Jeremy Roach, Dariq Whitehead & Dereck Lively on Naismith Trophy Watch List

A trio of Duke Blue Devils – Jeremy Roach, Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead – are three of 50 players named to the initial watch list for the Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the player of the year in men’s college basketball.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced this week the players to watch during the season-long competition for the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year honor. Whitehead, the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boy’s High School Player of the Year, made the list, along with his junior teammate Roach and classmate Lively.

The ACC leads all conferences with nine candidates on the list. Eleven schools claim two or more candidates with Duke and North…