LOS ANGELES, Calif. (March 15, 2017) –The Los Angeles Athletic Club today announced the seventeen outstanding Southern California high school boys’ and girls’ basketball players who will be awarded the 2017 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year Award presented by Wells Fargo.  

The boys’ winners are: CIF Los Angeles City Section, Devante Doutrive, Birmingham High School (Lake Balboa); CIF Southern Section Division I, Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth) & Ethan Thompson, Bishop Montgomery High School (Torrance); CIF Southern Section Division II, Juhwan Harris-Dyson, Heritage Christian High School (Northridge); CIF Southern Section Division III, Braelee Albert, Brentwood High School (Brentwood); CIF Southern Section Division IV, Dezmond Washington, Blair High School (Pasadena); CIF Southern Section Division V, Chris Koon, Rolling Hills Prep High School (Torrance); CIF Southern Section Division VI, Dominick Harris, Pacifica Christian High School (Newport Beach).

For the first time, the John R. Wooden Award is honoring the most outstanding Southern California high school girls’ basketball players.  The girls’ winners are: CIF Los Angeles City Section, Chelsey Gipson, Palisades High School (Pacific Palisades); CIF Southern Section Division I, Ayanna Clark, Poly High School (Long Beach) & Kianna Smith, Troy High School (Fullerton); CIF Southern Section Division II, Cameran Bahnsen, Camarillo High School (Camarillo) & Rebekah Obinma, Rosary High School (Fullerton); CIF Southern Section Division III, Alexis Lowden, Glendora High School (Glendora); CIF Southern Section Division IV, Micaela Cacho-Negrete, Village Christian High School (Sun Valley); CIF Southern Section Division V, Savannah Fauria, Heritage Christian High School (Northridge); CIF Southern Section Division VI, Alyssa Maxey, Rolling Hills Prep High School (Torrance).

All players will be presented their awards on April 7, 2017  in conjunction with the  ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s, held at The Novo by Microsoft at LA Live. This year marks the 41^st anniversary of the Wooden Award, and the high school winners will be honored along with the men’s and women’s Wooden All American teams and the Legends of Coaching honoree, Muffet McGraw of the University of Notre Dame.

About the John R. Wooden Award

 Created in 1976 by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the John R. Wooden Award® program features the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball. The Wooden Award Trophy is bestowed annually upon the nation’s best male and female player, who have met the selection criteria as set forth by the Award’s creators. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (‘79), Michael Jordan (‘84), Tim Duncan (‘97), Candace Parker (‘07 and ‘08), Kevin Durant (‘07), Maya Moore (‘09 and ’11), Trey Burke (’13), Doug McDermott (‘14), Frank Kaminsky (’15). Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield won the 2016 men’s Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s and Breanna Stewart of Connecticut won the 2016 women’s Wooden Award.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed close to a million dollars to the general scholarship fund of the honoree’s University in the name of the All-American recipient. The Award has also enabled more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long basketball camps in the Award’s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament takes place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award® presentation, and brings together Special Olympics athletes and the Wooden Award All-Americans.

Fans can follow the candidates en route to the Wooden Award presentation and get the latest news by liking the Wooden Award Facebook page or following @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact Ernest Baskerville at (213) 630-5231 or via email at [email protected].

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2017 John R. Wooden Award
High School Players of the Year

Presented by Wells Fargo