Wooden 100410
Wooden 100410
Wooden 100410
CONTACT:
Linda Reid, LRPR Cory Hathaway
(310) 291-9205 (213) 630-5206
lindreid@aol.com woodenaward@laac.net
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.
(more)
Wooden Award 2-2-2-2
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 woodenaward@laac.net.
###
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