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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura, Killian Tillie on Naismith player of the year watch list

Forward Rui Hachimura, coach Mark Few, forward Killian Tillie and guard Jack Beach take a seat in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room prior to last year’s Sweet 16. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

Gonzaga junior forwards Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie are on the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy player of the year.

The two Zags are among 50 candidates. The list will be trimmed eo 30 in February.

Tillie is GU’s top returning scorer at 12.9 points. Hachimura averaged 11.6 points.

Both Zags made preseason watch lists for individual awards. Hachimura is up for the Julius Erving Award, given to the top small forward. Tillie, who will miss about eight weeks after undergoing ankle surgery, is on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (top center) watch list.

The ACC leads the way with 10 players nominated, followed by the SEC with nine. Duke and Kentucky are the only programs with three players listed.

Villanova guard Jalen Brunson won the award last season.

Hachimura named to NABC player of year watch list

Hachimura also made the 20-player preseason watch list for the 2019 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I player of the year.

The award winner will be announced on April 7 during the Final Four in Minneapolis.