Graham named Wooden All-American and finalist for Wooden Award
LOS ANGELES – Kansas senior Devonte’ Graham has been named to the 10-member 2018 Wooden Award All-America team, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Wednesday on ESPNU. Additionally, Graham is one of five players invited for the Wooden Award presentation during the 2018 ESPN College Basketball Awards show, April 6, in Los Angeles.
Joining Graham on the 10-player team includes: Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley III (Duke), Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Mikal Bridges (Villanova), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Jevon Carter (West Virginia) and Trae Young (Oklahoma). Joining Graham at the ESPN College Basketball Awards show will be Ayton, Bagley III, Brunson and Young.
Also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award which will be at the same April 6 awards show, Graham is vying to become the second straight Jayhawk to win both the Cousy and Wooden awards. Frank Mason III was last year’s winner of both. Additionally, Kansas’ Danny Manning won the 1988 Wooden Award.
Voting took place from March 12-19, 2018, allowing voters to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Fans were able to vote through the voting site, sponsored by Wendy’s, at www.woodenawardvote.com. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award’s creation 42 years ago, all players were certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the John R. Wooden Award.
The 42nd annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men’s and women’s most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s on ESPN2 on Friday, April 6, 2018. The men’s and women’s John R. Wooden Award All American Teams will be honored during the ceremony, and the 2018 Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Trophy will be presented to Jay Wright, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Villanova.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress towards graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07 & ’08), Maya Moore (’09 & ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), and last year’s recipients, Kelsey Plum of Washington and Frank Mason III of Kansas.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
Devonte’ Graham 2017-18 Accolades
Wooden Award All-America
Wooden Award Finalist
Consensus First Team All-American
Associated Press All-America First Team
Midwest Region All-Tournament Team
NABC All-American (3.21.18)
NABC District 8 First Team
Citizen Naismith Trophy Finalist – 1 of 4 (3.13.18)
USBWA All-American First Team (3.12.18)
Big 12 All-Tournament Team
NCAA.com First Team (3.6.18)
USA TODAY All-America First Team (3.6.18)
USBWA District VI Player of the Year (3.6.18)
USBWA All-District VI Team (3.6.18)
The Sporting News All-America First Team (3.5.18)
Bob Cousy Award Finalist – 1 of 5 (3.5.18)
Big 12 Player of the Year (Big 12, Associated Press)
All-Big 12 First Team (Big 12, Associated Press)
Wooden Award Final Ballot – 1 of 15 (3.3.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Semifinalist – 1 of 10 (2.28.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (2.26.18)
Big 12 Player of the Week (2.26.18)
Citizen Naismith Trophy Late Season Team – 1 of 30 (2.12.18)
Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 (2.5.18)
Bob Cousy Award Midseason Watch List – 1 of 10 (2.5.18)
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1.22.18)
Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List (1.11.18)
Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 (1.11.18)
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Player of the Week (12.5.17)
Lute Olson Award Player of the Week (12.4.17)
NCAA.com Player of the Week (12.4.17)
Big 12 Player of the Week (12.4.17)
Hoophall Miami Invitational MVP
Wooden Award watch list
Naismith Player of the Year watch list
USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list
Bob Cousy Award watch list
Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
Preseason All-Big 12
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