LOS ANGELES – The Kansas duo of Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick have been named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced on ESPNU Wednesday. Kansas is one of three schools with multiple players on the list, along with Baylor and North Carolina.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the Wooden Award. Wilson and Dick are aiming to become the third Jayhawk to win the Wooden Award, joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).
Wilson leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.6 points per game, which is 11th nationally, and double-doubles with six, which is 16th nationally. The All-America candidate from Denton, Texas, is second in the conference in rebounding average with 8.4 boards per contest. Wilson has nine games of 20 or more points this season.
Dick, from Wichita, is second among Big 12 freshmen in scoring at 14.6 points per game, which is 11th overall in the conference. A two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2022-23, Dick is shooting 47.4 percent from the field, including 46.8 percent from beyond the arc, which is third in the league. Dick’s 37 three-pointers made this season are the second most in the conference. He has scored 20 or more points in four games. His 14.6 scoring average currently ranks tied for the fourth highest on the Kansas freshman all-time list with Danny Manning in 1985.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. Players not chosen to the preseason or midseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s following the NCAA Tournament in April.
Wooden Award 2022-23 Midseason Top 25
Name, School, Class, Position
Armando Bacot, North Carolina, Sr., G
Marcus Carr, Texas, Sr., G
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy, Sr., G
Kendric Davis, Memphis, Sr., G
GRADEY DICK, KANSAS, Fr., G
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan, Jr., C
Zach Edey, Purdue, Jr., C
Kyle Filipowski, Duke, Fr., C
Adam Flagler, Baylor, Sr., G
Keyonte George, Baylor, Fr., G
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana, Sr., F
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA, Sr., G/F
Caleb Love, North Carolina, Jr., G
Mike Miles Jr., TCU, Jr., G
Brandon Miller, Alabama, Fr., F
Kris Murray, Iowa, Jr., F
Adama Sanogo, Connecticut, Jr., F
Marcus Sasser, Houston, Sr., G
Terquavion Smith, N.C. State, So., G
Drew Timme, Gonzaga, Sr., F
Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky, Sr., F
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona, Jr., F
Jordan Walker, UAB, Sr., G
JALEN WILSON, KANSAS, Jr., F
Isaiah Wong, Miami (FL), Jr., G
