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.
The most prestigious honor…
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
Congrats to Jalen Brunson on winning the John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award!
Incredible season for the Villanova star. #WoodenAward pic.twitter.com/ldajvNBIYo
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)
One Shining Moment. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Fn6ev4c1Km
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 3, 2018
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)
NOTRE DAME... WOW pic.twitter.com/Vs3uR9a9nx
— NCAA WBB (@ncaawbb) April 2, 2018
John R. Wooden Award Legends of Coaching
Jay Wright (Villanova)
Jay Wright adds another honor to his collection with the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award!
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
Congrats, @VUCoachJWright! pic.twitter.com/ly3O1DwBLD
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)
Congrats to Jalen Brunson on winning the @Hoophall Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award!
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
Another great honor for the @NovaMBB PG. pic.twitter.com/TxoBUnHhi9
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year
Carsen Edwards (Purdue)
Grayson Allen (Duke)
Kendrick Nunn (Oakland)
Jerome Robinson (Boston College)
Marcus Foster (Creighton)
Congrats to Carsen Edwards on winning the @Hoophall Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award!
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
Give it up for the @BoilerBall sophomore! pic.twitter.com/hBiTIqlE9k
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)
Congrats to Mikal Bridges on winning the @Hoophall Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award!
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
Special honor for the @NovaMBB junior! pic.twitter.com/Fixc4k7oTj
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)
Congrats to Deandre Ayton on winning the @Hoophall Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award!
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2018
What a year for the big fella! pic.twitter.com/324XZU1zi0
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)
