The John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 has been announced, with three men’s basketball players from the Big 12 making the list. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are the frontrunners for the prestigious individual honor based on their performances during the first half of the 2014-15 season. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2015 John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s.
Georges Niang (Iowa State), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) and Juwan Staten (West Virginia) made the list, representing the nation’s No. 1 conference in RPI and non-conference winning percentage (.825).
Niang leads No. 11 Iowa State in scoring at 15.2 points per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. The junior forward is second on the team with 50 assists so far in 2014-15, while pulling down 5.5 rebounds per contest.
Hield has proven to be one of the nation’s most prolific scorers, putting up 17.1 points per game, including a league-leading 21.3 in conference play. The junior sharpshooter is hitting at a .388 clip from beyond the arc this season while leading the conference in 3-point field goals made on the season (48).
The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Juwan Staten has helped lead No. 16 West Virginia to its best start since joining the conference. He is averaging 15.8 points and 4.0 assists on the season, and has also racked up 22 steals as a key part of WVU’s opportunistic defense.
The leading candidates will be further pared to 20 top players in early February. Fifteen top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA will be submitted to the voters on the ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament. Every year, players make the ballot who are not on the preseason or midseason lists. Voting will take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Wooden Award All-America Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.
2014-15 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
Justin Anderson, Virginia, Jr.
Ron Baker, Wichita State, Jr.
Ryan Boatright, Connecticut, Sr.
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky, Jr.
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana, Jr.
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame, Sr.
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville, Jr.
D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s Sr.
Tyler Haws, BYU, Sr.
BUDDY HIELD, OKLAHOMA, Jr.
Stanley Johnson, Arizona, Fr.
Tyus Jones, Duke, Fr.
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin, Sr.
Jordan Mickey, LSU, So.
GEORGES NIANG, IOWA STATE, Jr.
Jahlil Okafor, Duke, Fr.
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga, Sr.
Bobby Portis, Arkansas, So.
Chasson Randle, Stanford, Sr.
Terry Rozier, Louisville, So.
D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State, Fr.
JUWAN STATEN, WEST VIRGINIA, Sr.
Melo Trimble, Maryland, Fr.
Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga, Jr.
Delon Wright, Utah, Sr.