The national attention keeps coming for Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Michigan basketball sophomore guard was one of 50 players named to the 2011-12 Naismith preseason watch list Monday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

The Naismith Trophy is one of the more prestigious national awards, presented annually to the country's best college basketball player.

This is the second player of the year list Hardaway has landed on this preseason, as he's also a member of the Wooden Award watch list.

Big Ten players joining Hardaway on the Naismith list are Michigan State's Draymond Green, Northwestern's John Shurna, Ohio State's William Buford, Aaron Craft and Jared Sullinger, Purdue's Robbie Hummel and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor.

A unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman team member a year ago, Hardaway averaged 13.9 points 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 2010-11.

In February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. In March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will narrow the list to four finalists before the award itself is handed out during the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans.

Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.