LOS ANGELES – Tennessee’s Candace Parker won the 2008 Women’s John R. Wooden Award, as the college basketball player of the year, at this evening’s Wooden Award Gala hosted by The Los Angeles Athletic Club at the Los Angeles Downtown Sheraton Hotel. Wooden Award Chairman and longtime fixture in the Los Angeles sports community, Richard J. “Duke” Llewellyn, made the announcement and presented Parker with the unique Wooden Award trophy whose design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.”

LOS ANGELES – The University of North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was named the winner of the 32nd annual John R. Wooden Award, as the college basketball player of the year, at this evening’s Wooden Award Gala hosted by The Los Angeles Athletic Club at the Los Angeles Downtown Sheraton Hotel. The 6-9 Hansbrough led his team to the 2008 Final Four last weekend. Hall of Fame coach and player Bill Sharman, a longtime friend of The Los Angeles Athletic Club, made the announcement and presented Hansbrough with the unique Wooden Award trophy whose design was inspired by Coach Wooden’s idea of the “total basketball player.”

LOS ANGELES – The John R. Wooden Award Committee today announced the six winners of the 2008 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year Award: Los Angeles City Section-Larry Drew, Jr. (Taft HS); CIF Southern Section Division I-Jordan Hamilton (Compton Dominguez HS); CIF Southern Section Division II-Michael Snaer (Ranch Valley HS); CIF Southern Section Division III-Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall HS); CIF Southern Section, Division IV-Montreal Harris (Twentynine Palms HS); CIF Southern Section Division V-Keith Shamburger (La Verne Lutheran HS). Each winner will receive a plaque and $500 in his name donated to his high school’s athletic fund. Winners will be recognized during a black-tie banquet that also honors the collegiate John R. Wooden All-America teams and Legends of Coaching winner Pat Summitt of Tennessee.

LOS ANGELES – Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, will be given the John R. Wooden Award’s “Legends of Coaching” honor this year, the Award’s chairman, Duke Llewellyn, announced today.

LOS ANGELES – After leading the Lady Vols to the National Championship, University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker was named college basketball player of the year and awarded the prestigious Women’s John R. Wooden Award in a ceremony this morning at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The announcement was made today during the national CBS telecast of the “John R. Wooden Award Show.”

LOS ANGELES – Coming off a stellar season that included guiding his team to a 25-win season, University of Texas guard/forward Kevin Durant was named college basketball player of the year and presented with the prestigious John R. Wooden Award in a ceremony this morning at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Durant is the first freshman to be named Wooden Award Player of the Year. Wooden Award “Legends of Coaching” recipient Gene Keady of Purdue University made the announcement during a national CBS telecast of the “John R. Wooden Award Show.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Kevin Durant of Texas captured the John R. Wooden Award in a runaway Saturday, becoming the first freshman to win the trophy and completing a sweep of the top six national male player of the year honors.

The 2006 John R. Wooden Award was a grand celebration enjoyed by all. Duke University guard J.J. Redick was named college basketball player of the year and presented with the prestigious Wooden Award during a national CBS telecast live from The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Additionally during the broadcast Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University was presented with the Legends of Coaching Award and Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller announced that LSU’s Seimone Augustus was the first repeat winner (2005 & 2006) of the Women’s Wooden Award. In the third closest race in Award history, J.J. Redick edged out Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison by just 74 points. Morrison and the other men’s Wooden Award All-Americans, Randy Foye of Villanova, Brandon Roy of Washington and Shelden Williams of Duke, were all on hand to experience Wooden Award weekend. Also participating in the festivities were the Women’s Wooden Award All-Americans including runner-up Ivory Latta of North Carolina, Duke’s Monique Currie and Courtney Paris of Oklahoma. Augustus’s parents, Seymore and Kim, accepted the third annual Women’s Wooden Award on behalf of Seimone as she and fellow Wooden Award All-American Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers were traveling with Team USA to compete in an international tournament in Australia. One of the many highlights of the weekend was the Special Olympics basketball tournament held at The Club the day prior to the announcement. Wooden Award court played host to the tourney which featured interaction between the Wooden Award All-Americans as honorary coaches and the Special Olympics athletes, with both undoubtedly providing lessons to be shared by all in attendance. Adam Morrison’s squad narrowly escaped with a victory in a thrilling championship game over Shelden William’s determined team. On Saturday, following the nationally televised announcement, there was a magnificent celebration with a sell out crowd at the Awards banquet. The Awards ceremony, exuding a family atmosphere, not only acknowledged the fine athletes and coaches involved but also celebrated the great game of college basketball. The black-tie gala culminated a special Wooden Award weekend and another fantastic year of college basketball!

LOS ANGELES – Purdue University’s all time winningest basketball coach, Gene Keady, has been named this year’s recipient of the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” honor, the Award’s chairman and founder, Richard “Duke” Llewellyn, announced today. Keady will join an exclusive group of coaches to receive the Wooden honor including North Carolina’s Dean Smith, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Arizona’s Lute Olson, Louisville’s Denny Crum, and last year’s honoree, Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim.

LOS ANGELES – After leading her team to a third consecutive Final Four, Louisiana State University guard Seimone Augustus was named college basketball player of the year and awarded the prestigious John R. Wooden Women’s Award in a ceremony this morning at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller made the announcement during a national CBS telecast of the “John R. Wooden Award Show Presented by TIAA-CREF”.