Press Release

BRITTNEY GRINER WINS JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® FOR 2013

Los Angeles (April 12, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award winner for women, the preeminent collegiate basketball player of the year award, was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club, and awarded to Baylor’s Brittney Griner for the second year in a row. Selected by hundreds of women’s college basketball media members from throughout the country, the winner and All American team are made up of the five student-athletes who received the most votes, with voters ranking the players from 1 to 5. The 37th Annual Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s, honoring the men’s and women’s Wooden All American Teams, is taking place this evening at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Griner and all of the men’s and women’s All Americans have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. In addition to the academic aspect, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards because voters could consider performance during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Griner is a three-time Wooden All American who has been one of the dominant players in women’s basketball at both ends of the floor throughout her career. As a senior, she averaged 23.8 points, No. 3 in the nation, and 4.14 blocked shots (No. 2 nationally). She finished her career the No. 2 all-time scorer in NCAA Division I. She is the first player to amass 2,000 points and 500 blocked shots, and is the NCAA all-time leading shot blocker with 748 blocks. Griner declined to attend this year’s ceremony, with her agent citing an obligation to the WNBA in Hartford, Conn.

Griner is the fourth two-time Wooden Award winner, joining Seimone Augustus (LSU), Maya Moore (Connecticut), and Candace Parker (Tennessee). With 1,230 points, Griner finished ahead of Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins (1,144), Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne (989), Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike (800), and Baylor teammate Odyssey Sims (380). Of the five All Americans, only Diggins advanced her team to the Final Four.

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), Danny Manning (’88), TJ Ford (’03), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore (’09 and ‘11).

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 the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Gala.
Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or going to the Wooden Award facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2013 John R. Wooden Award®
Women’s Vote Totals
As Compiled by Deloitte®

1 Brittney Griner Baylor 1230
2. Skylar Diggins Notre Dame 1144
3. Elena Delle Donne Delaware 989
4. Chiney Ogwumike Stanford 800
5. Odyssey Sims Baylor 380

2013 John R. Wooden Award® Gala
Presented By Wendy’s®

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!

Friday, April 12, 2013 – John R. Wooden Award Gala Presented By Wendy’s

VIP Wooden Award Reception:

Time – 5 p.m.
Location – 3^rd floor Centennial Ballroom
Access – VIP
Description – Reception with Wooden Award VIP’s, including the sponsors, Legends of Coaching recipient, top female candidates and the male Wooden Award recipient. Features include reserved seating, photo opportunity with the Wooden Award VIP’s, tapas and heavy appetizer dinner

General Admission Wooden Award Reception:

Time – 5 p.m.
Location – 3^rd floor Lounge.
Access – VIP, General Admission
Description – Tapas and heavy appetizer dinner, past winner image display, cash bar and merchandise table.

Wooden Award Program:

Time – 7:30 p.m.
Location – 6^th floor. Wooden Award Court.
Access – VIP, General Admission
Presentation of the High School CIF Wooden Award Winners, presentation of the John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching to Bill Self, announcement and presentation of the female Wooden Award recipient and presentation of the male Wooden Award recipient.

Wooden Award After Party:

Time – 9:00 p.m.
Location – 3^rd floor Lounge.
Access – VIP, General Admission
Description – After party reception on the 3^rd floor featuring desserts, coffee, cash bar and autograph opportunities.

MICHIGAN’S TREY BURKE WINS 2012-13 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® PRESENTED BY WENDY’S®

Atlanta, Georgia (April 5, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s®, the preeminent men’s collegiate basketball player of the year award, was presented today on ESPN by Coach John Wooden’s grandson, Greg, on behalf of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, to University of Michigan sophomore guard Trey Burke. Greg Wooden made the announcement on ESPN SportsCenter, and Burke will be awarded the Wooden Award Trophy whose unique design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.” The 37th Annual Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s, honoring Burke and the men’s and women’s Wooden All American Teams, will take place Friday April 12 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

After a stellar sophomore year in which he has averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 assists (No. 12 in the nation), taking his Wolverines to the Final Four for the first time since 1993, Burke is also the 2013 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year. Known as a scorer who also creates offense for his teammates, Burke is a native of Columbus, Ohio. Playing in the grueling Big Ten, Burke’s 3.12 assist-to-turnover ration ranks third in the country. His three-pointer to send the Wolverine’s into overtime against Kansas in the Sweet 16 is one of the top moments of this year’s NCAA Tournament, and he was the MVP of the South Regional.

Voters include hundreds of national college basketball media who selected and ranked 10 players. In the closest voting since Duke’s J.J. Redick finished 72 points ahead of Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison in 2006, Burke had 2,808 points, just ahead of second-place finisher Victor Oladipo of Indiana (2,718). Returning Wooden All American Doug McDermott of Creighton was third (2,344,) followed by Otto Porter, Jr. of Georgetown (2,144) and Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk (2,079). The rest of the Wooden All American team, announced last week, from places six through ten, include Miami’s Shane Larkin, Indiana’s Cody Zeller, Duke’s Mason Plumlee, Ohio State’s DeShaun Thomas and Kansas’ Ben McLemore.

Burke is the first Michigan Wooden All American since Chris Webber in 1993, and is the first Wolverine to be named a Wooden Award winner. He is the fourth Big 10 player to win the John R. Wooden Award, and the first since Ohio State’s Evan Turner in 2010.

All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player. Michigan will receive a contribution to their general scholarship fund in Burke’s name from The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or going to the Wooden Award facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2013 Wooden Award VOTE TOTALS as compiled by Deloitte
Trey Burke, Michigan, 2808 points
Victor Oladipo, Indiana, 2718
Doug McDermott, Creighton, 2344
Otto Porter, Jr., Georgetown, 2144
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, 2079
Shane Larkin, Miami (FL), 1822
Cody Zeller, Indiana, 1730
Mason Plumlee, Duke, 1304
DeShaun Thomas, Ohio State, 1202
Ben McLemore, Kansas, 1072

John R. Wooden Award® Presented by 1977 Marques Johnson 1978 Phil Ford 1979 Larry Bird 1980 Darrell Griffith 1981 Danny Ainge 1982 Ralph Sampson 1983 Ralph Sampson 1984 Michael Jordan 1985 Chris Mullin 1986 Walter Berry 1987 David Robinson 1988 Danny Manning 1989 Sean Elliott 1990 Lionel Simmons 1991 Larry Johnson 1992 Christian Laettner 1993 Calbert Cheaney 1994 Glenn Robinson 1995 Ed O’Bannon 1996 Marcus Camby 1997 Tim Duncan 1998 Antawn Jamison 1999 Elton Brand 2000 Kenyon Martin 2001 Shane Battier 2002 Jason Williams 2003 T.J. Ford 2004 Jameer Nelson 2005 Andrew Bogut 2006 J.J. Redick 2007 Kevin Durant 2008 Tyler Hansbrough 2009 Blake Griffin 2010 Evan Turner 2011 Jimmer Fredette 2012 Anthony Davis 2013 Trey Burke Wendy’s® All Time Wooden Award Winners
University of California, Los Angeles
University of North Carolina
Indiana State University
University of Louisville
Brigham Young University
University of Virginia
University of Virginia
University of North Carolina
Saint John’s University
Saint John’s University
United States Naval Academy
University of Kansas
University of Arizona
La Salle University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Duke University
Indiana University
Purdue University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Massachusetts
Wake Forest University
University of North Carolina
Duke University
University of Cincinnati
Duke University
Duke University
University of Texas
St. Joseph’s
University of Utah
Duke University
University of Texas
University of North Carolina
University of Oklahoma
Ohio State University
Brigham Young University
University of Kentucky
University of Michigan

2012-13 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® PRESENTED BY WENDY’S® ANNOUNCED ON ESPN

Atlanta, Georgia (April 4, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s, the preeminent men’s collegiate basketball player of the year award, will be presented tomorrow on ESPN by Coach John Wooden’s grandson, Greg, on behalf of the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Greg Wooden will make the announcement on ESPN SportsCenter at 11:15 am EDT/8:15 am PDT and present the winner with the Wooden Award Trophy whose unique design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.” The 37th Annual Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s, honoring the men’s and women’s Wooden All American Teams, will take place Friday April 12 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Voters include hundreds of national college basketball media who selected and ranked 10 players. All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player.

John R. Wooden Award®
Presented by Wendy’s®
All Time Wooden Award Winners

1977 Marques Johnson University of California, Los Angeles
1978 Phil Ford University of North Carolina
1979 Larry Bird Indiana State University
1980 Darrell Griffith University of Louisville
1981 Danny Ainge Brigham Young University
1982 Ralph Sampson University of Virginia
1983 Ralph Sampson University of Virginia
1984 Michael Jordan University of North Carolina
1985 Chris Mullin Saint John’s University
1986 Walter Berry Saint John’s University
1987 David Robinson United States Naval Academy
1988 Danny Manning University of Kansas
1989 Sean Elliott University of Arizona
1990 Lionel Simmons La Salle University
1991 Larry Johnson University of Nevada, Las Vegas
1992 Christian Laettner Duke University
1993 Calbert Cheaney Indiana University
1994 Glenn Robinson Purdue University
1995 Ed O’Bannon University of California, Los Angeles
1996 Marcus Camby University of Massachusetts
1997 Tim Duncan Wake Forest University
1998 Antawn Jamison University of North Carolina
1999 Elton Brand Duke University
2000 Kenyon Martin University of Cincinnati
2001 Shane Battier Duke University
2002 Jason Williams Duke University
2003 T.J. Ford University of Texas
2004 Jameer Nelson St. Joseph’s
2005 Andrew Bogut University of Utah
2006 J.J. Redick Duke University
2007 Kevin Durant University of Texas
2008 Tyler Hansbrough University of North Carolina
2009 Blake Griffin University of Oklahoma
2010 Evan Turner Ohio State University
2011 Jimmer Fredette Brigham Young University
2012 Anthony Davis University of Kentucky
2013 ???

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® ANNOUNCES 2013 WOMEN’S ALL AMERICAN TEAM

Los Angeles (April 3, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award All American Team was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Selected by hundreds of women’s college basketball media members from throughout the country, the All American team is made up of the five student-athletes who received the most votes, with voters ranking the players from 1 to 5.

All players have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. In addition to the academic aspect, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards because voters could consider performance during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year will be announced at the 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s on April 12, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

This season, three of the five All Americans return to the team. Baylor senior Brittney Griner is a three-time Wooden All American who won the Award as a junior in 2012. Elena Delle Donne of Delaware and Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame also return to the Wooden All American team. Stanford junior forward Chiney Ogwumike attended last year’s event, when her sister, Nneka, was honored as a Wooden All American. The Ogwumikes join the Zeller brothers (Cody of Indiana U., Tyler of the U. of North Carolina) as the only sibling pairs to garner Wooden All American accolades.

Rounding out the team is Baylor point guard Odyssey Sims. Sims and Griner are the first pair of women’s players from the same college team to be chosen to the five player Wooden All American squad since Nneka Ogwumike and Jeanette Pohlen of Stanford were selected in 2011.

Of the five All Americans, only Diggins has advanced her team to this weekend’s Women’s Final Four in New Orleans.

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), Danny Manning (’88), TJ Ford (’03), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore (’09 and ‘11).

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Women’s All American Team

PLAYER	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	School
Elena Delle Donne^$	6-5	Sr.	G/F	Delaware
Skylar Diggins^$	5-9	Sr.	G	Notre Dame
Brittney Griner ^#$%	6-8	Sr.	P	Baylor
Chiney Ogwumike	6-3	Jr.	F	Stanford
Odyssey Sims	5-8	Jr.	G	Baylor

Players listed alphabetically

# 2012 Wooden Award winner $ 2012 Wooden All American % 2011 Wooden All American

John R. Wooden Award® Presented By Wendy’s® Mens 2012-13 All American Team

The 10-player John R. Wooden Award All American Team was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on the ESPNU show, Katz Korner. Selected by hundreds of college basketball media members and experts from throughout the country, the All American team is made up of the 10 student-athletes who received the most votes, with voters ranking the players from 1 to 10. All players have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. In addition to the academic aspect, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards because voters could consider performance during the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Women’s All American team will be released Wednesday.

The John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s will be announced on ESPN during the Final Four Weekend in Atlanta. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s will take place April 11-13, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

Creighton forward Doug McDermott is the only player on this year’s team who was a Wooden Award All American in 2012. He is the nation’s No. 2 scorer, at 23.2 ppg (as of March 29), and took the Bluejays to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. One Wooden All American is taking his team to the Final Four this season, Trey Burke of Michigan.

Indiana (Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller) was the only program with more than one player selected to the team. The last time a school had two Wooden All Americans was 2010, when Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall were chosen. The Big Ten had four selections, followed by the ACC with two. The Big East, Missouri Valley Conference, Big 12, and the WCC had one Wooden All American in 2013.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award®
Presented by Wendy’s®
All American Team

Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	School	Conference
Trey Burke	6-0	So.	G	Michigan	Big Ten
Shane Larkin	5-11	So.	G	Miami (FL)	ACC
Doug McDermott*	6-8	Jr.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley Conference
Ben McLemore	6-5	RFr.	G	Kansas	Big 12
Victor Oladipo	6-5	Jr.	G	Indiana	Big Ten
Kelly Olynyk	7-0	RJr.	F	Gonzaga	WCC
Mason Plumlee	6-10	Sr.	F	Duke	ACC
Otto Porter, Jr.	6-8	So.	F	Georgetown	Big East
Deshaun Thomas	6-7	Jr.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Cody Zeller	7-0	So.	F	Indiana	Big Ten

Players listed alphabetically. R indicates red-shirt.
*indicates player was 2012 Wooden Award All American

John R. Wooden Award® Announces  2013 Women’s Ballot

Los Angeles (March 14, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award Women’s Ballot was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club President Steve Hathaway. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 15 student-athletes who have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Hundreds of members of the college basketball media will vote on the Wooden Award Player of the Year and All American team from 9:00 AM EST (6:00 AM PST), Monday, March 18, 2013, through 3:00 PM EST (Noon – PST), Wednesday, March 27, 2013, either online or through the mail.

2012 Wooden Award winner and two-time Wooden All American Brittney Griner returns to the ballot in her senior season, along with Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne, both Wooden Award All Americans in 2012. The 6-8 Griner averages 23.3 points (No. 3 in the nation) and 4.13 blocked shots (No. 2) for the top-ranked Baylor Bears. Diggins, the 2012 and 2013 Big East Player of the Year, averages a team leading 17.3 points and 5.9 assists, directing a Notre Dame offense that ranks No. 2 nationally, won the Big East regular season and tournament championships and finished the regular season winning 26 straight games,. Delle Donne sits just above Griner in the national scoring statistics, averaging 25.5 points (No. 2 nationally) and 9.3 rebounds for the Blue Hens, despite sitting in six of her team’s first seven games due to fatigue resulting from issues related to Lyme disease. Her team hasn’t lost since she returned to the lineup full time.

The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top five players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year will be announced at the 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s on April 12, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

Other players at the top of the national statistical rankings on the ballot include Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford, who ranks in the top 10 in the country in both scoring (22.4 ppg, 6th) and rebounding (13.1, 4th), and Baylor’s Odyssey Sims, who is No. 2 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.70). Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of Connecticut leads the country in three point percentage (50.5%), while Ogwumike also tops the national charts in double-doubles (26).

Baylor (Griner, Sims), Connecticut (Mosqueda-Lewis, Stefanie Dolson), and Duke (Chelsea Gray, Elizabeth Williams), all three ranked in the nation’s top five this week, had two players named to the Wooden Award ballot. The ACC nabbed four of the 15 selections, followed by the Big East and SEC each with three; the Big 12 had two; and the CAA, Big Ten and Pac-12 had one apiece. No freshmen were chosen, and only two sophomores made the list: Mosqueda-Lewis and Williams. Duke’s Gray suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third week of February, but was named to the ballot on the strength of her play this season.

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), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11).

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or going to the Wooden Award facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award^®
Women’s Ballot

PLAYER	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	School
Kelsey Bone	6-4	Jr.	C	Texas A&M
Elena Delle Donne$	6-5	Sr.	G/F	Delaware
Skylar Diggins$	5-9	Sr.	G	Notre Dame
Stefanie Dolson	6-5	Jr.	C	Connecticut
Chelsea Gray	5-11	Jr.	G	Duke
Brittney Griner #$%	6-8	Sr.	P	Baylor
Tianna Hawkins	6-3	Sr.	F	Maryland
Maggie Lucas	5-10	Jr.	G	Penn State
A’dia Mathies	5-9	Sr.	G	Kentucky
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis	6-0	So.	F	Connecticut
Chiney Ogwumike	6-3	Jr.	F	Stanford
Meighan Simmons	5-9	Jr.	G	Tennessee
Odyssey Sims	5-8	Jr.	G	Baylor
Alyssa Thomas	6-2	Jr.	F	Maryland
Elizabeth Williams	6-3	So.	C	Duke

Players listed alphabetically.

# 2012 Wooden Award winner • $ 2012 Wooden All American • % 2011 Wooden All American

2013 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Final Ballot

Los Angeles (March 9, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award Ballot was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPN College GameDay. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 15 student-athletes who are eligible for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. All balloted players have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Women’s ballot will be released next week.

Creighton forward Doug McDermott is the only player on this year’s ballot who was a Wooden Award All American in 2012. He is the nation’s No. 2 scorer, at 23.4 ppg, and has taken the Bluejays to a 24-7 record to date this season (through March 4).

The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s will be announced on ESPN during the Final Four Weekend in Atlanta. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s will take place April 11-13, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

Among the student-athletes chosen to the Wooden Award ballot were three players who did not make the Midseason Top 25: Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, and Miami’s Shane Larkin. Other notable selections include the nation’s top scorer, Erick Green of Virginia Tech (25.0 ppg), and three freshmen: Anthony Bennett of UNLV, redshirt freshman Ben McLemore of Kansas, and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart.

Indiana (Oladipo and Cody Zeller) and Kansas (McLemore and Jeff Withey), both ranked in the Associated Press Top 5 this week, were the only programs with more than one player selected to the ballot. In terms of conferences, the Big Ten had four selections, followed by the ACC and Big 12 each with three. The Big East, Mountain West, Missouri Valley Conference, The Summit League, and the WCC had one balloted player each to round out the 15 players chosen. Voting will take place from March 18th through March 25th, allowing voters to account for the first weekend of competition in the NCAA Tournament.

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), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis won the men’s Award in 2012.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or going to the Wooden Award facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award®
Presented by Wendy’s®
Men’s Ballot

NAME	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	School	Conference
Anthony Bennett	6-8	Fr.	F	UNLV	Mountain West
Trey Burke	6-0	So.	G	Michigan	Big Ten
Erick Green	6-3	Sr.	G	Virginia Tech	ACC
Shane Larkin	5-11	So.	G	Miami (FL)	ACC
Doug McDermott*	6-8	Jr.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley Conference
Ben McLemore	6-5	RFr.	G	Kansas	Big 12
Victor Oladipo	6-5	Jr.	G	Indiana	Big Ten
Kelly Olynyk	7-0	RJr.	F	Gonzaga	WCC
Mason Plumlee	6-10	Sr.	F	Duke	ACC
Otto Porter, Jr.	6-8	So.	F	Georgetown	Big East
Marcus Smart	6-4	Fr.	G	Oklahoma State	Big 12
Deshaun Thomas	6-7	Jr.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jeff Withey	7-0	Sr.	C	Kansas	Big 12
Nate Wolters	6-4	Sr.	G	South Dakota State	The Summit League
Cody Zeller	7-0	So.	F	Indiana	Big Ten

Players listed alphabetically. R indicates redshirt.
*indicates player was 2012 Wooden Award All American

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD® 2012-13 WOMEN’S MIDSEASON TOP 20 ANNOUNCED

Last year’s Wooden Award winner Brittney Griner returns to midseason list

Los Angeles (January 22, 2013)— The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club President Steve Hathaway. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 20 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and January, are the frontrunners for selection to the National Ballot of college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The National Ballot consists of approximately 15 players who have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

2012 Wooden Award winner and two-time All American Brittney Griner is no surprise on the midseason list in her senior season. The 6-8 post player averages 21.6 points (No. 10 in the nation) for the Baylor Bears. Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne, both Wooden All Americans in 2012, also return. Diggins averages a team leading 15.3 points and 5.9 assists (No. 23 in the nation), directing an offense that ranks No. 2 nationally. Delle Donne averages 24.4 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Blue Hens, despite sitting in six of her team’s first seven games due to fatigue resulting from issues related to Lyme disease.

Other players at the top of the national statistical rankings on the midseason list include the nation’s top scorer, Sugar Rodgers of Georgetown (24.6 ppg), and Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford, who ranks in the top 10 in the country in both scoring (21.4 ppg, 10^th) and rebounding (11.6, 7^th).

The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top five players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year will be announced on April 12, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club as part of the 37^th annual Wooden Award Gala. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

The Big East had six of the 20 selections, followed by the ACC with four; the Big 12 and Big Ten with three each; the SEC with two, and the CAA and Pac-12 with one apiece. No freshmen were chosen, and only two sophomores made the list: Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of Connecticut and Elizabeth Williams of Duke. Connecticut placed three players on the midseason Top 20 (Mosqueda-Lewis, Kelly Faris, Stefanie Dolson), while Baylor (Griner, Odyssey Sims), Duke (Williams, Chelsea Gray), Maryland (Alyssa Thomas, Tianna Hawkins), Notre Dame (Diggins, Kayla McBride), and Penn State (Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas) each had two athletes selected.

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), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11).

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Women’sMidseason Top 20 List

PLAYER Alex Bentley	Ht. 5-7	Yr. Sr.	Pos. G	School Penn State
Kelsey Bone	6-4	Jr.	C	Texas A&M
Elena Delle Donne^$	6-5	Sr.	G/F	Delaware
Skylar Diggins^$	5-9	Sr.	G	Notre Dame
Stefanie Dolson	6-5	Jr.	C	Connecticut
Kelly Faris	5-11	Sr.	G	Connecticut
Angel Goodrich	5-4	Sr.	G	Kansas
Chelsea Gray	5-11	Jr.	G	Duke
Brittney Griner^#$%	6-8	Sr.	P	Baylor
Tianna Hawkins	6-3	Sr.	F	Maryland
Tayler Hill	5-10	Sr.	G	Ohio State
Maggie Lucas	5-10	Jr.	G	Penn State
A’dia Mathies	5-9	Sr.	G	Kentucky
Kayla McBride	5-11	Jr.	G	Notre Dame
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis	6-0	So.	F	Connecticut
Chiney Ogwumike	6-3	Jr.	F	Stanford
Sugar Rodgers	5-11	Sr.	G	Georgetown
Odyssey Sims	5-8	Jr.	G	Baylor
Alyssa Thomas	6-2	Jr.	F	Maryland
Elizabeth Williams	6-3	So.	C	Duke

Players listed alphabetically

# 2012 Wooden Award winner • $ 2012 Wooden All American • % 2011 Wooden All American

John R. Wooden Award Presented By Wendy’s 2012-13 Midseason Top 25

The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPNU. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 25 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and the beginning of January, are the frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The Women’s midseason list will be released next week.

Creighton forward Doug McDermott and Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan, both 2012 Wooden Award All Americans, return to the midseason list in 2013. Canaan averages 21.4 points per game for the 11-3 Racers. McDermott is the nation’s No. 3 scorer, at 23.1 ppg, and has taken the Bluejays to a 14-1 record to start the season. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the official ballot. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Note that Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum was selected to the Midseason Top 25 for his play to date though he suffered a foot injury last week that will keep him out for approximately two months. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s will be announced on ESPN during the Final Four Weekend in Atlanta. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala presented by Wendy’s will take place April 11-13, 2013, at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The Gala will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching Award winner, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. The Big East had five players chosen to the list, followed by the Big 10 and Big 12 with four each. The ACC had three selections; the Mountain West and SEC had two; and the Summit League, WCC, Patriot League, Ohio Valley Conference, and Missouri Valley Conference each had one player selected. Three freshmen were selected: Anthony Bennett of UNLV, Ben McLemore of Kansas, and Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State. Missouri (Laurence Bowers and Phil Pressey), Kansas (McLemore and Jeff Withey) and Duke (Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry), all ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 this week, were the only programs with more than one player selected to the Midseason Top 25. Two 2012-13 midseason honorees are younger brothers of previous John R. Wooden All Americans. Duke’s Seth Curry is the younger brother of 2009 Wooden Award All American Stephen Curry of Davidson. Cody Zeller of Indiana is the younger brother of 2012 Wooden Award All American Tyler Zeller of North Carolina.

NAME	Ht.	Yr.		Pos.	SSchool	Conference
Anthony Bennett	6-8	Fr.	F		UNLV	Mountain West
Laurence Bowers	6-8	Sr.	F		Missouri	SEC
Trey Burke	6-0	So.	G		Michigan	Big Ten
Isaiah Canaan*	6-1	Sr.	G		Murray State	Ohio Valley Conference
Michael Carter-Williams	6-6	So.	G		Syracuse	Big East
Jack Cooley	6-9	Sr.	F		Notre Dame	Big East
Seth Curry	6-2	Sr.	G		Duke	ACC
Jamaal Franklin	6-5	Jr.	G		San Diego State	Mountain West
Erick Green	6-3	Sr.	G		Virginia Tech	ACC
Elias Harris	6-8	Sr.	F		Gonzaga	WCC
Pierre Jackson	5-10	Sr.	G		Baylor	Big 12
Sean Kilpatrick	6-4	Jr.	G/F		Cincinnati	Big East
C.J. McCollum	6-3	Sr.	G		Lehigh	Patriot League
Doug McDermott*	6-8	Jr.	F		Creighton	Missouri Valley Conference
Ben McLemore	6-5	Fr.	G		Kansas	Big 12
Brandon Paul	6-4	Sr.	G		Illinois	Big Ten
Mason Plumlee	6-10	Sr.	F		Duke	ACC
Otto Porter, Jr.	6-8	So.	F		Georgetown	Big East
Phil Pressey	5-11	Jr.	G		Missouri	SEC
Marcus Smart	6-4	Fr.	G		Oklahoma State	Big 12
Russ Smith	6-0	Jr.	G		Louisville	Big East
Deshaun Thomas	6-7	Jr.	F		Ohio State	Big Ten
Jeff Withey	7-0	Sr.	C		Kansas	Big 12
Nate Wolters	6-4	Sr.	G		South Dakota State	The Summit League
Cody Zeller	7-0	So.	F		Indiana	Big Ten

(Players listed alphabetically.)*indicates player was 2012 Wooden Award All American

ESPN, Los Angeles Athletic Club and Wendy’s Join Forces to Provide Season-Long Coverage of College Basketball’s Prestigious John R. Wooden Award®

ESPN has signed an agreement with The Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) to be the exclusive multimedia and announcement partner of the John R. Wooden Award, the preeminent men’s collegiate basketball player of the year award. The restaurant chain Wendy’s will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Award and ESPN’s season-long coverage.

The Wooden Award was created in 1976 by the LAAC to honor the ideals of UCLA’s legendary coach, John Wooden, the year after he retired at the top of his profession. This most prestigious individual honor in college basketball is bestowed upon the country’s most outstanding player exemplifying Coach Wooden’s ideal of the “total basketball player,” who is also making progress towards earning his degree.

ESPN’s agreement with the LAAC includes increased content across multiple platforms around major milestone points in the Award voting cycle, including the Pre-Season Top 50 candidates list, the Midseason Top 25 candidates and the 10-player Wooden Award All American Team. The coverage will culminate with the announcement of the John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year during the Men’s Final Four Weekend.

Wendy’s Wooden Watch features will provide consistent updates on the players to watch throughout the season across ESPN’s TV, digital and radio assets as well as ESPN The Magazine. On television, segments will be included on SportsCenter, College Basketball GameDay, College Basketball GameDay ScoreBoard, College Basketball Live and in-game during the college basketball season. Wendy’s will also serve as the sponsor of Rivalry Week, which precedes ESPN’s extensive conference championship tournaments coverage.

ESPN’s college basketball focused digital sections will also feature Wendy’s Wooden Watch vignettes and updates throughout the season, including WatchESPN, GameCast and the College Basketball sections online and on ESPN’s mobile web site. The media schedule across ESPN Radio includes The Scott Van Pelt Show and other popular programs like Mike & Mike In The Morning and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. Wendy’s Wooden Watch will run in ESPN The Magazine throughout the season, beginning with the college basketball preview issue on Nov. 12.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with ESPN, the premier source for season-long coverage of college basketball. The selection of a player as the John R. Wooden Award winner is about the journey from opening tip to final buzzer of a spectacular season. Wendy’s sponsorship will allow fans to make that journey with the candidates,” said Steve Hathaway, President of The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

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 weeklong college basketball camps in the Award’s name. Voted upon by nearly 1,000 members of the media, previous John R. Wooden Award winners include Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan and Michael Jordan.Added Eric Johnson executive VP Multimedia Sales from ESPN, “This collaboration allows us to surround the lead-up to the Wooden Award like never before. Wendy’s heritage and culture are a great match with the values of Coach Wooden and the ‘total basketball player.’ It’s a great way to honor his legacy and the players who strive to fulfill the Wooden ideals.”

The agreement between ESPN and LAAC was initiated by Jed Petrick of Balleehoo, Inc.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Amy Phillips / ESPN / 917-453-6502 / amy.phillips@espn.com

Linda Reid / John R. Wooden Award / 310-291-9205 / lindreid@aol.com

Denny Lynch / Wendy’s / 614-764-3553 / Denny.lynch@wendys.com

WOMEN’S PRESEASON TOP 30 LIST ANNOUNCED BY JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD

Three All Americans return, including 2012 Wooden Award winner Brittney Griner

Los Angeles (November 9, 2012)— The Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced its John R. Wooden Award Women’s Preseason Top 30 today, which is comprised of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national college women’s basketball media members.

2012 Wooden Award winner Brittney Griner led Baylor to last year’s NCAA title, averaging 23.2 points and 9.5 rebounds. She was ranked No. 1 nationally in blocks (5.2), No. 2 in field goal percentage (.611) and No. 6 in scoring. She is the first player in NCAA history to score 2,000 points and record 500 blocked shots, and is the NCAA’s No. 2 all-time shot blocker heading into her senior season. Griner was also named to the Wooden Award All American team as a sophomore.

Listed as a 6-5 guard/forward, Elena Delle Donne led the nation in scoring in 2011-12 at 28.1 points per game. She took her Blue Hen team to a top 25 national ranking and the NCAA tournament in 2012, and is her school’s first All American. She was the 2012 CAA Player of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All American as well.

Skylar Diggins was widely recognized as the country’s top point guard as a junior, taking Notre Dame to the NCAA title game by averaging 16.8 points and 5.7 assists in 2012. The 2012 Big East Player of the Year and Wooden Award All American, Diggins was just the fourth NCAA Division I player in the past decade to register 600 points, 200 assists and 100 steals in a single season.

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason Top 30. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for January’s midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of 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, consisting of the nation’s top five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four.

Griner is joined on the preseason Wooden Award Top 30 by her Baylor teammate, point guard Odyssey Sims. Other schools with multiple players chosen include Connecticut with three (Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley); and five more schools with two: Duke (Elizabeth Williams, Chelsea Gray); Kansas (Angel Goodrich, Carolyn Davis); Maryland (Laurin Mincy, Alyssa Thomas); Nebraska (Jordan Hooper, Lindsay Moore); and Penn State (Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas).

The Big East led all conferences with seven selections, followed by the ACC with six, the Big 12 and Big 10 with five each, the SEC, Pac-12 and CAA with two, and the Ivy League with one. Williams and Mosqueda-Lewis were the only sophomores chosen.

About the John R. Wooden Award

The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners the weekend of April 5-7, 2013. It will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and will recognize the Legends of Coaching Award recipient Bill Self of Kansas.

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), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11).

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.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 List, Women

Name	Height	Class	Position	University	Conference
Alex Bentley	5-7	Sr.	G	Penn State	Big Ten
Carolyn Davis	6-3	Sr.	F	Kansas	Big 12
Elena Delle Donne^@	6-5	Sr.	G/F	Delaware	CAA
Skylar Diggins^@	5-9	Sr.	G	Notre Dame	Big East
Jasmine Dixon	6-0	Sr.	F	UCLA	Pac-12
Stefanie Dolson	6-5	Jr.	C	Connecticut	Big East
Shante Evans	6-0	Sr.	F	Hofstra	CAA
Christina Foggie	5-9	Jr.	G	Vanderbilt	SEC
Chassidy Fussell	5-10	Jr.	G	Texas	Big 12
Angel Goodrich	5-4	Sr.	G	Kansas	Big 12
Chelsea Gray	5-11	Jr.	G	Duke	ACC
Brittney Griner^@*#	6-8	Sr.	P	Baylor	Big 12
Bria Hartley	5-7	Jr.	G	Connecticut	Big East
Tayler Hill	5-10	Sr.	G	Ohio State	Big Ten
Jordan Hooper	6-2	Jr.	F	Nebraska	Big Ten
Natasha Howard	6-3	Jr.	F	Florida State	ACC
Maggie Lucas	5-9	Jr.	G	Penn State	Big Ten
Tyaunna Marshall	5-9	Jr.	G	Georgia Tech	ACC
Anna Martin	5-9	Sr.	G	DePaul	Big East
A’dia Mathies	5-9	Sr.	G	Kentucky	SEC
Laurin Mincy	6-0	Jr.	G	Maryland	ACC
Lindsey Moore	5-9	Sr.	G	Nebraska	Big Ten
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis	6-0	So.	F	Connecticut	Big East
Chiney Ogwumike	6-3	Jr.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Niveen Rasheed	6-0	Sr.	F	Princeton	Ivy League
Sugar Rodgers	5-11	Sr.	G	Georgetown	Big East
Shoni Schimmel	5-9	Jr.	G	Louisville	Big East
Odyssey Sims	5-9	Jr.	G	Baylor	Big 12
Alyssa Thomas	6-2	Jr.	F	Maryland	ACC
Elizabeth Williams	6-3	So.	C	Duke	ACC

(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)

*indicates player chosen to the 2011 Wooden All American Team

@ indicates player chosen to the 2012 Wooden All American team

# indicates 2012 John R. Wooden Award winner

John R. Wooden Award winner honored in April 2013 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD ANNOUNCES MEN’S PRESEASON TOP 50

Los Angeles (November 8, 2012)— The Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced its Preseason Top 50 today on ESPN.com. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball media members, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

Isiaiah Canaan of Murray State made the John R. Wooden Award All American team in 2012. The Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior, Canaan averaged 19.0 points and 3.6 assists last season in taking his team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Creighton junior forward Doug McDermott also was a Wooden Award All American a year ago after an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he ranked first nationally in field goals made, third in scoring, and seventh in field goal percentage. On the season, he averaged 22.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, taking the Bluejays to a Missouri Valley Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason Top 50. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the midseason list and the official voting ballot, both of which are open to freshman and transfer students. 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, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.

The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which in 2013 will go to Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. The event will take place the weekend of April 12-13, 2013.

Nine upperclassmen return to the Preseason Top 50 list from a year ago: Allen Crabbe of California; Aaron Craft of Ohio State; Tim Hardaway, Jr. of Michigan; Elias Harris of Gonzaga; Solomon Hill of Arizona; Ray McCallum of Detroit; McDermott; Peyton Siva of Louisville; and Patric Young of Florida.

Louisville, a Final Four team a year ago, was the only school with three players on the Preseason Top 50 (Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan). Seven schools had two players named to the list: Duke (Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee), Florida (Young and Kenny Boynton), Indiana (Christian Watford and Cody Zeller), Kansas (Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey), Michigan (Hardaway, Jr. and Trey Burke), North Carolina State (Lorenzo Brown and C.J. Leslie) and Ohio State (Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas).

Two 2012-13 preseason honorees are younger brothers of previous John R. Wooden All Americans. Duke’s Seth Curry is the younger brother of 2009 Wooden Award All American Stephen Curry of Davidson. Cody Zeller of Indiana is the younger brother of 2012 Wooden Award All American Tyler Zeller of North Carolina.

The Big 10 leads all conferences with nine selections to the Preseason Top 50, followed by the Big East with seven and the ACC and SEC each with six. The Big 12 has five selections, the Pac-12 boasts four, the West Coast Conference has three, and the Mountain West has two picks. Conference USA, Horizon, Missouri Valley, Mid-American, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Summit and Sun Belt each have one honoree.

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), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis won the men’s Award in 2012.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50, Men

Name	Height	Class	Position	University	Conference
Keith Appling	6-1	Jr.	G	Michigan State	Big Ten
Chane Behanan	6-6	So.	F	Louisville	Big East
Kenny Boynton	6-2	Sr.	G	Florida	SEC
Lorenzo Brown	6-5	Jr.	G	North Carolina State	ACC
Trey Burke	6-0	So.	G	Michigan	Big Ten
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	6-5	So.	G	Georgia	SEC
Isaiah Canaan*	6-1	Sr.	G	Murray State	Ohio Valley
Jack Cooley	6-9	Sr.	F	Notre Dame	Big East
D.J. Cooper	6-0	Sr.	G	Ohio University	Mid-American
Vincent Council	6-2	Sr.	G	Providence	Big East
Allen Crabbe	6-6	Jr.	G	California	Pac-12
Aaron Craft	6-2	Jr.	G	Ohio State	Big Ten
Seth Curry	6-2	Sr.	G	Duke	ACC
Brandon Davies	6-9	Sr.	F	BYU	West Coast
Matthew Dellavedova	6-4	Sr.	G	Saint Mary’s	West Coast
Gorgui Dieng	6-11	Jr.	C	Lousville	Big East
Jamaal Franklin	6-5	Jr.	G	San Diego State	Mountain West
Tim Frazier	6-1	Sr.	G	Penn State	Big Ten
Tim Hardaway, Jr.	6-6	Jr.	G	Michigan	Big Ten
Elias Harris	6-8	Sr.	F	Gonzaga	West Coast
Solomon Hill	6-7	Sr.	F	Arizona	Pac-12
Pierre Jackson	5-10	Sr.	G	Baylor	Big 12
Elijah Johnson	6-4	Sr.	G	Kansas	Big 12
Sean Kilpatrick	6-4	Jr.	G/F	Cincinnati	Big East
C.J. Leslie	6-9	Jr.	F	North Carolina State	ACC
James Michael McAdoo	6-9	So.	F	North Carolina	ACC
Ray McCallum	6-3	Jr.	G	Detroit	Horizon League
C.J. McCollum	6-3	Sr.	G	Lehigh	Patriot League
Doug McDermott*	6-8	Jr.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley
Rodney McGruder	6-4	Sr.	G	Kansas State	Big 12
Tony Mitchell	6-8	So.	F	North Texas	Sun Belt
Mike Moser	6-8	Jr.	F	UNLV	Mountain West
Brock Motum	6-10	Sr.	F	Washington State	Pac-12
Le’Bryan Nash	6-7	So.	G/F	Oklahoma State	Big 12
Brandon Paul	6-4	Sr.	G	Illinois	Big Ten
Mason Plumlee	6-10	Sr.	F	Duke	ACC
Otto Porter	6-8	So.	F	Georgetown	Big East
Phil Pressey	5-11	Jr.	G	Missouri	SEC
André Roberson	6-7	Jr.	F	Colorado	Pac-12
Peyton Siva	6-0	Sr.	G	Louisville	Big East
Michael Snaer	6-5	Sr.	G	Florida State	ACC
Jarnell Stokes	6-8	So.	F	Tennessee	SEC
Adonis Thomas	6-7	So.	G/F	Memphis	Conference USA
Deshaun Thomas	6-7	Jr.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Christian Watford	6-9	Sr.	F	Indiana	Big Ten
Jeff Withey	7-0	Sr.	C	Kansas	Big 12
Nate Wolters	6-4	Sr.	G	South Dakota State	Summit League
B.J. Young	6-3	So.	G	Arkansas	SEC
Patric Young	6-9	Jr.	C	Florida	SEC
Cody Zeller	7-0	So.	F	Indiana	Big Ten

Players listed alphabetically *indicates player chosen to the 2012 Wooden All American Team
Based on a preseason poll. Award winner honored April 5, 2013 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Kansas’ Bill Self Named 2013 John R. Wooden Award “Legends Of Coaching” Recipient

University of Kansas Head Basketball Coach Bill Self will be awarded the John R. Wooden Award’s “Legends of Coaching” honor in 2013, Coach Wooden’s daughter, Nan Wooden Muehlhausen, announced today at the annual Los Angeles Athletic Club Wooden Award Tip-off Luncheon. The award recognizes coaches who exemplify Coach Wooden’s high standards of coaching success and personal integrity.

The “Legends of Coaching” award was adopted by the Wooden Award Committee in 1999. The first recipient was Dean Smith of North Carolina. The honorees are selected based on character, success on the court, graduation rates of student-athletes in their basketball program, coaching philosophy, and identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award. Self will be recognized, along with the men’s and women’s 2013 John R. Wooden Award winners and the Wooden Award All American teams, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of April 11-13, 2013.

Greg Wooden, Coach Wooden’s grandson, stated: “Coach Wooden would have been honored to present this award to Coach Self in recognition not only of his coaching excellence, but also his character and commitments off the court.”

One of the nation’s most successful coaches, Self has won eight-straight Big 12 regular season titles and five league tournament championships in his nine seasons with the Jayhawks. His KU record stands at 269-53 and his 83.5 winning percentage at Kansas is the highest in the legendary program. Overall, Self is in his 19th season as a head coach with a 476-158 (.751 percent) record. Self’s NCAA Tournament success includes a run to the national title game a year ago and an NCAA title in 2008. His Kansas teams have reached at least the Sweet 16 six times in his nine years at KU.

Prior to taking the helm at Kansas, Self served as the head coach at Illinois and Tulsa, where he led both schools to the Elite Eight. Self began his career as an assistant coach for Larry Brown at Kansas and he also served under Leonard Hamilton and Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State. His first head coaching job was at Oral Roberts, where he took a team that won six games his first year and transformed it into a 20-win team by his third season; Self then rejuvenated the Tulsa program in the same fashion, taking the Hurricane to back-to-back NCAA appearances in 1999 and 2000.

Away from the court, Self devotes substantial time to his “Assists Foundation,” which directs funds to help children in a variety of ways, including scholarships and grants to school-based, private and public agencies. In the classroom, Kansas has achieved an Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of a perfect 1,000 in each of the last six years under Self. In the Bill Self era, Kansas has had 25 Academic All-Big 12 selections, which is best in the conference, and 26 of 27 four-year players at KU have earned their degrees.

Several of Self’s assistant coaches have gone on to head coaching jobs, including Danny Manning (Tulsa) and Barry Hinson (Southern Illinois) in 2012. Other former Self assistants and staff members who have reached the Division I head coaching ranks include Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts), Tim Jankovich, Norm Roberts, Billy Gillispie and John Phillips.

Self is the third Big 12 Conference coach to receive the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor, and the second Kansas coach chosen. Roy Williams, now at North Carolina, was the Legends of Coaching winner while at Kansas in 2003. Texas’ Rick Barnes was the winner in 2009. Since he replaced Roy Williams at KU nine years ago, Self has won 269 games. No coach in America has won more in this time span and KU’s 197 wins since the 2006-07 season are the most victories ever in a six-year span in NCAA Division I history

Legends of Coaching Honorees

2013 – Bill Self, Kansas
2012 – Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
2011 – Tom Izzo, Michigan State
2010 – Billy Donovan, Florida
2009 – Rick Barnes, Texas
2008 – Pat Summitt, Tennessee
2007 – Gene Keady, Purdue
2006 – Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
2005 – Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
2004 – Mike Montgomery, Stanford
2003 – Roy Williams, Kansas
2002 – Denny Crum, Louisville
2001 – Lute Olson, Arizona
2000 - Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
1999 – Dean Smith, North Carolina

Women’s John R. Wooden Award Presented to Baylor’s Brittney Griner

Los Angeles (April 6, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award®, the preeminent collegiate basketball player of the year award, was presented this evening at the Los Angeles Athletic Club by Coach John Wooden’s daughter, Nan, to Baylor University’s Brittney Griner. Baylor Assistant Coach Damion McKinney accepted the Award on Griner’s behalf, as the 6-8 junior needed to attend class today, and then went to Houston to be with her ill mother, and thus was not able to make the trip to Los Angeles. Nan Wooden made the announcement and presented Coach McKinney with the Wooden Award Trophy whose unique design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.”

Griner took her Baylor team to a historic 40-0 season and the 2012 national title, with 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks to lead Baylor in the championship game. The MVP of the Final Four, she ended her junior season ranked No. 7 nationally in scoring (23.2); she also led the country in blocked shots (5.1) while pulling down 9.4 rebounds per game. A two-time Wooden All American, Griner dominates the game at both ends of the floor, and is a leading contender for the final spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. She has announced that she will return to Baylor for her senior season.

In a statement, Griner said, “I am both humbled and honored to receive this most prestigious award and am extremely disappointed that I am unable to be there in person to accept this honor. I need to focus on finishing the semester strong in the classroom after spending the last month on the road with my team playing in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.

“To receive an award that is named after the great John Wooden, considering all that he represents not only as a coach but as a molder of character of young men and women, is one of the most cherished moments of my athletic career, and most humbling,” Griner added. “I want to thank the nationwide voters and the Los Angeles Athletic Club for this prestigious award, as well as my coaches, teammates, and especially my mom and dad, for without all of them, this would not be possible.”

Griner is the first Baylor player, and first Big 12 Conference player to win the Wooden Award. Voters include hundreds of national women’s college basketball media who selected and ranked 15 balloted players. Griner led the voting with 1,424 points. The four other finalists were in attendance, and they included Delaware guard/forward Elena Delle Donne (1,116 points), the nation’s top scorer at 28.1 points per game; Notre Dame point guard Skylar Diggins (1,073 points), who averaged 16.8 points and 5.7 assists; Stanford’s Nneka Ogwumike (1,012 points), a three-time Wooden All American and the Pac-12 scoring leader at 21.6 ppg; and Green Bay senior Julie Wojta (224 points), the Horizon League Player of the Year at 19.5 ppg.

All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player.

In addition to honoring the Wooden All American teams, the “Legends of Coaching” Award was given to University of Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Maya Moore (’09, ’11) and Blake Griffin (’09). The 2012 Wooden Award on the men’s side was presented to Kentucky’s Anthony Davis.

All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player.

Wooden Award Presentation Live Video

Live streaming of the John R. Wooden Award Presentation Gala will begin Friday April 6, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Click on the link below to view the video online:

http://new.livestream.com/woodenawardbb/woodenaward2012

36th John R. Wooden Award Presented To Anthony Davis Of Kentucky

New Orleans (March 31, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award®, the preeminent men’s collegiate basketball player of the year award, was presented today on ESPN by Coach John Wooden’s grandson, Greg, on behalf of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, to University of Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis. Greg Wooden made the announcement on College GameDay and presented Davis with the Wooden Award Trophy whose unique design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.” The 36th Annual Wooden Award Gala, honoring Davis and the entire Wooden All American Team, will take place Friday April 6 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

A 6-10 forward, Davis earned college basketball’s most prestigious honor after an outstanding freshman season in which he averages 14.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 blocks. He shoots 64.2 percent from the field and has recorded 19 double-doubles. He has led his team to a 36-2 overall record, tonight’s Final Four matchup with Louisville, and an undefeated Southeastern Conference season. He is the second freshman to win the Wooden Award; Texas’ Kevin Durant won in 2007.

A native of Chicago, Davis is the first Kentucky player to win the Wooden Award, and also the first Southeastern Conference player to be honored. Davis was the SEC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. John Wall of Kentucky was a Wooden Award finalist in 2010 and was joined on the Wooden All American team by DeMarcus Cousins.

Voters include hundreds of national college basketball media who selected and ranked 10 players. Davis had 3,350 points, outdistancing second-place finisher Thomas Robinson of Kansas (3,017). Rounding out the top five were Draymond Green of Michigan State (2,825), Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger (2,425), and Tyler Zeller of North Carolina (1,793). The ten-player All American team also included in alphabetical order Isaiah Canaan, Murray State; Jae Crowder, Marquette; Marcus Denmon, Missouri; Kevin Jones, West Virginia; and Doug McDermott, Creighton.

All players proved that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Voters were asked to take into account performance during the regular season and postseason through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, as well as a player’s character and academic performance, essential components of an outstanding player. The winner will receive a contribution from The Los Angeles Athletic Club for their university’s general scholarship fund.

In addition to honoring the Wooden All American teams next week, the “Legends of Coaching” Award will be given to University of Connecticut Head Coach Geno Auriemma. The women’s Wooden Award winner also will be announced next Friday. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Maya Moore (’09, ’11) and Blake Griffin (’09).

All-time John R. Wooden Award Winners

1977 Marques Johnson – University of California, Los Angeles

1978 Phil Ford – University of North Carolina

1979 Larry Bird – Indiana State University

1980 Darrell Griffith – University of Louisville

1981 Danny Ainge – Brigham Young University

1982 Ralph Sampson – University of Virginia

1983 Ralph Sampson – University of Virginia

1984 Michael Jordan – University of North Carolina

1985 Chris Mullin – Saint John’s University

1986 Walter Berry – Saint John’s University

1987 David Robinson – United States Naval Academy

1988 Danny Manning – University of Kansas

1989Sean Elliott – University of Arizona

1990 Lionel Simmons – La Salle University

1991 Larry Johnson – University of Nevada, Las Vegas

1992 Christian Laettner – Duke University

1993 Calbert Cheaney – Indiana University

1994Glenn Robinson – Purdue University

1995 Ed O’Bannon – University of California, Los Angeles

1996 Marcus Camby – University of Massachusetts

1997 Tim Duncan – Wake Forest University

1998 Antawn Jamison – University of North Carolina

1999 Elton Brand – Duke University

2000 Kenyon Martin – University of Cincinnati

2001 Shane Battier – Duke University

2002 Jason Williams – Duke University

2003 T.J. Ford – University of Texas

2004 Jameer Nelson – St. Joseph’s

2005Andrew Bogut – University of Utah

2006 J.J. Redick – Duke University

2007 Kevin Durant – University of Texas

2008 Tyler Hansbrough – University of North Carolina

2009 Blake Griffin – University of Oklahoma

2010 Evan Turner – Ohio State University

2011 Jimmer Fredette – Brigham Young University

2012 Anthony Davis – University of Kentucky

# # #

2011-2012 John R. Wooden Award All American Team – Women

Los Angeles (March 28, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award® has announced today its women’s All American Team for 2011-12. All five players have proven that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. In addition to academics, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards because voters could consider performance during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Two of the five women’s All Americans are repeat selections: Brittney Griner of Baylor was a 2011 pick, and Stanford senior Nneka Ogwumike is a three-time Wooden Award All American. Ogwumike took Stanford to its third straight perfect season in conference play, leading the Pac-12 in scoring (21.6 ppg), and ranking second in rebounding (10.5) and free throw percentage (82.8%). Griner ranks No. 6 nationally in scoring (23.4), and leads the country in blocked shots (5.1). Her Bears are ranked No. 1 and are enjoying a perfect 38-0 season.

Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, averaging 16.8 points and 5.7 assists, appeared on last season’s ballot, but did not make the All American Team despite a strong post-season. Two of the five schools represented on the women’s team are appearing on the All American Team for the first time: Delaware and Green Bay. The Blue Hens’ Elena Delle Donne leads the nation in scoring at 28.1 ppg, while Green Bay senior Julie Wojta averaged 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012 and will honor the men’s and women’s winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced on ESPN at the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best collegiate player 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 and ’11).

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com or liking the Wooden Award Facebook page. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5231 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award All American Team – Women

FOR RELEASE

CONTACT:

Linda Reid, LRPR

(310) 291-9205

lindreid@aol.com

2011-12 JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD

WOMEN’S ALL AMERICAN TEAM RELEASED

Cory Hathaway

(213) 630-5206

woodenaward@laac.net

Griner and Ogwumike named for second straight year

Los Angeles (March 28, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award® has announced today its women’s All

American Team for 2011-12. All five players have proven that they are making progress toward graduation

and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by

Coach Wooden. In addition to academics, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards

because voters could consider performance during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Two of the five women’s All Americans are repeat selections: Brittney Griner of Baylor was a 2011 pick, and

Stanford senior Nneka Ogwumike is a three-time Wooden Award All American. Ogwumike took Stanford

to its third straight perfect season in conference play, leading the Pac-12 in scoring (21.6 ppg), and ranking

second in rebounding (10.5) and free throw percentage (82.8%). Griner ranks No. 6 nationally in scoring

(23.4), and leads the country in blocked shots (5.1). Her Bears are ranked No. 1 and are enjoying a perfect 38-

0 season.

Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, averaging 16.8 points and 5.7 assists, appeared on last season’s ballot, but did

not make the All American Team despite a strong post-season.

Two of the five schools represented on the women’s team are appearing on the All American Team for the

first time: Delaware and Green Bay. The Blue Hens’ Elena Delle Donne leads the nation in scoring at 28.1

ppg, while Green Bay senior Julie Wojta averaged 19.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012 and will honor the men’s and

women’s winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The

John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced on ESPN at the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, the John R. Wooden Award is

the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best collegiate

player 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 and ’11).

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 the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Gala.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to

www.WoodenAward.com or liking the Wooden Award Facebook page. For more information on

the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5231 or via email at

woodenaward@laac.net.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award All Americans

Name

Elena Delle Donne

Skylar Diggins

Brittney Griner*

Nneka Ogwumike*#

Julie Wojta

Ht.

6-5

5-9

6-8

6-2

6-0

(Players listed alphabetically)

*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American

#indicates player was 2010 Wooden Award All American

Women

Yr.

Jr.

Sr.

Pos.

F/G

G/F

University

Delaware

Notre Dame

Baylor

Stanford

Green Bay

Conference

CAA

Big East

Big 12

Pac-12

Horizon

Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Elena Delle Donne	6-5	Jr.	F/G	Delaware	CAA
Skylar Diggins	5-9	Jr.	G	Notre Dame	Big East
Brittney Griner^*	6-8	Jr.	C	Baylor	Big 12
Nneka Ogwumike^*#	6-2	Sr.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Julie Wojta	6-0	Sr.	G/F	Green Bay	Horizon

(Players listed alphabetically)

*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American
#indicates player was 2010 Wooden Award All American

2011-2012 John R. Wooden Award All American Team Released

Los Angeles (March 26, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award has announced today its men’s All American team for 2011-12 on ESPN.com. All 10 players have proven that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. In addition to the academic aspect, the Wooden Award is unique among college postseason awards because voters could consider performance during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Women’s All American team will be announced Wednesday.

Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger is the only player returning from last year’s Wooden Award All American Team. This season, Sullinger averages 17.6points and 9.1 rebounds, while having recorded 16 double-doubles in 2012. No. 1 Kentucky’s Anthony Davis is the only freshman chosen.Three Wooden Award All Americans will play in next weekend’s Final Four: Sullinger, Davis, and Thomas Robinson of Kansas.

The Big East, Big 10 and the Big 12 were the only conferences with two selections. The SEC, ACC, Ohio Valley, and Missouri Valley conferences each had one player chosen.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012 and will honor the men’s and women’s winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced Saturday, March 31st on ESPN atthe Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.

2011-2012 John R. Wooden Award All American Team

Name		Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Isaiah	Canaan	6-0	Jr.	G	Murray State	Ohio Valley
Jae	Crowder	6-6	Sr.	F	Marquette	Big East
Anthony	Davis	6-10	Fr.	F	Kentucky	SEC
Marcus	Denmon	6-3	Sr.	G	Missouri	Big 12
Draymond	Green	6-7	Sr.	F	Michigan State	Big Ten
Kevin	Jones	6-8	Sr.	F	West Virginia	Big East
Doug	McDermott	6-7	So.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley
Thomas	Robinson	6-10	Jr.	F	Kansas	Big 12
Jared	Sullinger *	6-9	So.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Tyler	Zeller	7-0	Sr.	F	North Carolina	ACC

John R Wooden Award Chairmen Announced

The Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced today the appointment of Sam Lagana and Tommy Hawkins as co-chairmen of the John R. Wooden Award and its National Steering Committee. Both men are longtime supporters of the Award, and they replace the Award’s co-founders and their good friends, Richard “Duke” Llewellyn and Coach John Wooden, both of whom passed away on June 4, 2010.

“Sam and Tommy have been dedicated to the Wooden Award for many years,” said LAAC President Steve Hathaway. “They will continue to work with the basketball community, both locally and nationally, to keep the spirit of the John R. Wooden Award strong. Their experience and guidance are valuable, and under their leadership the Award will remain the highest individual honor in college basketball. Both Sam and Tommy have been members of the all-volunteer National Steering Committee for the better part of two decades, and the endorsement of their appointment at our annual steering committee meeting was unanimous.”

Lagana is currently the Associate Vice Chancellor at Pepperdine University, where he has served for the past 10 years and continues his involvement in athletics. Prior to Pepperdine, Sam served as the full-time Executive Director of the John R. Wooden Award, directing Athletics and the Sports Marketing & Business Development Division at the LAAC from 1996 to 2001. He served a one-year academic term as National Director of Sports at the renowned Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles in 2001-2002.

In his career, Sam has also served in athletics administration at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Northridge, while involved in public relations and promotion efforts for the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. He is a 1985 graduate of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Hawkins has long served as the master of ceremonies of the John R. Wooden Award. He was a two-time All-American basketball player at Notre Dame who went on to enjoy a 10-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Los Angeles Lakers, where he played with Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson and many others. An Emmy Award-nominated radio and television broadcaster, he also spent 18 years as Vice President of Communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hawkins is known for his civic involvement and has worked with numerous organizations, ranging from the Los Angeles Sports Council, Los Angeles Friends of Recreation and the Children’s Burn Foundation to Friends of Jazz at UCLA. A true “Renaissance Man,” he most recently published a book of his poetry, “Life’s Reflections: Poetry for the People.” More information is available on www.tommyhawkins.net.

John R. Wooden Award Announces 2011-2012 Women’s Ballot

Los Angeles (March 7, 2012)— The 15 women’s Finalists for the John R. Wooden Award were announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club today. The National Ballot, consisting of these top players, will be mailed to Wooden Award voters this week, and voting begins March 12th. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 15 student-athletes who are the final contenders for women’s college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

All players have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. The Wooden Award All American Teams will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. Voters have until Monday, March 19 at Noon PDT to return their ballots, allowing them to take into consideration performance during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which makes the Wooden Award unique among college postseason awards.

Stanford forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike, a senior, and Baylor junior center Brittney Griner were on last year’s Wooden Award All American Team, and Ogwumike was chosen in 2010 as well. She has led Stanford to its third straight perfect season in conference play, leading the Pac-12 in scoring (21.6 ppg), and ranking second in rebounding (10.5) and free throw percentage (82.8%). Griner ranks No. 6 in the nation in scoring (23.8), and leads the country in blocked shots (5.1). Her Bears are ranked No. 1 in the nation and are enjoying a perfect 31-0 season.

Several additional players return to the Wooden Award ballot from a year ago: Skyler Diggins of Notre Dame, Shekinna Stricklen of Tennessee, and Miami’s Shenise Johnson. Green Bay’s Julie Wojta and Connecticut’s Tiffany Hayes are the only players who were not on the midseason Wooden Award list, but who made the ballot.

The ACC has four players on the ballot, followed by the Big 12, Big East, Pac-12, and SEC each with two. The CAA, Big 10, and Horizon League had one player chosen. Three schools have two players on the ballot in 2012: Baylor, Stanford and Miami. Miami’s two players are Johnson and Riquna Williams; Griner and Odyssey Sims represent Baylor. Nnemkadi Ogwumike is joined as a Finalist by her younger sister and frontcourt mate for the Cardinal, Chiney. The duo is the only pair of sisters ever selected to the Wooden Award ballot.

Upperclassmen dominate the list, but this year one freshman, Duke’s Elizabeth Williams, and three sophomores were selected: Chiney Ogwumike, Sims, and the ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas of Maryland. Rounding out the ballot are the nation’s top scorer, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware (28.3 ppg); A’dia Mathies, the SEC Player of the Year from Kentucky; Big 10 Player of the Year, Samantha Prahalis of Ohio State; and two-time first team All Big East pick, Tiffany Hayes of Connecticut.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans, and the Legends of Coaching honoree Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The Women’s John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced at the Gala event.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, 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 and ’11).

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Ballot

Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Elena Delle Donne	6-5	Jr.	F/G	Delaware	CAA
Skylar Diggins	5-9	Jr.	G	Notre Dame	Big East
Brittney Griner^*	6-8	Jr.	C	Baylor	Big 12
Tiffany Hayes	5-10	Sr.	G	Connecticut	Big East
Shenise Johnson	5-11	Sr.	G	Miami	ACC
A’dia Mathies	5-9	Jr.	G	Kentucky	SEC
Chiney Ogwumike	6-3	So.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Nnemkadi Ogwumike^*#	6-2	Sr.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Samantha Prahalis	5-7	Sr.	G	Ohio State	Big Ten
Odyssey Sims	5-9	So.	G	Baylor	Big 12
Shekinna Stricklen	6-2	Sr.	G/F	Tennessee	SEC
Alyssa Thomas	6-2	So.	F	Maryland	ACC
Elizabeth Williams	6-3	Fr.	C	Duke	ACC
Riquna Williams	5-7	Sr.	G	Miami	ACC
Julie Wojta	6-0	Sr.	G/F	Green Bay	Horizon

(Players listed alphabetically)

*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American
#indicates player was 2010 Wooden Award All American

2011-2012 Men’s John R. Wooden Award Final Ballot

Los Angeles (March 6, 2012)— The 15 Finalists for the John R. Wooden Award were announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPN.com at 11am EST this morning. The National Ballot, consisting of these top players, will be mailed to Wooden Award voters this week. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 15 student-athletes who are the front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. Voting begins March 12th. The Women’s midseason list will be released tomorrow.

All 15 players have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, an important component of the Award insisted upon by Coach Wooden. The John R. Wooden Award All American Teams will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament, making the Wooden Award unique among college postseason awards. Voters have until Monday, March 19 at Noon PDT to return their ballots, allowing them to take into consideration performance during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Ohio State sophomore forward Jared Sullinger is the only player returning from last year’s Wooden Award All American Team. A finalist a year ago, Sullinger averages 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds, while having recorded 12 double-doubles in 2012. Other players with notable statistics chosen to the ballot include Weber State’s Damian Lillard, the nation’s No. 2 scorer at 24.5 ppg, and the country’s top setup man, Scott Machado of Iona, who averages an NCAA-leading 10.1 assists.

Three freshmen made the list, including No. 1 Kentucky’s duo of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis. The only other freshman chosen was Duke’s Austin Rivers. He joins Marquette’s Jae Crowder and Isaiah Canaan of Murray State on the short list of players who did not make the midseason list, but who have played their way onto the Wooden Award ballot the second half of the season.

The Big East had three players chosen, followed by the Big 12, Big 10, ACC, and SEC each with two. The MAAC, Big Sky, Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley conferences had one player chosen to the ballot.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced on ESPN the weekend of the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, 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 and ’11). BYU’s Jimmer Fredette was the Wooden Award winner in 2011.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Ballot

Name		Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Isaiah	Canaan	6-0	Jr.	G	Murray State	Ohio Valley
Jae	Crowder	6-6	Sr.	F	Marquette	Big East
Anthony	Davis	6-10	Fr.	F	Kentucky	SEC
Marcus	Denmon	6-3	Sr.	G	Missouri	Big 12
Draymond	Green	6-7	Sr.	F	Michigan State	Big Ten
Kevin	Jones	6-8	Sr.	F	West Virginia	Big East
Kris	Joseph	6-7	Sr.	F	Syracuse	Big East
Michael	Kidd-Gilchrist	6-7	Fr.	F	Kentucky	SEC
Damian	Lillard	6-3	Jr.	G	Weber State	Big Sky
Scott	Machado	6-1	Sr.	G	Iona	MAAC
Doug	McDermott	6-7	So.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley
Austin	Rivers	6-4	Fr.	G	Duke	ACC
Thomas	Robinson	6-10	Jr.	F	Kansas	Big 12
Jared	Sullinger*	6-9	So.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Tyler	Zeller	7-0	Sr.	F	North Carolina	ACC

(Players listed alphabetically.)

*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American

2011-2012 Women’s Top 20 Midseason List

2011 All Americans Brittney Griner and Nneka Ogwumike Return to the List

Los Angeles (January 27, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on the nationally recognized “Women’s Sports Central” podcast, hosted by women’s basketball experts Brenda VanLengen and Mechelle Voepel. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 20 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and January, are the frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The men’s midseason list was announced last week.

Stanford senior Nneka Ogwumike and Baylor junior Brittney Griner were Wooden Award All Americans in 2011, with Ogwumike also garnering the honor in 2010, and they continue to put up impressive numbers in 2012. Ogwumike leads the Pac-12 in scoring (22.9 ppg, No. 5 nationally as of 1/21/12) and rebounding (11.2 rpg, No. 8 nationally), guiding her team to a Top 5 national ranking. Griner is averaging 22.7 points per game (No. 8 nationally) for the No. 1-ranked Bears, and also ranks No. 19 in rebounding (10.3) and No. 1 in blocked shots (5.1). The nation’s current top scorer, Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne (27.9 ppg), also made the midseason list.

All six underclassmen named to the Wooden Award ballot in 2011 return to the midseason Top 20 in 2012. In addition to Griner and Nneka Ogwumike, these players include Georgetown’s Sugar Rodgers, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, Shekinna Stricklen of Tennessee, and Shenise Johnson of Miami. Ohio State’s Samantha Prahalis was on the ballot in 2010, along with Stricklen, Nneka Ogwumike and Delle Donne.

In terms of conference representation, the Big East leads the way with five Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 selections, followed by the ACC with four; the SEC with three; and the Big 12, Big 10, Pac-12 and CAA each with two. Five schools had two players chosen: Notre Dame (Diggins and Natalie Novosel); Tennessee (Stricklen and Glory Johnson); Stanford (Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike—the first pair of sisters ever named to the midseason list); Baylor (Griner and Odyssey Sims) and Connecticut (Bria Hartley and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis). Mosqueda-Lewis and Elizabeth Williams of Duke were the only freshmen chosen.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, 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 and ’11). BYU’s Jimmer Fredette and Moore were the Wooden Award winners in 2011.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Women’s
Midseason Top 20 List

Name		Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Alex	Bentley	5-7	Jr.	G	Penn State	Big Ten
Elena	Delle Donne	6-5	Jr.	F/G	Delaware	CAA
Skylar	Diggins	5-9	Jr.	G	Notre Dame	Big East
Shante	Evans	6-0	Jr.	F	Hofstra	CAA
Brittney	Griner*	6-8	Jr.	C	Baylor	Big 12
Bria	Hartley	5-7	So.	G	Connecticut	Big East
Glory	Johnson	6-3	GS	F	Tennessee	SEC
Shenise	Johnson	5-11	Sr.	G	Miami	ACC
A’dia	Mathies	5-9	Jr.	G	Kentucky	SEC
Kaleena	Mosqueda-Lewis	6-0	Fr.	F	Connecticut	Big East
Natalie	Novosel	5-11	Sr.	G	Notre Dame	Big East
Chiney	Ogwumike	6-3	So.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Nneka	Ogwumike*	6-2	Sr.	F	Stanford	Pac-12
Samantha	Prahalis	5-7	Sr.	G	Ohio State	Big Ten
Sugar	Rodgers	5-11	Jr.	G	Georgetown	Big East
Odyssey	Sims	5-9	So.	G	Baylor	Big 12
Shekinna	Stricklen	6-2	Sr.	G/F	Tennessee	SEC
Alyssa	Thomas	6-2	So.	F	Maryland	ACC
Elizabeth	Williams	6-3	Fr.	C	Duke	ACC
Riquna	Williams	5-7	Sr.	G	Miami	ACC

(Players listed alphabetically.)

*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American
GS indicates Graduate student

John R. Wooden Award 2011-12 Midseason Top 25 Candidates Announced

Returning Wooden Award All American Sullinger, Three Tarheels, Head the List

Los Angeles (January 17, 2012)— The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPNU’s The Experts sports talk show. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 25 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and the beginning of January, are the frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The Women’s midseason list will be released on January 27th.

Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger is the only player returning from last year’s Wooden Award All American team. A finalist a year ago, Sullinger averages 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds, while recording eight double-doubles so far in 2011-12.

All collegiate basketball players, including transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are eligible for this midseason list. In addition, all players will be evaluated and considered for 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 John R. Wooden Award All American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round during the NCAA Tournament, making it unique among college postseason awards because it takes into account performance in the postseason.

The Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big East conferences boast four selections apiece to the Midseason Top 25, followed by the Big 12 with three. The Missouri Valley Conference, Conference USA, MAAC, Big West, Mountain West and Big Sky each had one player selected.

North Carolina (Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall), Kentucky (Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist), and Ohio State (William Buford and Sullinger) had more than one player chosen to the midseason list; all three teams are currently in the Associated Press Top 5. Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller of Indiana were the only freshmen selected.

The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced the weekend of the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, 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 and ’11). BYU’s Jimmer Fredette was the Wooden Award winner in 2011.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award
Midseason Top 25 List

Name		Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	University	Conference
Harrison	Barnes	6-8	So.	F	North Carolina	ACC
Will	Barton	6-6	So.	G	Memphis	Conference USA
William	Buford	6-6	Sr.	G	Ohio State	Big Ten
Anthony	Davis	6-10	Fr.	F	Kentucky	SEC
Marcus	Denmon	6-3	Sr.	G	Missouri	Big 12
Draymond	Green	6-7	Sr.	F	Michigan State	Big Ten
John	Henson	6-11	Jr.	F	North Carolina	ACC
John	Jenkins	6-4	Jr.	G	Vanderbilt	SEC
Orlando	Johnson	6-5	Sr.	G	UC Santa Barbara	Big West
Darius	Johnson-Odom	6-2	Sr.	G	Marquette	Big East
Kevin	Jones	6-8	Sr.	F	West Virginia	Big East
Perry	Jones III	6-11	So.	F	Baylor	Big 12
Kris	Joseph	6-7	Sr.	F	Syracuse	Big East
Michael	Kidd-Gilchrist	6-7	Fr.	F	Kentucky	SEC
Jeremy	Lamb	6-5	So.	G/F	Connecticut	Big East
Damian	Lillard	6-3	Jr.	G	Weber State	Big Sky
Scott	Machado	6-1	Sr.	G	Iona	MAAC
Kendall	Marshall	6-4	So.	G	North Carolina	ACC
Doug	McDermott	6-7	So.	F	Creighton	Missouri Valley
Mike	Moser	6-8	So.	F	UNLV	Mountain West
Arnett	Moultrie	6-11	Jr.	F	Mississippi State	SEC
Thomas	Robinson	6-10	Jr.	F	Kansas	Big 12
Mike	Scott	6-8	Sr.	F	Virginia	ACC
Jared	Sullinger*	6-9	So.	F	Ohio State	Big Ten
Cody	Zeller	6-11	Fr.	F	Indiana	Big Ten