The preseason recognition continues to pile up for the All-SEC junior forward.
ATLANTA, Ga. – Florida junior All-SEC forward Keyontae Johnson has been selected as one of 50 players across collegiate basketball named to the 2021 Naismith Men’s Player of the Year Trophy Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday morning.
Johnson’s continues to reel in recognition prior to the 2020-21 campaign after being selected as the media’s Preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year on Nov. 12 and a member of the Julius Erving Award Watch List on Nov. 4. The Norfolk, Va. native heads into his third year in a Gator uniform after receiving Coaches First Team and AP Second Team All-SEC accolades a season ago. In 31 appearances in 2019-20, Johnson led Florida in points (14.1) and steals (38), while grabbing a team-high rebounds in 13 contests.
The Naismith Trophy will be trimmed to a mid-season list of 30 in early February, followed by lists of 10 semifinalists (March 4, 2021) and four finalists (March 16). The 2021 Naismith Trophy is set to be handed out at the Final Four at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 4.
Johnson is just one of six members from SEC institutions to land on the trophy watch list.
The Gators begin their 2020-21 campaign next week at the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Bubbleville at the Mohegan Sun Arena against UMass Lowell (Nov. 25) and Virginia (Nov. 27). After an eight-game nonconference slate, Florida will jump into SEC action on Dec. 30 at Vanderbilt before welcoming LSU on Jan. 2 in their conference home opener at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Full Watch List
Name
School
Joel Ayayi
Gonzaga
Scottie Barnes
Florida State
Charles Bassey
Western Kentucky
B.J. Boston
Kentucky
James Bouknight
UConn
Garrison Brooks
North Carolina
Greg Brown
Texas
Jared Butler
Baylor
Marcus Carr
Minnesota
Terrence Clarke
Kentucky
Kofi Cockburn
Illinois
Jalen Crutcher
Dayton
Cade Cunningham
Oklahoma State
Oscar da Silva
Stanford
Ayo Dosunmu
Illinois
Marcus Garrett
Kansas
Luke Garza
Iowa
Collin Gillespie
Villanova
Kellan Grady
Davidson
A.J. Green
Northern Iowa
Sam Hauser
Virginia
Aaron Henry
Michigan State
Matthew Hurt
Duke
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Indiana
Jalen Johnson
Duke
Keyontae Johnson
Florida
David Johnson
Louisville
Corey Kispert
Gonzaga
Isaiah Livers
Michigan
Caleb Love
North Carolina
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Seton Hall
Remy Martin
Arizona State
Caleb Mills
Houston
Evan Mobley
USC
Wendell Moore Jr.
Duke
Yves Pons
Tennessee
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Villanova
Colbey Ross
Pepperdine
Fatts Russell
Rhode Island
Javonte Smart
LSU
Chris Smith
UCLA
Jalen Suggs
Gonzaga
MaCio Teague
Baylor
Drew Timme
Gonzaga
Oscar Tshiebwe
West Virginia
Trendon Watford
LSU
Trevion Williams
Purdue
Ziaire Williams
Stanford
McKinley Wright IV
Colorado
Marcus Zegarowski
Creighton
