A number of the top basketball analysts in the country have published their preseason top 50 Wooden Award nominees. For the most part, the lists are the same. Looking at the lists, I’ve come up with a dozen players that stand out the most.
My preseason favorites to win the Wooden Award are in alphabetical order:
1. Cole Aldrich, Kansas
2. Devan Downey, South Carolina
3. Devin Ebanks, West Virginia
4. Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
5. Gordon Hayward, Butler
6. Robbie Hummel, Purdue
7. Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
8. Greg Monroe, Georgetown
9. Kyle Singler, Duke
10. Tyler Smith, Tennessee
11. John Wall, Kentucky
12. Willie Warren, Oklahoma
I won’t be surprised to see seven or eight new faces on this list by the end of the year.
Are you serious? No Craig Brackins?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, took him off and added Greg Monroe last second. Thought Monroe has an advantage for blocking shots and passing while Brackins is a better rebounder. Really tough call. Neither one has proven to be a winner yet in college. That's a tough draw. Really like Brackins. Call him unlucky No. 13. Lucky for him I'm not a pre-season ranker I guess. ;)
ReplyDeleteNo love for Patrick Patterson? Too much star power in Wall to put a second Wildcat on your list?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jared. I think Brackins needs to be on this list. Iowa State isn't going to be any good, but he is going to average like 23 and 12.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think that Monroe needs to be on that list. Honestly, if I were to pull someone off, I think it has to be Hummel. I love the kids game, don't get me wrong, put he is too much of a team player and too unselfish on a team that plays a deliberate, defensive style too put up the numbers to win the player of the year award.
adam - you nailed it. Patterson is probably on the top 20 list but couldn't have two guys from the same team to make the final 12.
ReplyDeleteRob - I see your point. I gave it a lot of thought with Brackins vs. a guy like Hummel. I think Purdue is a team that has Final Four talent and it's success is bred from the play of Hummel. That put him over the edge. If Iowa State could be a team that makes the NCAA tournament, it would have been an easier choice for Brackins but I couldn't pull the trigger on that one.
ReplyDelete