Duke has seven players who have earned the Naismith Award, given annually to the nation's national player of the year. Former Blue Devils who have won the award include Johnny Dawkins (1986), Danny Ferry (1989), Christian Laettner (1992), Elton Brand (1999), Shane Battier (2001), Jason Williams (2002) and J.J. Redick (2006). The seven players is the most for any school.
Singler has received several preseason honors, including ACC Preseason Player of the Year. As a sophomore last season, the Medford, Ore. native received honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press and was a second team All-ACC selection. He averaged 16.5 points per game to rank second on the squad while leading the team with 7.7 rebounds per contest. He became just the sixth sophomore in Duke history to go over 1,000 career points.
The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2009-10 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2010 NCAA Men's Final Four in Indianapolis, Ind. A list of 30 mid-season candidates will be released in February.