Nov. 19, 2024
2024-25 LUTE OLSON NATIONAL EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST
Presented annually to the top player in division I college basketball.
BOSTON, MA -- The 2023-24 Lute Olson ‘Early Season’ Watch list has been announced. The award is presented annually to the top player in division I college basketball.
The award is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
Olson is one of just 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games (all divisions) and ranks ninth on the Division I career victories list. He finished with a winning percentage of .731 and is the all-time winningest coach in Arizona history with 587-190 record (.755). He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven times.
Olson also guided Arizona to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons and is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to record 29 or more 20-win seasons.
In 2002, Olson was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Coach Olson passed away on August 27, 2020.
The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
The 2025 award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
2024-25 LUTE OLSON AWARD EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST
|
Robbie Avila |
6-10 |
Saint Louis |
|
Ace Bailey |
6-10 |
Rutgers |
|
Oumar Ballo |
7-0 |
Indiana |
|
Johni Broome |
6-10 |
Auburn |
|
Walter Clayton Jr. |
6-3 |
Florida |
|
LJ Cryer |
6-1 |
Houston |
|
Johnell Davis |
6-4 |
Arkansas |
|
Tyson Degenhart |
6-8 |
Boise State |
|
RJ Davis |
6-0 |
North Carolina |
|
Hunter Dickinson |
7-2 |
Kansas |
|
Eric Dixon |
6-8 |
Villanova |
|
Darlinstone Dubar |
6-6 |
Tennessee |
|
VJ Edgecombe |
6-4 |
Baylor |
|
Cooper Flagg |
6-9 |
Duke |
|
Vladislav Goldin |
7-1 |
Michigan |
|
Tyon Grant-Foster |
6-7 |
Grand Canyon |
|
Dylan Harper |
6-6 |
Rutgers |
|
Dajuan Harris Jr. |
6-2 |
Kansas |
|
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
Kansas State |
|
Bryce Hopkins |
6-7 |
Providence |
|
Josh Hubbard |
5-11 |
Mississippi State |
|
Kam Jones |
6-5 |
Marquette |
|
Alex Karaban |
6-8 |
Connecticut |
|
Ryan Kalkbrenner |
7-1 |
Creighton |
|
Kon Knueppel |
6-7 |
Duke |
|
Yaxel Lendeborg |
6-9 |
UAB |
|
Tamin Lipsey |
6-1 |
Iowa State |
|
Caleb Love |
6-4 |
Arizona |
|
Zeke Mayo |
6-4 |
Kansas |
|
Liam McNeeley |
6-8 |
Connecticut |
|
Collin Murray-Boyles |
6-7 |
South Carolina |
|
Matthew Murrell |
6-4 |
Ole Miss |
|
Grant Nelson |
6-11 |
Alabama |
|
Ryan Nembhard |
6-0 |
Gonzaga |
|
Norchad Omier |
6-7 |
Baylor |
|
Clifford Omoruyi |
6-11 |
Alabama |
|
Great Osobor |
6-8 |
Washington |
|
Caden Pierce |
6-7 |
Princeton |
|
Kadary Richmond |
6-6 |
St. John’s |
|
Jeremy Roach |
6-2 |
Baylor |
|
Jaxson Robinson |
6-5 |
Kentucky |
|
Hunter Sallis |
6-5 |
Wake Forest |
|
Payton Sandfort |
6-7 |
Iowa |
|
Mark Sears |
6-1 |
Alabama |
|
Braden Smith |
6-0 |
Purdue |
|
Wade Taylor IV |
6-0 |
Texas A&M |
|
JT Toppin |
6-9 |
Texas Tech |
|
Bruce Thornton |
6-2 |
Ohio State |
|
Seth Trimble |
6-3 |
North Carolina |
|
Zakai Zeigler |
5-9 |
Tennessee |
2024: Zach Edey, Purdue
2023: Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
2022: Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
2021: Luka Garza, Iowa
2020: Payton Pritchard, Oregon
2019: Ja Morant, Murray State
2018: Jalen Brunson, Villanova
2017: Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
2016: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
2015: Cameron Payne, Murray State
2014: Doug McDermott, Creighton
2013: Shane Larkin, Miami
2012: Doug McDermott, Creighton
2011: Kemba Walker, Connecticut
2010: Sherron Collins, Kansas
