There was little action among the midseason John R. Wooden Big East candidates Tuesday. However, three players led their nationally ranked teams to wins last night.

Da’Sean Butler was held to just nine points and five rebounds as #7 West Virginia fell to Connecticut on the road 73-62. The 6-foot-7 senior made just two of ten shots from the field and missed all four shots from beyond the arc. He was five of eight from the charity stripe.

Da’Sean Butler had 14 points and six rebounds as he paced #8 West Virginia to a 75-63 victory over Seton Hall. The 6-foot-7 senior made four of twelve shots from the field and five of ten from the charity stripe. He added two assists and three steals in the win.

Evan Turner continued to demonstrate his well-rounded game as he scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half to led #12 Ohio State to a 74-67 road win over #11 Michigan State. He added ten rebounds and six assists. The junior made six of 17 shots from the field and eight of twelve free throws.

We recently looked at the school records of the past John R. Wooden Award winners. As you might expect, the top players in the country usually plays on top-flight teams. Five of the 33 Wooden Award winners have played for national champions and twenty of the honorees won 30 or more games.

Friday saw just one John R. Wooden midseason candidate take the court. Jeremy Lin of Harvard had 24 points in a matchup of two of the top seniors in the Ivy League in a 79-70 loss to first place Cornell and their standout Ryan Wittman. Lin made seven of twelve shots from the field and ten of eleven from the charity stripe. Lin is first in the Ivy League in steals (2.7 per game), second in assists (4.6) and fourth in scoring (16.7).

Thursday’s night college basketball action was highlighted by a battle of two top ten teams and two midseason John R. Wooden Big East candidates.

Robbie Hummel from Purdue led the #4 Boilermakers to a 60-57 road win over #12 Ohio State in a matchup of two John R. Wooden Award midseason candidates. He was just one of three from the field and two of two from the line as the junior finished with four points and four caroms. Purdue has won eight straight games after a three-game losing streak.

John Wall and Patrick Patterson of #2 ranked Kentucky fought off a pesky Mississippi State team on the road in an 81-75 overtime win. Freshman guard Wall made six of 16 from the field and six of eight from the line as he finished with 18 points, ten rebounds and eight assists. He also added three steals and two blocked shots. Wall is third in the country in assists. Patterson made seven of twelve shots from the floor and all four attempts from the charity stripe as he chipped in with 19 points, ten boards and three blocked shots.

Connecticut and Villanova met in a Big East matchup that featured two John R. Wooden Award midseason candidates.