Payton II Selected To John R. Wooden Top 50
November 17, 2015 | Men's Basketball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State senior men's basketball player Gary Payton II was selected to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50, which was announced on ESPN's SportsCenter and on ESPN.com on Tuesday.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious individual honor.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2016 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's. The Wooden Award National Advisory Board will select 25 players to the Midseason Top 25 in early January. In early February, the John R. Wooden Award will announce one final leading candidate list—the Late Season Top 20—prior to the selection of 15 players to the National Ballot.
Nearly 1000 voters will rank order 10 of those 15 players, who have been qualified as meeting the standards set forth by Coach Wooden. Voting will open prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during the 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 John R. Wooden Award will be announced during the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's on Friday, April 8, 2016.
A native of Seattle, Wash., Payton II has received numerous preseason accolades heading into his senior campaign. He was also named to the 2015 Lute Olson Preseason Player of the Year Watch List and the Bob Cousy Award Watch List for the nation's top point guard.
Payton II was on the cover of the Sporting News, named a Second Team All-American by Athlon Magazine and selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team by Lindy's Magazine. He was also tabbed as the favorite to be named Pac-12 Player of the Year by Dick Vitale, Sports Illustrated and Athlon, and repeat as Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year by Athlon and Lindy's.
Payton II earned numerous awards last season after transferring to Oregon State from Salt Lake Community College. He was voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Defensive Team, and selected to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District-IX and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District 20 Teams.
About the John R. Wooden Award
The 40th annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award will take place during the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show presented by Wendy's. Texas Tech Head Men's Basketball Coach, Tubby Smith, will be presented with the Legends of Coaching trophy during the show as well. The Wooden Award Weekend, April 7-9, 2016, will honor the male and female Wooden Award winners, the top 5 All Americans, and the Legends of Coaching recipient, Coach Tubby Smith.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Candace Parker ('07 and '08), Kevin Durant ('07), Maya Moore ('09 and '11), Trey Burke ('13) and Doug McDermott ('14). Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky won the 2015 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympics athletes and the All Americans, takes place at the Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award presentation.
