Chalmers and Rush Among John R. Wooden Award Preseason Candidates

Oct. 24, 2007

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Lawrence, Kan. – Returning Wooden All-American Brandon Rush and 2006 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Mario Chalmers were among the 50 preseason candidates for the Men’s 2007-08 John R. Wooden Award. The candidates for the nation’s most coveted college basketball award were announced on Wednesday by The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s Wooden Award Committee.

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Rush is one of two returning Wooden All-Americans who made the list along with Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina. A 6-6 junior guard from Kansas City, Mo., Rush has led Kansas in scoring in each of his first two seasons. In 2006-07, he was named to the All-Big 12 First Team for the second straight season and was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American.

Chalmers, a junior guard from Anchorage, Alaska, has led the Big 12 in steals in each of the last two seasons. In 2005-06 , he became the first freshman in Big 12 history to lead the conference in steals and in 2006-07 he broke Darnell Valentine’s school record for steals in a season with 97.

Five schools had two players on the list: Kansas, UCLA (Darren Collison, Josh Shipp), North Carolina (Hansbrough, Ty Lawson), WashingtonState (Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver), Georgetown (Roy Hibbert, Johnathan Wallace).

The list is composed of 50 student athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most coveted trophy. Last year, Kevin Durant of the University of Texas was the first freshman to win the Wooden Award. The award is named for the three-time college basketball All American, 1932 Player of the Year and 10-time national championship coach at UCLA.

“The committee had a tough time deciding on just 50 candidates, with so many returning talented players across the country,” said Duke Llewellyn, Wooden Award chairman. “Some teams even had several worthy candidates. Our team at the John R. Wooden Award is excited to see the best players in the nation compete against each other all season, as they vie to be named college basketball’s player of the year.”

The 2008 Award ceremony will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of April 11-13, 2008. The top five male and female finalists will be invited to Los Angeles for the Award’s ceremony and will receive a contribution from The Los Angeles Athletic Club for their university’s general scholarship fund. One of these five players will be named the John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year at a live televised announcement from The Club where he is awarded the prestigious five-figured bronze trophy.

All-American Team – Top 50 Candidates

(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)

Jeff

Adrien

6-7

F

Jr.

Connecticut

Ryan

Anderson

6-10

F

So.

California

D.J.

Augustin

6-10

G

So.

Texas

Patrick

Beverley

6-1

G

So.

Arkansas

Jon

Brockman

6-7

F

Jr.

Washington

Chase

Budinger

6-7

F

So.

Arizona

Jaycee

Carroll

6-2

G

Sr.

Utah State

Mario

Chalmers

6-1

G

Jr.

Kansas

Darren

Collison

6-1

G

Jr.

UCLA

Brandon

Costner

6-9

F

So.

NC State

Stephen

Curry

6-0

G

So.

Davidson

Eric

Devendorf

6-4

G

Jr.

Syracuse

Chris

Douglas-Roberts

6-6

G

Jr.

Memphis

Randal

Falkner

6-7

F

Sr.

Southern Illinois

Shan

Foster

6-6

G/F

Sr.

Vanderbilt

Taj

Gibson

6-9

F

So

USC

James

Gist

6-8

F

Sr.

Maryland

Jamont

Gordon

6-4

G/F

Jr.

Mississippi State

Kentrell

Gransberry

6-9

C

Sr.

So. Florida

A.J.

Graves

6-1

G

Sr.

Butler

Malik

Hairston

6-6

G

Jr

Oregon

Tyler

Hansbrough*

6-9

F

Jr.

North Carolina

Richard

Hendrix

6-8

F

Jr.

Alabama

Roy

Hibbert

7-2

C

Sr.

Georgetown

Dominic

James

5-11

G

Jr.

Marquette

Joseph

Jones

6-9

F/C

Sr.

Texas A&M

Marcelus

Kemp

6-5

G

Sr.

Nevada

Ty

Lawson

5-11

G

So.

North Carolina

Courtney

Lee

6-5

G/F

Sr.

Western Kentucky

Chris

Lofton

6-2

G

Sr.

Tennessee

Derrick

Low

6-2

G

Sr.

Washington State

Aleks

Maric

6-11

C

Sr.

Nebraska

Eric

Maynor

6-2

G

Jr.

VCU

Bo

McCalebb

6-0

G

Sr.

New Orleans

Drew

Neitzel

6-0

G

Sr.

Michigan State

DeMarcus

Nelson

6-4

G

Sr.

Duke

Jeremy

Pargo

6-2

G

Jr.

Gonzaga

Jeff

Pendergraph

6-9

F

Jr.

Arizona State

Scottie

Reynolds

6-2

G

So.

Villanova

Tyrese

Rice

6-1

G

Jr.

Boston College

Brandon

Rush*

6-6

G

Jr.

Kansas

Josh

Shipp

6-5

F

Jr.

UCLA

Sean

Singletary

6-0

G

Sr.

Virginia

Jason

Thompson

6-11

F

Sr.

Rider

Johnathan

Wallace

6-1

G

Sr.

Georgetown

Kyle

Weaver

6-6

G

Sr.

Washington State

D.J.

White

6-9

F

Sr.

Indiana

Reggie

Williams

6-5

F

Sr.

VMI

Terrence

Williams

6-6

F

Jr.

Louisville

Martin

Zeno

6-5

G

Sr.

Texas Tech

* Indicates player was a 2006-07 Wooden Award All-American.