Williams-Goss lands on Naismith Watch List
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga men’s basketball’s Nigel Williams-Goss was named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club released Thursday.
A total of 50 student-athletes were named to the list. Williams-Goss was the lone mention from the West Coast Conference.
Williams-Goss, a redshirt junior from Happy Valley, Ore., begins his Gonzaga career this season after redshirting last season. In 2014-15, he averaged 15.6 points and 5.9 assists per game for Washington.
Williams-Goss was recently named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List, which is given to the nation’s top point guard. During his sophomore season, he ranked seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring, second in assists per game and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08). He also led the Pac-12 in minutes played, averaging 36.8 per game. He reached double figures in scoring 23 times in 30 games played and led the team in assists 23 times, while posting a season-high 31 points against Cal.
Williams-Goss scored a team-high 20 points in Gonzaga’s exhibition win over West Georgia Saturday. He added eight rebounds and a game-high five assists.
A mid-season list of 30 candidates for the Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year will be released in early February.
Gonzaga opens the regular season at home against Utah Valley Friday at 6 p.m.
Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
Edrice (Bam) Adebayo, Kentucky
Grayson Allen, Duke
Jarrett Allen, Texas
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
V.J. Beachem, Notre Dame
Joel Berry II, North Carolina
James Blackmon Jr., Indiana
Jaron Blossomgame, Clemson
Trevon Bluiett, Xavier
Chris Boucher, Oregon
Miles Bridges, Michigan State
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
Troy Caupain, Cincinnati
Tyler Davis, Texas A&M
Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State
De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky
Markelle Fultz, Washington
Jack Gibbs, Davidson
Harry Giles, Duke
Devonte’ Graham, Kansas
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Josh Hart, Villanova
Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin
Malcolm Hill, Illinois
Josh Jackson, Kansas
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Kris Jenkins, Villanova
Peter Jok, Iowa
Moses Kingsley, Arkansas
Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin
Dedric Lawson, Memphis
Tyler Lydon, Syracuse
Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
Frank Mason III, Kansas
E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Monte Morris, Iowa State
Jonathan Motley, Baylor
Austin Nichols, Virginia
London Perrantes, Virginia
Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Ivan Rabb, California
Dennis Smith Jr., NC State
Edmond Sumner, Xavier
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Jayson Tatum, Duke
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga
