LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced its 2020 Men’s National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, which includes Duke sophomore guard Tre Jones.
The national ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All-American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player in the United States, for which former Blue Devil Zion Williamson is the reigning winner. Duke’s six previous winners of the Wooden Award are more than any program in college basketball.
Jones has been the floor leader for the No. 12 Blue Devils, who finished the regular season 25-6 and 15-5 in the ACC. The sophomore team captain, who is also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, is sixth in the ACC in scoring (16.2), second in assists (6.4), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+2.4), sixth in steals (1.8) and 11th in field goal percentage (.423). He is the only player in the ACC ranked in the top 11 in each of those categories.
The sophomore from Apple Valley, Minn., who is a three-time ACC Player of the Week, has three double-doubles this season, including his 21-point and 11-assist effort in Saturday’s win over North Carolina. He went for 20 points and a career-high 12 assists in the win at Michigan State earlier this season.
He is averaging 17.8 points over Duke’s last 16 games, including his season-high 28 points in the win at UNC, punctuated by his late-game heroics where he hit the game-tying jumper at the buzzer and single-handedly out-scored the Tar Heels 18-15 over the final minute and through overtime.
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.
Voting will take place from March 16th to March 23rd, and voters take into consideration a player’s entire season of play, as well as the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
John R. Wooden Award 2019-20 Men’s National Ballot
Udoka Azubuike (Kansas)
Saddiq Bey (Villanova)
Jared Butler (Baylor)
Anthony Cowan Jr. (Maryland)
Devon Dotson (Kansas)
Malachi Flynn (San Diego State)
Luka Garza (Iowa)
Markus Howard (Marquette)
Tre Jones (Duke)
Jordan Nwora (Louisville)
Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga)
Myles Powell (Seton Hall)
Payton Pritchard (Oregon)
Obi Toppin (Dayton)
Cassius Winston (Michigan State)
