Nov. 9, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s basketball senior guard A’dia Mathies was named to the John R. Wooden Award Women’s Preseason Top 30 today announced the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national college women’s basketball media members.
Mathies, who was recognized as a top-15 finalist for the award last March, enters her senior year after being named the 2012 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and leading the Wildcats in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (2.7 apg), steals (2.6 spg) and 3-point field goal percentage (.378) in 2011-12. The Louisville, Ky., native is also on the “Wade Watch” list, while also being tabbed the preseason SEC Player of the Year by the coaches and media and a Senior CLASS Award candidate.
The 5-foot-9 guard leads the Wildcats into their 2012-13 season opener Saturday, Nov. 10 against Delaware State at 1 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. Mathies looks to climb the UK Hoops record books as she currently sits No. 12 on the school’s career scoring charts (1,435) and No. 6 on the career steals list (251).
The 2012 Wooden Award went to Baylor’s Brittney Griner, whom the Cats will face Tuesday, Nov. 13 in Waco, Texas at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 as part of the State Farm Classic.
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason Top 30. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for January’s midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of 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 five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four.
About the John R. Wooden Award
The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners the weekend of April 5-7, 2013. It will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and will recognize the Legends of Coaching Award recipient Bill Self of Kansas.
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).
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.
