Thomas Robinson Named John R. Wooden Award 2011-12 Midseason Top 25 Candidate
Jan. 17, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior Thomas Robinson has been named a John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 candidate it was announced Tuesday by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPNU’s The Experts sports talk show.
Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 25 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and the beginning of January, are the frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.
Robinson leads the Big 12 with 13 double-doubles on the season and is the only Big 12 player averaging a double-double with 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. His 17.8 points per game are tied for second in the conference with Missouri’s Marcus Denmon. Robinson’s 12.3 rebounds are first in the conference and second nationally. He is shooting 54 percent from the field, which ranks third in the conference. The Washington, D.C., native also sits in 10th place among conference leaders with just over a block per game. For his career, he continues to climb the career double-double list with 18, which is good for a tie for ninth place with Paul Mokeski.
Last season, Kansas’ Marcus Morris was a Wooden Award All-American. In the Bill Self era at Kansas, 2003-04 to present, Wooden All-Americans have included Wayne Simien (2005), Brandon Rush (2007, 2008), Sherron Collins (2010) and Morris (2011). Former KU great and current assistant coach Danny Manning was the 1988 Wooden Award winner.
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are eligible for this midseason list but did not appear on the preseason Top 50. All players nationally who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round during the NCAA Tournament, making it unique among college postseason awards.
The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced the weekend of the Final Four in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Robinson and No. 7 Kansas will continue conference play at Texas on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m., on CBS. The Jayhawks then return to home for a second-straight ESPN Big Monday appearance when they host Texas A&M on Jan. 23 at 8 p.m.
