Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Ennis named midseason candidates for player of the year honours, Nik Stauskas snubbed

Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Ennis were named midseason candidates for both the Oscar Robertson Trophy and John Wooden Award while to the surprise of many, Michigan's Nik Stauskas was omitted from both lists.

Both awards are designed to honour the player of the year in NCAA men's basketball. The Oscar Robertson trophy is awarded by the United States Basketball Writers of America while the John Wooden Award is handed out by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Since the 1989-1990 season, only once have the winners not corresponded.

Wiggins leads Kansas with 15.2 PPG to go along with 6.1 RPG. Ennis is averaging 11.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 5.5 APG as the floor general for unbeaten Syracuse. The two were also included on the shortlist for the Wayman Tisdale Award, which goes to the best freshman as voted on by the USBWA.

Stauskas has emerged as the best player on a top-25 ranked Michigan team that lost last season's Robertson and Wooden award winner Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA. The Mississauga, Ont. native is putting up 18.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG and shooting 44% from three-point range. Taking on a larger role in the Wolverines' offence, Stauskas has improved his overall field goal percentage from 46% to 50% and increased his average free throws per game from 2.2 to 6.5, the product of better creating off the dribble and driving to the hoop as opposed to operating primarily as a spot-up shooter.