LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's Late Season Top 20 Watch List on Monday and Arizona sophomore guard
Bennedict Mathurin was included on the list.
Mathurin, a native of Montreal, is averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists through 19 games for the seventh-ranked Wildcats. He's also shooting 45.7% from the field and 36.5% from the 3-point line while his 18 steals are tied for second on the team. He was named the National Player of the Week earlier this year and won back-to-back Pac-12 Player of the Week honors as well.
The list was chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2021-22 season thus far. All 20 players on the Wooden Watch were named to the Midseason Top 25 earlier this month.
Players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2022 John R. Wooden Men's Player of the Year. Players not chosen to the late season 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 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
The complete 20-person Wooden Award Watch List is as follows:
| Name |
School |
Conference |
Height |
Class |
Position |
| Max Abmas |
Oral Roberts |
Summit League |
6-0 |
Jr. |
G |
| Ochai Agbaji |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
| James Akinjo |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
6-1 |
Sr. |
G |
| Paolo Banchero |
Duke |
ACC |
6-10 |
Fr. |
F |
| Kofi Cockburn* |
Illinois |
Big Ten |
7-0 |
Jr. |
C |
| Johnny Davis |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
6-5 |
Soph |
G |
| Zach Edey |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
7-4 |
Soph |
C |
| Collin Gillespie |
Villanova |
Big East |
6-3 |
Sr. |
G |
| Chet Holmgren |
Gonzaga |
WCC |
7-0 |
Fr. |
C |
| Jaden Ivey |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
6-4 |
Soph |
G |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis |
Indiana |
Big Ten |
6-9 |
Jr. |
F |
| Johnny Juzang |
UCLA |
Pac-12 |
6-7 |
Jr. |
G |
| E.J. Liddell |
Ohio State |
Big Ten |
6-7 |
Jr. |
F |
| Bennedict Mathurin |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
6-6 |
Soph |
G |
| Isaiah Mobley |
USC |
Pac-12 |
6-10 |
Jr. |
F |
| Keegan Murray |
Iowa |
Big Ten |
6-8 |
Soph |
F |
| David Roddy |
Colorado State |
Mountain West |
6-6 |
Jr. |
F |
| Jabari Smith |
Auburn |
SEC |
6-10 |
Fr. |
F |
| Drew Timme* |
Gonzaga |
WCC |
6-10 |
Jr. |
F |
| Oscar Tshiebwe |
Kentucky |
SEC |
6-9 |
Jr. |
F |
#BearDown
