College Basketball

Marcus Sasser Named to Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List

Staff Report
Posted 1/19/23

Senior University of Houston guard Marcus Sasser was named to the United States Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Thursday.

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College Basketball

Marcus Sasser Named to Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List

Posted

Leading the No. 1 ranked University of Houston Men’s Basketball program to an 18-1 record and first place in the American Athletic Conference standings, senior guard Marcus Sasser was named to the United States Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List on Thursday.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation's oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the entire USBWA membership will vote for the award. The winner of the award will be announced at the 2023 Men's Final Four in Houston with the formal presentation to follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.

All Division I players remain eligible for the 2022-23 Oscar Robertson Trophy. The watch list spotlights the top candidates, as selected by the USBWA board.

Sasser has been a leader for the Cougars throughout the 2022-23 season as the Cougars moved to the top of the Associated Press and USA TODAY Sports Coaches polls for the first time since 1983.

The Dallas native leads the Cougars and ranks fifth in The American with 16.9 points per game and has drained a team-high 52 3-pointers this season, including a season-high seven treys in Tuesday’s 80-60 road win at Tulane.

He has posted back-to-back 20-point games entering Sunday’s home showdown against Temple, including a career-high 31 points in a win over South Florida on Jan. 11.

However, Sasser is doing far more than shoot and score for the Cougars. He leads Houston with 1.8 steals per game and ranks second among the Cougars and among The American’s Top-15 leaders with 3.1 assists and a 2.23 assist-turnover ratio.

He became the 50th 1,000-point scorer in Houston history earlier this season and recently broke into the Cougars’ Top-30 career scoring leaders with 1,176 points to date.

With his long-range performance at Tulane, Sasser also moved into fourth in Houston career history with 232 3-pointers and needs only 30 more treys to set the school record in that category.

NCAA, College Basketball, sports, University of Houston, Marcus Sasser