Keyontae Johnson Leads Four Big 12 Players on Wooden Top 20
Keyontae Johnson, Markquis Nowell, Mike Miles and Jalen Wilson are on the John R. Wooden Late Season Top 20 watch list, released on Monday.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.
Johnson, who had not played college basketball the past two seasons due to a medical emergency, is one of the game’s most incredible stories. He’s averaging 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season for the Kansas State Wildcats, who have two players on the list.
The other is Nowell, the 5-foot-8 point guard who is one of the two holdovers from last year’s team. For the season, Nowell is averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 assists per game, with the latter ranking him No. 2 nationally going into Monday’s action.
Miles is one of the top guards in the country but was injured in Saturday’s game against Mississippi State in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. He is averaging 18.1 points and 3.0 assists per game as the Horned Frogs prepare for Tuesday’s game with West Virginia.
Miles’ injury is not considered season-ending, but there is no timetable for his return.
Wilson is the Big 12’s leading scorer this season, averaging 21.4 points per game. He’s also averaging 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented following the NCAA Tournament in April.
2023 Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20
F/C Armando Bacot, North Carolina
G Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy
G Kendric Davis, Memphis
C Zach Edey, Purdue
C Kyle Filipowski, Duke
F Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
G/F Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
F Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State
G Mike Miles Jr., TCU
G Brandon Miller, Alabama
F Kris Murray, Iowa
G Markquis Nowell, Kansas State
G Jalen Pickett, Penn State
G Marcus Sasser, Houston
G Terquavion Smith, NC State
F Drew Timme, Gonzaga
F Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
F Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona
F Jalen Wilson, Kansas
G Isaiah Wong, Miami (FL)
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
