After becoming the top scorer in the NCAA era for Belmont men’s basketball, senior guard Ian Clark has been named a candidate for the 2013 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award presented by AT&T according to an announcement from the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Clark’s nomination marks the first time in the NCAA era a student-athlete has been named as a candidate for a national player of the year award.
Also nominated for the 2013 Lou Henson award, Clark is a three-time All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection, earning national honors 2010 Mid-Major Freshman All-America and 2012 Mid-Major Defensive All-American from CollegeInsider.com
Clark has started in 128 games during his Belmont career, scoring in double figures 97 times. This season, he was named as a Preseason All-OVC selection and has notched the title OVC Player of the week four times.
If voted the recipient of the 2013 Naismith trophy, Clark would join the ranks of Bill Walton, Ralph Sampson, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant and last year’s winner, Anthony Davis of Kentucky.
Fans will be able to text their votes for the player of their choice to help determine the 2013 Naismith Trophy winner beginning Monday, March 25.