Collins Named Wooden Award Mid-Season Candidate

Feb. 6, 2009

Feb. 6, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas junior point guard Sherron Collins has been named one of the top 30 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award announced Friday by the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award committee.

Collins is the only Jayhawk nominated for the award. Last season, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush were recognized on the mid-season list in 2007-08.

Among the 30 players on the 2008-09 mid-season list, three players from the Big 12 Conference are included. Besides Collins, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin and Texas’ A.J. Abrams were also recognized.

The John R. Wooden Award is the nation’s most coveted college basketball honor. The award is chosen by The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award Committee. The top 30 players competing for the award are based on individual player performance and team records during the first half of the season.

Collins leads Kansas this season in scoring (18.2), assists (5.1) and steals (1.2). The Chicago, Ill., product has led KU to a 7-0 start in the Big 12 Conference, as the Jayhawks are one of two remaining undefeated teams in conference play.

Rush was named Wooden Award All-American in 2007 and 2008. Prior to Rush, Wayne Simien was a Wooden Award All-American in 2005. Kansas current assistant coach Danny Manning won the Wooden Award as the nation’s outstanding player in 1988. He was also a Wooden Award All-American in 1986.

2009 Wooden Award

Midseason Top 30 Candidates (in alphabetical order)

A.J. Abrams, Texas (Sr., 5-11, G)

Jeff Adrien, Connecticut (Sr., 6-7, F)

DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh (So., 6-7, F)

Jon Brockman, Washington (Sr., 6-7, F)

Nick Calathes, Florida (So., 6-6, G/F)

Sherron Collins, Kansas (Jr., 5-11, G)

Darren Collison, UCLA (Sr., 6-0, G)

Stephen Curry, Davidson (Jr., 6-3, G)

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse (So., 6-0, G)

Taj Gibson, USC (Jr., 6-9, F)

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (So., 6-10, F)

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (Sr., 6-9, F)

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (Jr., 6-8, F)

James Harden, Arizona State (So., 6-4, G)

Manny Harris, Michigan (So., 6-5, G)

Gerald Henderson, Duke (Jr., 6-4, G/F)

Jordan Hill, Arizona (Jr., 6-10, F)

Matt Howard, Butler (So., 6-7, F)

Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Jr., 5-11, G)

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State (So., 6-0, F)

Wesley Matthews, Marquette (Sr., 6-5, G)

Jerel McNeal, Marquette (Sr., 6-3, G)

Jodie Meeks, Kentucky (Jr., 6-4, G)

Greg Monroe, Georgetown (Fr., 6-11, C)

Kyle Singler, Duke (So., 6-8, F)

Tyler Smith, Tennessee (Jr., 6-7, F)

Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (So., 6-2, G)

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut (Jr., 7-3, C)

Terrence Williams, Louisville (Sr., 6-6, F)

Sam Young, Pittsburgh (Jr., 6-6, F)

Kansas Wooden Award All-Americans

1986 – Danny Manning

1988 – Danny Manning (also Wooden Award winner)

1996 – Jacque Vaughn

1997 – Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn

1998 – Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce

2002 – Drew Gooden

2003 – Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich

2005 – Wayne Simien

2007 – Brandon Rush

2008 – Brandon Rush