Per Duke Sports Information:
LOS ANGELES – Duke freshman Marvin Bagley III has been named to the National Ballot for the 2018 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s. The finalists were announced today by the Los Angeles Athletic Club and unveiled on ESPN’s College GameDay, which was live from Cameron Indoor Stadium this morning.
Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is comprised of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All American Team and the Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player.
All balloted players have been certified by their university to meet or exceed the qualifications for the Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden when the Award was established. The qualifications include: candidates must exhibit strength of character, both on and off the court; candidates must be full-time students in an accredited NCAA college or university; candidates must be making progress toward graduation and have a cumulative 2.00 grade point average since enrolling in their school; candidates must contribute to team effort; candidates must excel in both offense and defense; and candidates should be considered on their performance over the course of the entire season.
Bagley leads the ACC in rebounding and is second in scoring, with averages of 11.1 rebounds and 20.7 points per game. He is shooting .603 from the field, making him one of only two players nationally, and the only major conference player, to average more than 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and shoot above .600 from the field. Bagley is one of two representatives from the ACC, and one of four freshmen, among the 15 finalists. He was also recently a finalist for the Naismith Award and a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
The Phoenix, Ariz., native has scored in double-figures in 25 of the 26 games he has played. Bagley leads the team in 20-point games (12) and leads the ACC in 30-point games with an ACC freshman record six. He has amassed 18 double-doubles this season, tied for seventh in the country and second among freshmen.
Voting will take place from March 12th to March 19th, and voters, consisting of nearly 1,000 members of the national college basketball media, take into consideration a player’s entire season of play, as well as the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Fans may vote through the fan voting site, sponsored by Wendy’s, at www.woodenawardvote.com.
