Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year finalists unveiled by Atlanta Tipoff Club

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Eric May (25) fouls Jared Berggren (40) of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half at Carver Hawkeye Arena. (Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports)

On Tuesday, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 30 elite college basketball players to earn a nod as a finalist for the Naismith Award. The hardware is bestowed annually upon the very best player in the nation.

Indiana, ranked at No. 1 for the majority of the season, has two guys on the list in center Cody Zeller and guard Victor Oladipo. Both Duke (Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee) and Kansas (Ben McLemore, Jeff Withey) join the Hoosiers as the only programs to place two student-athletes among the final 30.

Creighton’s Doug McDermott, a mid-major star, was a 2012 Naismith finalist, and he is among the nation’s top 30 once again in 2013.

The list will be narrowed down from this group of 30 stars to a mere four in late March, through a vote by the Naismith Trophy voting academy. From there, the winner will be announced on April 7, during the Final Four in Atlanta.

“This season has re-defined excellence on the court, as numerous talented players have put themselves in a position to win the prestigious Naismith Trophy,” said Shane Battier, spokesperson for the Naismith Awards and the only men’s player to win both a high school (1997) and college (2001) Naismith Trophy.  “I am excited to see which of these great players emerges down the stretch to win this award and become the newest member of the Naismith Awards family.”

[Related: Check out where all these player's team's stand in our latest Bracketology rankings]

MORE CBB: Where does your favorite team rank in the most recent AP basketball polls?

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