, and the winner of the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on April 4, 2020.
Patberg and the Hoosiers begin the 2019-20 season on Thursday when they host Mount St. Mary’s at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on BTN+.
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