Three Huskies Earns Spot on Wooden Award Preseason Top-30

Los Angeles (October 10, 2011) — Tiffany Hayes, Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley each earned a spot on the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-30 as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Monday.  The Preseason Top-30 is comprised of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national college women’s basketball media members.

UConn and Notre Dame were the only schools to place three players on the list and the Big East led all conferences with nine selections, followed by the ACC with six, the Big 12 with four, the SEC and Big 10 with three, and the Pac-12 and CAA with two, and the Atlantic 10 with one.

Hayes, an Honorable Mention All-American last season, earned a spot on the list in 2010 as well.

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December’s Midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA.  The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top 10 players, will be announced the week before the Final Four.

The 36th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners. It will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, and will take place the weekend of April 9-11, 2012.

To see the full list for the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-30, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

About the John R. Wooden Award
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) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). UConn’s Maya Moore (’11) won the women’s Award in 2011.

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 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 Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com.  For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5206 or email at woodenaward@laac.net.

2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 List

(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)

GS = Graduate Student

*indicates player chosen to the 2011 Wooden All American Team

$indicates player chosen to the 2011 Wooden Award ballot

@ indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden All American team

Award winner honored April 6, 2012 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club