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Wooden Award | April 7, 2018

Villanova's Brunson, South Carolina's Wilson earn Wooden Award

College basketball’s top coaches and players past and present spent one last night honoring the season. The College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s televised live on ESPN2 from The Novo by Microsoft at L.A. Live saw eight prestigious, end-of-season awards presented to basketball’s very best during the 90-minute telecast.

With the ESPN College GameDay Built by State Farm crew of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams joined by reporter Molly McGrath, the celebratory special reviewed the season’s highlights, honored the legendary coach John R. Wooden in an entertaining ‘whiteboard animation’ feature, and enjoyedyet another visit to ABC’s General Hospital, this time by Oklahoma’s Trae Young and South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson along with Jay Williams.

The College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s – in coordination with the Los Angeles Athletic Club and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – included the exclusive presentation of the John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s, John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s, as well as five honors created and managed by the Basketball Hall of Fame: Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.

Hall of Famers Abdul-Jabbar, Erving, Malone and West presented their named awards while Ann Meyers Drysdale reflected on the life of Coach Wooden. Chiney Ogwumike handed out the women’s Wooden Award. In addition, this year’s John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award recipient, Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright, took the stage after a touching introduction by his former player Randy Foye who, among other things, credited him with giving him the courage and support to overcome his fear of public speaking.

The winners

Villanova’s Jalen Brunson added John R. Wooden Men’s Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year hardware to his NCAA Championship trophy earned earlier in the week.

South Carolina’s career scoring (2,389) and blocks (363) leader A’ja Wilson claimed the John R. Wooden Women’s Player of the Year Award.

College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s Winners

Award

Nominees (winner in bold)

 

John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year Presented by Wendy’s

Jalen Brunson (Villanova)

Deandre Ayton (Arizona)

Marvin Bagley III (Duke)

Devonte’ Graham (Kansas)

Trae Young (Oklahoma)

John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year Presented by Wendy’s

A’ja Wilson (South Carolina)

Asia Durr (Louisville)

Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon)

Katie Lou Samuelson (Connecticut)

Gabby Williams (Connecticut)

John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching

Jay Wright (Villanova)

Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year

Jalen Brunson (Villanova)

Devonte' Graham (Kansas)

Trae Young (Oklahoma)

Jevon Carter (West Virginia)

Joel Berry II (North Carolina)

Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year

Carsen Edwards (Purdue)

Grayson Allen (Duke)

Kendrick Nunn (Oakland)

Jerome Robinson (Boston College)

Marcus Foster (Creighton)

Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year

Mikal Bridges (Villanova)

Miles Bridges (Michigan State)

Kelan Martin (Butler)

Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State)

Trevon Bluiett (Xavier)

Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year

Deandre Ayton (Arizona)

Jordan Murphy (Minnesota)

Luke Maye (North Carolina)

Mike Daum (South Dakota State)

Marvin Bagley III (Duke)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year

Angel Delgado (Seton Hall)

Isaac Haas (Purdue)

Jock Landale (Saint Mary's)

Thomas Welsh (UCLA)

Brandon McCoy (UNLV)