Fredette Among 20 Named to Wooden Award Ballot

LOS -- Jimmer Fredette was named to The John R. Wooden Award National Ballot, which was sent out today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club to nearly 1,000 members of the media who cover college basketball. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the ballot is made up of 20 student-athletes who, based on their performances throughout the season, are the candidates for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. All 20 players have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and are maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award Men’s All-America Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round during the NCAA Tournament, making it unique among college postseason awards. Voters have until Monday, March 28 at Noon PDT to return their ballots.

Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer at 28.5 points per game and has been named to several All-America teams and the MWC and USBWA District VIII Player of the Year. He has led BYU to a 30-4 record and a share of the MWC regular season title with a 14-2 league record. Fredette has scored 30-plus points 13 times and topped 40 points six times. He set a BYU record with 52 points in the MWC Tournament against New Mexico and is the program’s career scoring leader with 2,501 points.

Returning players from past Wooden Award ballots include Fredette and Duke’s Kyle Singler (2009, 2010). Singler (17.1 points, 6.9 rpg) is looking to return the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Unusual in recent years, seniors dominated the ballot, taking 11 of 20 spots. Only one freshman made the list: Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger.

Wisconsin (Jordan Taylor, Jon Leuer), Purdue (JaJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore) and Duke (Singler, Nolan Smith) are the only schools with two players on the ballot. The Big 10 boasts the largest number of players chosen to the list, with five, while the Big East and Big 12 conferences place four players each. Other conferences with multiple players represented include the ACC (2) and the Mountain West Conference (2). The Horizon League and Pac-10 and Ohio Valley conferences each had one men’s player selected.

The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the men's and women's Wooden Award winners, a tribute to Coach Wooden and Wooden Award Founder, Duke Llewellyn, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Team trophies and the Legends of Coaching Award to Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo, will take place April 8, 2011 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

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 player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Blake Griffin (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09). Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Connecticut’s Tina Charles won the Award in 2010.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the morning after the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com.

2011 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Ballot
Name                Height  Class  Pos     University       Conference 
Marshon Brooks      6-5     Sr.    G/F     Providence       Big East 
Alec Burks          6-6     So.    G       Colorado         Big 12 
Norris Cole         6-2     So.    G       Cleveland State  Horizon 
Kenneth Faried      6-8     Sr.    F/C     Morehead St.     Ohio Valley 
Jimmer Fredette*    6-2     Sr.    G       Brigham Young    Mountain West 
Jordan Hamilton     6-7     So.    G/F     Texas            Big 12 
Ben Hansbrough      6-3     Sr.    G       Notre Dame       Big East 
Dwight Hardy        6-2     Sr.    G       St. John’s       Big East 
JaJuan Johnson      6-10    Sr.    F/C     Purdue           Big Ten 
Kawhi Leonard       6-7     So.    F       San Diego State  Mountain West 
Jon Leuer           6-10    Sr.    F       Wisconsin        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 
Kyle Singler*       6-8     Sr.    F       Duke             ACC
Nolan Smith         6-2     Sr.    G       Duke             ACC
Jared Sullinger     6-9     Fr.    F       Ohio State       Big Ten 
Jordan Taylor       6-1     Jr.    G       Wisconsin        Big Ten 
Kemba Walker        6-1     Jr.    G       Connecticut      Big East 
Derrick Williams    6-8     So.    F       Arizona          Pac-10
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden Award ballot