ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy's Austin Benigni has been named to the early season watch list for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award for the top men's basketball player at a mid-major school.

Presented annually since 2010 to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball, the award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.
 
Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, CUSA, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt, WAC, West Coast.

The 10-member voting committee consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
 
The award is presented annually at the site of the men's Division I NCAA basketball championship. 

Benigni leads the Patriot League in both scoring (20.8 ppg) and assist (4.4 apg) average this season.  The junior scored a career-high 34 points in Navy's Nov. 8 victory over Harvard and has scored in double figures in all five games this year and in the last 26 games dating back to last season.

Navy will play its final home game in the 2024 calendar year Monday when it plays host to Washington (Md.) at 7 p.m.