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 (AP) -Duke’s J.J. Redick and LSU’s Seimone Augustus capped their exceptional college careers by winning the John R. Wooden awards, presented Saturday to basketball’s players of the year.

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”.

LOS ANGELES – Coming off a stellar season that included guiding his team to the Atlantic Coast Conference title and a trip to the Sweet 16, Duke University guard J.J. Redick 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. Wooden Award “Legends of Coaching” recipient Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University made the announcement during a national CBS telecast of the “John R. Wooden Award Show Presented by TIAA-CREF”.

LOS ANGELES – Syracuse University’s men’s head basketball coach, Jim Boeheim, a recent inductee into the basketball Hall of Fame, has been named this year’s recipient of the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” honor, Award Chairman and Founder Richard “Duke” Llewellyn announced today. Boeheim will join an exclusive group of coaches that has received the award, including North Carolina’s Dean Smith, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Arizona’s Lute Olson, Louisville’s Denny Crum, and last year’s honoree, UConn coach Jim Calhoun.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The John R. Wooden Award, widely known as the most coveted individual honor in men’s and women’s college basketball, today announced three new members to its Board of Governors and one new member to its National Advisory Board. Coaches Ernie Kent of the University of Oregon, Kelvin Sampson from Oklahoma University and Mark Gottfried from the University of Alabama joined the Board of Governors, while Robyn Norwood of the Los Angeles Times joined the Advisory Board.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Saint Joseph’s star guard Jameer Nelson 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. Coach Wooden made the announcement during a national CBS telecast of the “John R. Wooden Award Show Presented by Allstate.”