Top 5 Wooden Award Candidates
The John R. Wooden Award is an award that is given out every year to the most outstanding basketball player in the country. Now that the start of the 2022-2023 college basketball season is just four days away, here are the five I think that have the best chance of taking this hardware home:
Armando Bacot, Center, North Carolina
Photo Courtesy of NY Times
UNC senior big man Armando Bacot is my favorite to win the Wooden Award because of his dominance in the paint, and the high expectations for this years Tar Heels squad. Bacot averaged 16.3 points per game and 13.9 rebounds per game a season ago and led the Heels to the national championship game as an eight seed. UNC returns four starters including Bacot, and is poised to get back to the Final Four in Houston.
Bacot has improved his scoring and rebounding each season, and with a weak ACC this season, it’s very realistic he brings the Wooden trophy back to Chapel Hill. Bacot would be the first Tar Heel to receive this honor since Tyler Hansbrough back in 2008.
2. Marcus Sasser, Guard, Houston
Photo Courtesy of UH Athletics
The college basketball world was robbed of the opportunity to watch Marcus Sasser play in March last year, as a foot injury cut his junior season to only 12 games. Now, Sasser is fully healthy, and him and this Cougars squad is ready to return to the Final Four as they did in 2021. Sasser averaged 17.7 points per game and shot 43.4% from three in his shortened junior year. While it is a small sample size there is no denying his talent and Sasser could be the best scorer in the entire country this season.
Sasser and fellow guards Jamal Shead and Tramon Mark form a dominant trio that should help them run through a weak American Athletic Conference. While AAC Player of the Year seems like it’s Sassers award to run away with, there is a good chance he will be fighting for National Player of the Year Honors. Marcus Sasser could very well be Houston’s first Wooden winner for a team that plays a Final Four in their home city.
3. Drew Timme, Forward, Gonzaga
Photo Courtesy of Dallas News
After testing the NBA Draft waters, Timme is back for his senior season for the Zags. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game, all while sharing the floor with star freshman Chet Holmgren. Now with Holmgren gone for the NBA, Timme should put up video-game-like numbers for yet another talented Gonzaga team.
After being one of the five finalists for the 2022 Wooden award, Timme hopes that this season will be his to take home the trophy. Timme looks to be a lock to win back-to-back West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors, but he should also be a strong candidate to be Gonzaga’s first Wooden winner.
4. Oscar Tshiebwe, Center, Kentucky
Photo Courtesy of John Wooden Award Twitter
Oscar Tshiebwe returns to Kentucky after taking home all Player of the Year honors, including the Wooden award, last season. The only reason Tshiebwe is not higher on this list is because of the difficult to win this award back-to-back and the improved depth of Kentucky’s roster. Tshiebwe is aiming to be just the second player to win the Wooden award in consecutive seasons, as Ralph Sampson of Virgina is currently the only back-to-back winner.
Tshiebwe, a transfer from West Virginia, put up insane numbers in his first year for the Cats last season. Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points per game, to go with his nation-leading 15.1 rebounds per game. While Kentucky has more depth throughout their front court and their overall roster, Coach Calipari claims that Tshiebwe has expanded every aspect of this game. If this is even remotely true, and Oscar once again puts up unbelievable stats, this award should be his to lose again.
5. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Forward, Indiana
Photo Courtesy of Inside the Hall
Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis makes four of my five finalists to be a big man. While the first four seemed like obvious choices, I went back and forth with a few different players, but Jackson-Davis fits the “Year of the Big Man” agenda. The 6’9” forward decided to return to Indiana and play for Coach Woodson during his senior season. Jackson-Davis saw his numbers dip a bit last season, but still put up 18.3 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game.
In a weak year for the Big 10, Indiana is the preseason favorites, and most of that can be attributed to Jackson-Davis returning. It’s very reasonable he averages 20+ points per game and 10+ rebounds per game to lead the Hoosiers to their first Big 10 regular season title since 2013. With these numbers, I believe Trayce would be a strong consideration for the Wooden Award and AP First Team All-American.
