Purdue seniors JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore solidified their status as national player of the year contenders on Friday with inclusion on the Naismith Midseason 30, released by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The dynamic senior duo makes Purdue one of two schools in the nation to have a pair of representatives on the midseason top 30 list, alongside Duke. The list was compiled by the ATC’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria solely on performances from the 2010-11 season.
Johnson is in the midst of his finest collegiate season, leading the Big Ten with an average of 20.6 points per game overall and a mark of 20.9 per contest in league play. He also paces the conference with an average of 2.25 blocks per game, and his clip of 7.6 rebounds per outing ranks among the Big Ten leaders.
The Indianapolis native has scored in double figures in every game this season, and is in the midst of a streak of 33-straight double-figure performances that ranks as the 10th-longest in program history. He has scored 20 or more points on 14 occasions, and has seven double-doubles on the year.
Moore continues to make his case as one of the most consistent performers in Big Ten history, averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season. He needs seven points to reach 1,000 in Big Ten games only, and 50 points to become the third player in conference history with 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists.
A native of East Chicago, Ind., Moore also leads the Boilermakers and ranks fifth in the Big Ten with an average of 1.4 steals per game. He has broken Purdue’s career records for both games started and minutes played over the course of this season.
The Naismith Trophy, presented by AT&T, will be awarded at the 2011 NCAA Final Four in Houston.
2010-11 Naismith Trophy Midseason 30
Alec Burks, Colorado
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
Marcus Denmon, Missouri
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Jimmer Fredette, BYU
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
Tu Holloway, Xavier
Rick Jackson, Syracuse
Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
Demetri McCamey, Illinois
Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary’s
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue
Marcus Morris, Kansas
Kyle Singler, Duke
Chris Singleton, Florida State
Nolan Smith, Duke
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Isaiah Thomas, Washington
Trey Thompkins, Georgia
Klay Thompson, Washington State
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh
Derrick Williams, Arizona
Jordan Williams, Maryland