Wooden Watch: Feb. 7
The Wooden Award list has now been cut down to only 20 names to decide who will host this illustrious award.
Out of these 20 names, here's a look at four players who have a chance to be the recipient of the Wooden Award this year.
Ochai Agbaji
Ochai Agbaji who is the thirteenth leading scorer in the country is having a tremendous season for the Kansas Jayhawks. He is averaging 20.8 points per game as well as five rebounds a game.
More importantly, he is leading the Jayhawks to a 19-3 record on the season which is first in the Big-12 so far this season.
Agbaji is scoring at all levels this year for the Jayhawks with a 51.3% field goal percentage on the year so far and shooting a 45.8% three-point percentage this year.
With his very good shooting touch, Agbaji is a threat from the outside, but he has been able to attack the basket this year and use his great athletic ability to show his dunking prowess as well this season.
If Agbaji can continue his great play and lead Kansas to a Big-12 championship he will stay in the Wooden Award watch the rest of the season.
Jaden Ivey
Purdue has had many of its players on the Wooden Award list, but in the remaining 20 players, they have now only two of its players that remain.
Standout Sophomore Jaden Ivey has been the leader of this dominant Purdue Boilermakers squad. So far this season, he is averaging 17.3 points per game on a 47.7 field goal percentage all while maintaining a 41.1 three-point field goal percentage.
Jaden Ivey is known for his attacking the basket and his athletic ability to finish at the rim. However, he has improved his three-point jump shot from last year which was at 25.8% and this is what has allowed him to become a threat all over the court.
There is only so much ball to go around for this Purdue team, but Ivey gets his scoring opportunities and makes the best of them. This week alone he was able to have three 20 point games and one game-winner against Ohio State.
Zach Edey
The other Purdue player left in the top 20 is Zach Edey. The seven-foot-four-inch sophomore has turned into one of the most dominant big men in Big Ten since Luka Garza left for the NBA.
Edey’s stats do not do him justice as he only averages 18 minutes a game. It shows how efficient he is as he averages 14.9 points per game in those 18 minutes which is close to one point per minute of being out there.
If Edey dominates the rest of the season starting with their matchup in their next game against Illinois and Kofi Cockburn, he could make his way through the next couple of rounds of players getting trimmed off the list.
Paolo Banchero
The potential number one overall pick in the NBA draft is having a tremendous season in the ACC for Duke. He is averaging 17.5 points per game so far on the season as well as 8.4 rebounds per game.
Paolo Banchero has Duke at a 19-3 record and first in the ACC. Duke’s non-conference record has propelled them up the rankings this year and Banchero has been the team's leader through it all this season.
The ACC has been lackluster this year and with Duke’s domination of the conference, it hasn’t allowed Banchero to show his skills against some top-tier talent.
However, if he keeps up a strong season he could be rewarded with more than the Wooden Award, a number one overall draft pick.
Dale Ostrander is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dko5097@psu.edu.
