Marcus Morris Named Finalist for John R. Wooden Award

March 14, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas forward Marcus Morris has been chosen as one of 20 men’s college basketball players to appear on the final ballot for the John R. Wooden Award.

Named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Morris is averaging 17.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. In conference play, Morris averaged 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. Morris’ 58.7 field goal percentage for the season ranks second in the Big 12 Conference behind only his twin brother, Markieff Morris. Last week, Marcus averaged 17.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games to lead Kansas to its eighth Big 12 Championship title in the 15-year history of the league, earning him the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player Award. Morris was also recently named one of 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and was named a Mid-Season candidate for the Naismith Award on Feb. 11.

Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the men’s basketball ballot is made up of 20 student-athletes who, based on their performances throughout the season, are the candidates for college basketball’s most prestigious honors. Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship funds in the names of the All-American recipients.

The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round during the NCAA Tournament. The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include a tribute to Coach Wooden and Wooden Award Founder, Duke Llewellyn, as well as the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Team trophies, will take place April 8, 2011 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.