Penn State senior guard Tim Frazier, who was already named preseason All-Big Ten, added another honor as he was named to the prestigious Naismith Award Early Season Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, placing him among the top players in the nation.

Frazier, a native of Houston, Texas, is the Big Ten’s leading returner in both scoring and assists and was recently named to Wooden Award Men’s Preseason Top 50.

The Naismith List is a list of top 50 players based on a players’ previous season and the expectations for the 2012-13 campaign. In February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club narrows the list down to 30 players. Then in March, the list is whittled down to the top four, as selected by the Naismith Trophy voting academy. The winner will be awarded on April 7, 2013 in Atlanta.

Frazier and the Lions touched down in Puerto Rico last night for the sixth annual Puerto Rico Tip-Off and are in for a huge challenge as they prepare to take on No. 6 North Carolina State on Thursday at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

Frazier and the Nittany Lions are coming off a season-opening 65-58 victory over St. Francis and will need to put forth a much better shooting performance if they will have a chance against the Wolfpack. Frazier led Penn State with 23 points and 6 assists in the victory.