Three in-state men’s college basketball players have been named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy midseason watchlist, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced on Monday.

The Oscar Robertson Trophy, an annual honor bestowed upon the nation’s top college basketball player, has been given out every year since 1959, making it the oldest award of its kind. Although the recently released watchlist doesn’t correlate to award selection, it serves to recognize “50 standout men’s college basketball players,” according to a USBWA release.

Included on the list are three Yellowhammer State stars: UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Auburn center Johni Broome, and Alabama guard Mark Sears, each of whom would become the first in-state player to win the award.

Lendeborg, a senior who spurned multiple million-dollar NIL offers to remain with the Blazers, is having a season for the ages, currently averaging 17.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.

RELATED: UAB’s star forward announces he’s staying with the Blazers – ‘Yax is back!’

Lendeborg is one of just two D1 men’s basketball players to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

For reference as to just how impressive that is, the other player is Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the projected #1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. According to ThePortalReport’s player impact metric, Lendeborg has provided more value to his team than has any other player in the country.

Here are the Most Impactful players in MBB this season per @ThePortalReport's Impact Rating

Unadjusted for competition. The metrics love Yaxel! But a lot of really good players making major impacts across all of college hoops this year pic.twitter.com/rtyLSNQNOG

— Matt Kraemer (@RealMattKraemer) February 4, 2025

The sixth-most impactful player on ThePortalReport’s list is Broome, who is in the midst of a similarly spectacular campaign. The senior’s 21-1 Auburn Tigers are currently the nation’s top team by almost every conceivable measure.

RELATED: Auburn ranked No. 1 in AP Poll for just second time in program history

Broome averages 18.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, a statline that has locked him into a National Player of the Year race with Flagg.

“Broome and Flagg are stars on currently the two best teams in college basketball, something that became evident by the end of December and hasn’t missed a beat since,” CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander wrote in a recent article. “It’s reached the point where we’re tracking every performance from every game to compare the two to see whose nose is ahead.”

The two best players on the two best teams — on a combined 30-game winning streak.

So: Cooper Flagg or Johni Broome for National Player of the Year?@MattNorlander joined @Hassel_Chris to discuss what could become the biggest storyline in the sport over the next six weeks. pic.twitter.com/2hfEwNAKb8

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 6, 2025

Alabama’s Mark Sears is the final in-state player to appear on the Oscar Robertson watchlist. Named the Crimson Tide’s third-ever consensus All-American last April, the graduate senior is enjoying yet another dominant season, posting 18.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game.

RELATED: Mark Sears named as Alabama’s third-ever consensus All-American

Although Broome’s brilliance has slightly overshadowed Sears’ excellent campaign, the latter remains among the nation’s top point guards—on Monday, he was selected to the Bob Cousy Award Top 10 List, an honor bestowed upon the country’s top PG.

MS1 named to the Bob Cousy Top 10 Watch List.#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/fCqTJgg6zx

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) February 3, 2025

According to the release, the winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio in April with a formal presentation of the award occurring at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.