John R. Wooden Award®
FOR RELEASE
CONTACT:
Linda Reid, LRPR
Cory Hathaway
(310) 291-9205
(213) 630-5206
[email protected][email protected]JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD 2010-11 PRESEASON
TOP 50 CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED
Four seniors top the list: Fredette, Hummel, Lucas, Singler
Los Angeles (October 4, 2010)- The John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50
list was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The list is
comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual
performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college
basketball's most prestigious honor. The Women's Preseason list will be
released later this week.
Returning players from past Wooden Award ballots include four seniors:
Duke's Kyle Singler (2009, 2010), Robbie Hummel of Purdue (2008, 2010),
Kalin Lucas of Michigan State (2009, 2010) and BYU's Jimmer Fredette (2010).
Singler was the MVP of the 2010 Final Four, leading the Blue Devils to the
NCAA title in averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds his junior season.
Hummel was a 2008 and 2010 All-Big 10 selection, and also a two-time
Academic All-Big 10 pick who averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 2010.
Lucas is considered among the nation's top point guards after leading the
Spartans in scoring (14.8 ppg) and assists (4.0 ast) during their Final Four
campaign a year ago. Fredette was his team's top scorer (22.1 ppg) and
playmaker (4.7 ast) and was an All-MWC player as a junior.
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason
list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be
evaluated and considered for December's Midseason list and the official
voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of
approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they
are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a
cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced
the week of the "Elite Eight" round during the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue (Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore) was the only school with
three players named to the Wooden Award preseason Top 50. Five schools had
two players chosen to the list: Colorado (Alec Burks, Cory Higgins); Duke
(Singler, Nolan Smith); Gonzaga (Steven Gray, Elias Harris); Michigan State
(Lucas, Durrell Summers); Syracuse (Kris Joseph, Brandon Triche).
Eleven conferences are represented on the Wooden Award Preseason List.
Leading the way is the Big 10 (10), followed by the ACC (8), Big East (7),
SEC (3), Big 12 (7), Pac-10 (6), Atlantic 10 (3), Mountain West (2), West
Coast (2); and Conference USA, and the Horizon League with one apiece.
The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement
of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winners, a special tribute to Coach
Wooden and Wooden Award founder Duke Llewellyn, and the presentation of the
Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take
place the weekend of April 8-10, 2011.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual
honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player
at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her
university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and
maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such
notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Blake
Griffin ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09). Ohio State's Evan Turner
and Connecticut's Tina Charles won the Award in 2010.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a
million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of
the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000
underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the
Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special
Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award
Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long
tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All
Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on the Friday prior
to the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.
Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by
logging on to
www.WoodenAward.com. For more information on the John R.
Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or email
at
[email protected].
2010-11 John R. Wooden Award
Preseason Top 50 List
Name Height Class Position University Conference
Ty Abbott 6-3 Sr. G Arizona State Pac-10
Lavoy Allen 6-9 Sr. F Temple Atlantic 10
Kevin Anderson 6-0 Sr. G Richmond Atlantic 10
Talor Battle 6-0 Sr. G Penn State Big Ten
Kenny Boynton 6-2 So. G Florida SEC
William Buford 6-5 Jr. G Ohio State Big Ten
Alec Burks 6-6 So. G Colorado Big 12 Randy Culpepper 6-0 Sr. G UTEP Conference USA
Malcolm Delaney 6-3 Sr. G Virginia Tech ACC
LaceDarius Dunn 6-4 Sr. G Baylor Big 12
Kim English 6-6 Jr. G Missouri Big 12 Corey Fisher 6-1 Sr. G Villanova Big East
Jimmer Fredette* 6-2 Sr. G Brigham Young Mountain
West
Austin Freeman 6-4 Sr. G Georgetown Big East
Ashton Gibbs 6-2 Jr. G Pittsburgh Big East
Steven Gray 6-5 Sr. G Gonzaga West Coast
Jordan Hamilton 6-7 So. G/F Texas Big 12 Elias Harris 6-7 So. F Gonzaga West Coast
Jeremy Hazell 6-5 Sr. G Seton Hall Big East
John Henson 6-10 So. F North Carolina ACC
Cory Higgins 6-5 Sr. G Colorado Big 12 Tyler Honeycutt 6-8 So. F UCLA Pac-10
Robbie Hummel* 6-8 Sr. F Purdue Big Ten
JaJuan Johnson 6-10 Sr. F/C Purdue Big Ten
Kris Joseph 6-7 Jr. F Syracuse Big East
Kawhi Leonard 6-7 So. F San Diego State Mountain West
Jon Leuer 6-10 Sr. F Wisconsin Big Ten
Kalin Lucas* 6-1 Sr. F Michigan State Big Ten
Shelvin Mack 6-3 Jr. G Butler Horizon League
Demetri McCamey 6-3 Sr. G Illinois Big Ten
E'Twaun Moore 6-4 Sr. G Purdue Big Ten
Marcus Morris 6-9 Jr. F Kansas Big 12 Jacob Pullen 6-0 Sr. G Kansas State Big 12 John Shurna 6-8 Jr. F Northwestern Big Ten
Kyle Singler* 6-8 Sr. F Duke ACC
Chris Singleton 6-9 Jr. F Florida State ACC
Nolan Smith 6-2 Sr. G Duke ACC
Tracy Smith 6-8 Sr. F North Carolina State ACC
Durrell Summers 6-5 Sr. G Michigan State Big Ten
Jeffery Taylor 6-7 Jr. G/F Vanderbilt SEC
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 Jr. G Washington Pac-10
Trey Thompkins 6-10 Jr. F Georgia SEC
Klay Thompson 6-6 Jr. G Washington State Pac-10
Joe Trapani 6-8 Sr. F Boston College ACC
Brandon Triche 6-4 So. G Syracuse Big East
Nikola Vucevic 6-10 Jr. F USC Pac-10
Kemba Walker 6-1 Jr. G Connecticut Big East
Derrick Williams 6-8 So. F Arizona Pac-10
Jordan Williams 6-10 So. F Maryland ACC
Chris Wright 6-8 Sr. F Dayton Atlantic 10
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden Award ballot
