🏀 Dickinson and McCullar Named to Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List
LOS ANGELES – The Kansas duo of Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. have been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPN2 Wednesday. Kansas is one of three schools with multiple players on the list, along with North Carolina and Kentucky.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the Wooden Award. Dickinson and McCullar are aiming to become the third Jayhawk to win the Wooden Award, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).
Dickinson is coming off his second straight and ninth double-double of the season where he had 30 points and 11 rebounds against TCU on Jan. 6. Dickinson leads the Big 12 and is second nationally in rebounds per game at 12.4. The Alexandria, Virginia, center’s nine double-doubles lead the Big 12 and are sixth nationally. A five-time Big 12 weekly award honoree this season, including being named Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 8, Dickinson is the only player in the Big 12 averaging a double-double.
McCullar leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, which is 21st nationally. His two triple-doubles are the most amongst the NCAA. The San Antonio guard also leads KU with 22 steals and 21 three-point field goals made. McCullar’s 6.8 rebounds per game are second on the team and seventh in the Big 12. He ranks in the top 10 of eight Big 12 statistical categories.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Principal. Players not chosen to the preseason or midseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. 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 2024 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Principal following the NCAA Tournament in April.
