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.
Here’s the full list: Ty Abbott, Arizona State; Lavoy Allen, Temple; Kevin Anderson, Richmond; Talor Battle, Penn State; Kenny Boynton, Florida; William Buford, Ohio State; Alec Burks, Colorado; Randy Culpepper, UTEP.
Malcolm Delany, Virginia Tech; LaceDarius Dunn, Baylor; Kim English, Missouri; Corey Fisher, Villanova; Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young; Austin Freeman, Georgetown; Ashton Gibbs, Pitt
Steven Gray, Gonzaga; Jordan Hamilton, Texas; Elias Harris, Gonzaga; Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall; John Henson, North Carolina; Cory Higgins, Colorado; Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA
Robbie Hummel, Purdue; JaJuan Johnson, Purdue; Kris Joseph, Syracuse; Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State; Jon Leuer, Wisconsin; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Shelvin Mack, Butler; Demetri McCamey, Illinois; E’Twaun Moore, Purdue; Marcus Morris, Kansas; Jacon Pullen, Kansas State
John Shurna, Northwestern; Kyle Singler, Duke; Chris Singleton, Florida State; Nolan Smith, Duke; Tracy Smith, North Carolina State; Durrell Summers, Michigan State; Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt; Isaiah Thomas, Washington; Trey Thompkins, Georgia; Klay Thompson, Washington State
Joe Trapani, Boston College; Brandon Triche, Syracuse; Nikola Vucevic, USC; Kemba Walker, UConn; Derrick Williams, Arizona; Jordan Williams, Maryland; Chris Wright, Dayton
Photo credits: Hartford Courant
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