John R. Wooden Award
Encyclopedia
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball
players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.
The awards, given by the Los Angeles Athletic Club
, are named in honor of John Wooden
, the 1932 national collegiate basketball player of the year from Purdue
. Wooden later taught and coached men's basketball at Indiana State
and UCLA
. Coach Wooden, whose teams at UCLA won ten NCAA championships
, was the first man to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. His 1948 Indiana State team was the NAIB (now NAIA
) National Finalist.
The award, which was originally given only to male athletes, was first given in 1977. Starting in 2004, the award was extended to women's basketball. Additionally, the Legends of Coaching Award was presented first in 1999.
The selection ballot is announced prior to the NCAA basketball tournament
. The voters consist of 1,000 sportswriters and sportscasters representing the 50 states.
The top ten vote-getters are selected to the All-American Team, and the results are announced following the Elite Eight
round of the NCAA Tournament. The person who receives the most votes is named the Player of the Year, and the winner is announced following the NCAA championship game.
The Player of the Year is awarded a trophy consisting of five bronze figures. The player's school receives a duplicate trophy, as well as a scholarship grant. The other top four members of the All-American Team receive an All-American Team trophy, a jacket, and a scholarship grant which goes to their school. Each coach of the top five All-American Team members also receives a jacket. The All-American Team members ranked six through ten receive an All-American Team trophy and a jacket, but their schools do not receive a scholarship.
In contrast to the men's All-American Team, only five members are selected for the women's team. The Player of the Year receives a trophy, and her school receives a duplicate trophy and a scholarship grant.
The concept for the trophy originated with Wooden Award Chairman, Richard "Duke" Llewellyn. Work began on the trophy in 1975, and sculptor Don Winton, who had sculpted many top sports awards, was given the task of designing the model of the trophy.
The figures are bronze plated and attached to a pentagonal base plate. The tallest figure is 10¼ inches high (26 cm). The trophy's base is 7½ inches high (19 cm), and is made from solid walnut. The total height of the trophy is 17¾ inches (45 cm), and it weighs 25 lb (11.3 kg).
, Connecticut; Courtney Vandersloot
, Gonzaga; Brittney Griner, Baylor; and Jeanette Pohlen
and Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford.
The ten-player men’s team: Jimmer Fredette
, BYU; Ben Hansbrough
, Notre Dame; JaJuan Johnson
, Purdue; Kawhi Leonard
, San Diego State; Marcus Morris
, Kansas; Jacob Pullen
, Kansas State; Nolan Smith
, Duke; Jared Sullinger
, Ohio State; Kemba Walker
, Connecticut; and Derrick Williams
, Arizona.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.
The awards, given by the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
, are named in honor of John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
, the 1932 national collegiate basketball player of the year from Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. Wooden later taught and coached men's basketball at Indiana State
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
and UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
. Coach Wooden, whose teams at UCLA won ten NCAA championships
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, was the first man to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. His 1948 Indiana State team was the NAIB (now NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
) National Finalist.
The award, which was originally given only to male athletes, was first given in 1977. Starting in 2004, the award was extended to women's basketball. Additionally, the Legends of Coaching Award was presented first in 1999.
Men's award
Each year, the Award's National Advisory Board, a 26-member panel, selects approximately 20 candidates for Player of the Year and All-American Team honors. The candidates must be full-time students and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher throughout their college career. Players who are nominated must have made outstanding contributions to team play, both offensively and defensively, and be model citizens, exhibiting strength of character both on and off the court.The selection ballot is announced prior to the NCAA basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. The voters consist of 1,000 sportswriters and sportscasters representing the 50 states.
The top ten vote-getters are selected to the All-American Team, and the results are announced following the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
round of the NCAA Tournament. The person who receives the most votes is named the Player of the Year, and the winner is announced following the NCAA championship game.
The Player of the Year is awarded a trophy consisting of five bronze figures. The player's school receives a duplicate trophy, as well as a scholarship grant. The other top four members of the All-American Team receive an All-American Team trophy, a jacket, and a scholarship grant which goes to their school. Each coach of the top five All-American Team members also receives a jacket. The All-American Team members ranked six through ten receive an All-American Team trophy and a jacket, but their schools do not receive a scholarship.
Women's award
The criteria for the women's Player of the Year award and All-American Team honors are similar to those for the men. For the women's award, the National Advisory Board consists of 12 members, and approximately 15 candidates are selected for the ballot. The voters are 250 sportswriters and sportscasters.In contrast to the men's All-American Team, only five members are selected for the women's team. The Player of the Year receives a trophy, and her school receives a duplicate trophy and a scholarship grant.
The trophy
The trophy features five bronze figures, each depicting one of the five major skills that Wooden believed that "total" basketball player must exhibit: rebounding, passing, shooting, dribbling, and defense.The concept for the trophy originated with Wooden Award Chairman, Richard "Duke" Llewellyn. Work began on the trophy in 1975, and sculptor Don Winton, who had sculpted many top sports awards, was given the task of designing the model of the trophy.
The figures are bronze plated and attached to a pentagonal base plate. The tallest figure is 10¼ inches high (26 cm). The trophy's base is 7½ inches high (19 cm), and is made from solid walnut. The total height of the trophy is 17¾ inches (45 cm), and it weighs 25 lb (11.3 kg).
High School Player of the Year Award
The John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year awards are given to the most valuable player in each of the five divisions of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section, and one Los Angeles City division.Legends of Coaching Award
The Legends of Coaching Award recognizes the lifetime achievement of coaches who exemplify Coach Wooden's high standards of coaching success and personal achievement. When selecting the individual, the Wooden Award Committee considers a coach's character, success rate on the court, graduating rate of student athletes, his or her coaching philosophy, and identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award.| Season | Coach | School |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season concluded in the 64-team 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament whose finals were held at Tropicana Field in . The Connecticut Huskies earned their first national championship by defeating the Duke Blue Devils 77–74 on March 29, 1999... |
North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history... |
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| 1999–00 1999–00 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1999–2000 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 11, 1999 with the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2000 at the... |
Duke Duke Blue Devils men's basketball The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I... |
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| 2000–01 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2000, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2001 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in... |
Arizona Arizona Wildcats men's basketball The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich... |
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| 2001–02 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2001, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 1, 2002 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia... |
Louisville Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA... |
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| 2002–03 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2002, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7, 2003 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans,... |
Kansas | |
| 2003–04 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas... |
Stanford Stanford Cardinal men's basketball The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942... |
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| 2004–05 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2005 at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis,... |
Connecticut Connecticut Huskies men's basketball The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
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| 2005–06 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2006 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
Syracuse Syracuse Orange men's basketball The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference... |
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| 2006–07 | Purdue Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records... |
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| 2007–08 | Tennessee Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition... |
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| 2008–09 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008 and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the... |
Texas Texas Longhorns men's basketball The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.... |
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| 2009–10 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010 on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first... |
Florida Florida Gators men's basketball The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference... |
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| 2010–11 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2010 with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, and ended with the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston... |
Michigan State Michigan State Spartans men's basketball The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center... |
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| 2011–12 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2011 with the and will end with the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 2, 2011 at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans... |
Connecticut Connecticut Huskies women's basketball The Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big... |
Player of the Year Award winners
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2010–11 All American teams
The women’s team: Maya MooreMaya Moore
Maya April Moore is an American basketball forward for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA and Ros Casares Valencia of Euroleague. Moore was the winner of the 2006 and 2007 Naismith Prep Player of the Year. She was selected as the John Wooden Award winner in 2009 after leading Connecticut to the...
, Connecticut; Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Vandersloot is an American basketball player, currently a point guard with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA and Beşiktaş in the Turkish Women's Basketball League...
, Gonzaga; Brittney Griner, Baylor; and Jeanette Pohlen
Jeanette Pohlen
Jeanette Pohlen is a basketball player who most recently played for the Stanford Cardinal. She was drafted to the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association in the 2010 WNBA draft . She is known by Cardinal fans for her great play against UConn...
and Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford.
The ten-player men’s team: Jimmer Fredette
Jimmer Fredette
James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette is an American professional basketball player with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association...
, BYU; Ben Hansbrough
Ben Hansbrough
Ben Hansbrough is an American basketball player who played guard for the University of Notre Dame. He was a fifth-year senior for the Fighting Irish, Hansbrough transferred from Mississippi State after his sophomore year...
, Notre Dame; JaJuan Johnson
JaJuan Johnson
JaJuan Markeis Johnson is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played collegiate basketball at Purdue University. During his sophomore season, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a junior, he was named a...
, Purdue; Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is an American professional basketball small forward with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. In 2009 as a senior at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, he was named Mr...
, San Diego State; Marcus Morris
Marcus Morris (basketball)
Marcus "Mook" Morris is an American basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball at Kansas.-Early years:...
, Kansas; Jacob Pullen
Jacob Pullen
Jacob Everse Pullen is an American basketball player at the point guard position. The former Kansas State Wildcat is currently playing for Angelico Biella in Italy.-College:...
, Kansas State; Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith
Nolan Derek Smith is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after four years at Duke University. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year...
, Duke; Jared Sullinger
Jared Sullinger
Jared Sullinger is an American college basketball player. He is a sophomore at Ohio State and was one of the top rated basketball players in the class of 2010.-High school career:...
, Ohio State; Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker
Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats. Walker grew up in The Bronx, New York and graduated from Rice High School in 2008. With the Huskies basketball team at Connecticut, Walker was the 2nd leading college basketball scorer in the United States...
, Connecticut; and Derrick Williams
Derrick Williams (basketball)
Derrick LeRon Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected as the second overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
, Arizona.
Trademark dispute
The Wooden family announced in August 2005 that he would no longer participate because of a trademark dispute concerning the use of his name. However, he never contested the use of his name prior to his death in 2010, and the award continues to bear his name. “I don’t want anything to interfere with the continuation of the award,” (Wooden) told The Associated Press at the time.See also
- List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards
- John WoodenJohn WoodenJohn Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
- John R. Wooden ClassicJohn R. Wooden ClassicThe John R. Wooden Classic is an annual season-opening men's college basketball competition. Four teams compete in one round of play. The Classic is not considered a tournament since it does not include a championship or consolation game.-History:...