Three Jayhawks Named on Mid-Season Awards Lists
Jan. 27, 2008
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush and sophomore forward Darrell Arthur have been named to mid-season awards lists recently released.
Chalmers and Rush are on the John R. Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 30 list released Sunday, while Arthur was the lone Jayhawk on the Naismith Men’s Mid-Season 30 list released late last week.
Including Chalmers and Rush for second-ranked Kansas, four Top 10 schools have multiple players nominated for the Wooden Award – North Carolina (Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough); Memphis (Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose); and Indiana (Eric Gordon and D.J White). Rush and Hansbrough were Wooden All-Americans last season.
Rush leads <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Kansas in scoring in Big 12 games with a 15.2 average. He is 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) from three-point range through the five conference contests. The Kansas City, Mo., native is scoring 12 points per game overall for the 20-0 Jayhawks.
For the third straight year, Chalmers leads the Big 12 steals with 2.68 per game in 2007-08, which ranks in the top 10 nationally. The Anchorage, Alaska, native also leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.00. He is scoring 11.9 points per game and is third in the conference in assists with 4.89 per contest.
Arthur leads Kansas in scoring with 13.6 points per game – 16th in the Big 12 – and his 1.60 blocked shots per game are a team-best and fourth in the league. The Dallas product is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per contest, which are 14th in the conference.
John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 (listed alphabetical)
D.J. Augustin, Texas (So., 6-0, G)
Michael Beasley, KansasState (Fr., 6-10, F)
Jon Brockman, Washington (Jr., 6-7, F)
Chase Budinger, Arizona (So., 6-7, F)
Mario Chalmers, KANSAS (JR., 6-1, G)
Stephen Curry, Davidson (So., 6-1, G)
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis (Jr., 6-7, G)
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (So., 6-4, G)
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt (Sr., 6-6, G)
Eric Gordon, Indiana (Fr., 6-4, G)
Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State (Jr., 6-4, G/F)
Malik Hairston, Oregon (Sr., 6-6, G)
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (Jr., 6-9, F)
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (So., 6-8, F)
James Harden, ArizonaState (Fr., 6-5, G)
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown (Sr., 7-2, C)
Chris Lofton, Tennessee (Sr., 6-2, G)
Kevin Love, UCLA (Fr., 6-10, C)
Derrick Low, WashingtonState (Sr., 6-2, G)
O.J. Mayo, USC (Fr., 6-5, G)
Raymar Morgan, Michigan State (So., 6-7, F)
Demarcus Nelson, Duke (Sr., 6-4, G)
Tyrese Rice, BostonCollege (Jr., 6-1, G)
Brian Roberts, Dayton (Sr., 6-2, G)
Derrick Rose, Memphis (Fr., 6-3, G)
Brandon Rush, KANSAS (JR., 6-6, G)
Sean Singletary, Virginia (Sr., 6-0, G)
Jason Thompson, Rider (Sr., 6-11, F)
D.J. White, Indiana (Sr., 6-9, F)
Sam Young, Pittsburgh (Jr., 6-6, F)
2008 Naismith Men’s Mid-Season Candidates (listed alphabetical)
A.J. Abrams, Texas
Darrell Arthur, KANSAS
D.J. Augustin, Texas
Michael Beasley, KansasState
Jon Brockman, Washington
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
Eric Gordon, Indiana
Mike Green, Butler
James Harden, ArizonaState
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Kevin Love, UCLA
O.J. Mayo, USC
Drew Neitzel, Michigan State
DeMarcus Nelson, Duke
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Tyrese Rice, BostonCollege
Brian Roberts, Dayton
Derrick Rose, Memphis
Josh Shipp, UCLA
Sean Singletary, Virginia
Kyle Weaver, WashingtonState
D.J. White, Indiana
Sam Young, Pittsburgh