Oct. 5, 2010
TUCSON, Ariz. - University of Arizona men's basketball player Derrick Williams has been selected as a candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, announced today by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's player-of-the-year award.
A 6-foot-8, 235-pound sophomore forward from La Mirada, Calif., Williams earned Pac-10 Conference Freshman-of-the-Year honors after posting team-leading totals of 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and a .574 (162-of-282) field goal percentage in 31 games (30 starts) a season ago. He finished in double figures 28 times and had nine 20-point games and four double-doubles to his credit. He was a first team all-Pac-10 selection in addition to garnering second team all-District 20 honors from the NABC and freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.
Williams the 2009-10 season ranked eighth in the Pacific-10 Conference in scoring (15.7), sixth in rebounding (7.1), fourth in FG percentage (.574), and third in defensive rebounds (4.9). He scored a season-high 28 points on Dec. 2 vs. UNLV and set a school record with 21 free throw attempts on Nov. 23 vs. Wisconsin. His 486 points scored as a freshman was the sixth-highest total in school history.
In late December, the Wooden Award Committee will release the Midseason Top 30 list, followed in March by the National Ballot, consisting of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winner, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 8-10, 2011.
2010-11 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List
| Name |
Height
|
Class
|
Position
|
University |
Conference |
| Ty Abbott |
6-3 |
Sr. |
G |
Arizona State |
Pac-10 |
| Lavoy Allen |
6-9 |
Sr. |
F |
Temple |
Atlantic 10 |
| Kevin Anderson |
6-0 |
Sr. |
G |
Richmond |
Atlantic 10 |
| Talor Battle |
6-0 |
Sr. |
G |
Penn State |
Big Ten |
| Kenny Boynton |
6-2 |
So. |
G |
Florida |
SEC |
| William Buford |
6-5 |
Jr. |
G |
Ohio State |
Big Ten |
| Alec Burks |
6-6 |
So. |
G |
Colorado |
Big 12 |
| Randy Culpepper |
6-0 |
Sr. |
G |
UTEP |
Conference USA |
| Malcolm Delaney |
6-3 |
Sr. |
G |
Virginia Tech |
ACC |
| LaceDarius Dunn |
6-4 |
Sr. |
G |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
| Kim English |
6-6 |
Jr. |
G |
Missouri |
Big 12 |
| Corey Fisher |
6-1 |
Sr. |
G |
Villanova |
Big East |
| Jimmer Fredette* |
6-2 |
Sr. |
G |
Brigham Young |
Mountain West |
| Austin Freeman |
6-4 |
Sr. |
G |
Georgetown |
Big East |
| Ashton Gibbs |
6-2 |
Jr. |
G |
Pittsburgh |
Big East |
| Steven Gray |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
Gonzaga |
West Coast |
| Jordan Hamilton |
6-7 |
So. |
G/F |
Texas |
Big 12 |
| Elias Harris |
6-7 |
So. |
F |
Gonzaga |
West Coast |
| Jeremy Hazell |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
Seton Hall |
Big East |
| John Henson |
6-10 |
So. |
F |
North Carolina |
ACC |
| Cory Higgins |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
Colorado |
Big 12 |
| Tyler Honeycutt |
6-8 |
So. |
F |
UCLA |
Pac-10 |
| Robbie Hummel* |
6-8 |
Sr. |
F |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
| JaJuan Johnson |
6-10 |
Sr. |
F/C |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
| Kris Joseph |
6-7 |
Jr. |
F |
Syracuse |
Big East |
| Kawhi Leonard |
6-7 |
So. |
F |
San Diego State |
Mountain West |
| Jon Leuer |
6-10 |
Sr. |
F |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
| Kalin Lucas* |
6-1 |
Sr. |
F |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
| Shelvin Mack |
6-3 |
Jr. |
G |
Butler |
Horizon League |
| Demetri McCamey |
6-3 |
Sr. |
G |
Illinois |
Big Ten |
| E'Twaun Moore |
6-4 |
Sr. |
G |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
| Marcus Morris |
6-9 |
Jr. |
F |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
| Jacob Pullen |
6-0 |
Sr. |
G |
Kansas State |
Big 12 |
| John Shurna |
6-8 |
Jr. |
F |
Northwestern |
Big Ten |
| Kyle Singler* |
6-8 |
Sr. |
F |
Duke |
ACC |
| Chris Singleton |
6-9 |
Jr. |
F |
Florida State |
ACC |
| Nolan Smith |
6-2 |
Sr. |
G |
Duke |
ACC |
| Tracy Smith |
6-8 |
Sr. |
F |
North Carolina State |
ACC |
| Durrell Summers |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
| Jeffery Taylor |
6-7 |
Jr. |
G/F |
Vanderbilt |
SEC |
| Isaiah Thomas |
5-9 |
Jr. |
G |
Washington |
Pac-10 |
| Trey Thompkins |
6-10 |
Jr. |
F |
Georgia |
SEC |
| Klay Thompson |
6-6 |
Jr. |
G |
Washington State |
Pac-10 |
| Joe Trapani |
6-8 |
Sr. |
F |
Boston College |
ACC |
| Brandon Triche |
6-4 |
So. |
G |
Syracuse |
Big East |
| Nikola Vucevic |
6-10 |
Jr. |
F |
USC |
Pac-10 |
| Kemba Walker |
6-1 |
Jr. |
G |
Connecticut |
Big East |
| Derrick Williams |
6-8 |
So. |
F |
Arizona |
Pac-10 |
| Jordan Williams |
6-10 |
So. |
F |
Maryland |
ACC |
| Chris Wright |
6-8 |
Sr. |
F |
Dayton |
Atlantic 10 |
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden Award ballot
