By Will Despart
The Sporting Tribune
The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it’s 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
After Evan Turner’s sophomore season at Ohio State ended with an upset loss to nine seed Siena in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, he could have moved on to the NBA as a first-round prospect. However, Turner elected to stay with the Buckeyes for his junior campaign in 2009 and the result was college basketball immortality.
Turner edged out Kentucky’s John Wall to earn the 2010 John R. Wooden Award, in addition to nearly every other National Player of the Year Honor. The Chicago native averaged 20.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, and six assists per game, ranking first or second in the Big 10 in each category.
Despite a stacked regular season schedule for the Buckeyes, Turner led Ohio State to a Big Ten Tournament championship and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
After a loss to Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen ended Turner’s collegiate career, he was drafted second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers just a few months later. Turner was selected ahead of eventual All-Stars DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George, going on to play a decade in the NBA with further stints in Indiana, Boston, Portland and Atlanta.
Turner primarily played a reserve role in the NBA, but he started in 12 of the 76ers’ 13 games during their run to the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals as an eight seed, highlighted by an upset of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round. Turner would go on to start in his next 136 appearances for the 76ers over the next two seasons before emerging as a Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate over the next handful of seasons.
Turner remains the only Wooden Award winner from Ohio State. For his contributions to the basketball program, Turner had his jersey retired by the university in February 2016.