🏀 Agbaji Named to Wooden Award National Ballot

LOS ANGELES – Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji has been named to the Wooden Award National Ballot, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPN College GameDay today.

Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2021-22 season thus far, the Wooden Award National Ballot is comprised of 15 student-athletes who are front-runners for the Wooden Award. Agbaji, who is one of only two seniors listed on the ballot, is looking to become the third Jayhawk to win the Wooden Award, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).

A national player of the year candidate, Agbaji leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.2 points per game, which is 17th nationally. He is second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 42.2%.

He has scored 20 or more points in a league-high 17 games this season. Agbaji has been named Big 12 Player of the Week four times this season.

Agbaji has etched his named into the Kansas records books. His 53 consecutive games of making at least one three-point field goal is a KU record. Additionally, he is 23rd on the KU all-time scoring list, currently at 1,506 points and ranks in the top 10 in three-point field goals made (sixth at 233) and attempted (fourth at 622).

The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s following the NCAA Tournament in April.

2021-22 Wooden Award Men’s National Ballot

Name, School (Class, Pos.)

OCHAI AGBAJI, KANSAS (SR., G)

Paolo Banchero, Duke (Fr., F)

Kofi Cockburn, Illinois (Jr., C)

Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (So., G/F)

Collin Gillespie, Villanova (Sr., G)

Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga (Fr., C)

Jaden Ivey, Purdue (So., G)

Johnny Juzang, UCLA (Jr., G)

Walker Kessler, Auburn (So., F/C)

E.J. Liddell, Ohio State (Jr., F)

Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (So., G)

Keegan Murray, Iowa (So., F)

Jabari Smith, Auburn (Fr., F)

Drew Timme, Gonzaga (Jr., F)

Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky (Jr., F)