LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 1, 2021) – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Late Season Top 20 Watch List today on ESPNU. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2020-21 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.

On the 2021 Wooden Award™ Late Season Top 20, three players make their debut on the Wooden Watch™: Justin Champagnie (Pittsburgh), Hunter Dickinson (Michigan) and Quentin Grimes (Houston). Three schools have multiple players on the list, led by Gonzaga (Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, and Drew Timme), and followed by Illinois (Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu) and Villanova (Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl).

The Big Ten leads all conferences with seven selections on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, followed by the Big East and WCC with three each, the ACC and Big 12 with two selections, and Conference USA, Pac-12, and American with one selection apiece. 

The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s following the NCAA Tournament in April.

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Wooden Award

Presented by Wendy’s

2020-21 Late Season Top 20

* indicates player selected as 2020 Wooden Award All American