K-State’s Keyontae Johnson Listed as Wooden Award Finalist
Keyontae Johnson has been both the best story in all of college basketball and one of the best players in the country this season for the K-State Wildcats, and Saturday morning, college basketball panelists confirmed that.
The K-State forward has been officially listed as one of the 15 finalists for the John Wooden Award, given to the best player in college basketball.
Johnson is joined on the list by two other Big 12 Conference members in Kansas’ Jalen Wilson and TCU’s Mike Miles Jr.
Johnson and teammate Markquis Nowell were both named to the Midseason Watch Lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Award presented by Jersey Mike’s earlier this season. Johnson is a five-time winner of the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, including last week when he averaged 21 PPG in wins against the ninth-ranked Baylor Bears and Oklahoma State Cowboys. Johnson currently holds the most weekly awards by a Wildcat since Michael Beasley in the 2008 season, according to the university’s website.
The 6-foot-6 forward is currently averaging a team-best 17.6 PPG on 52.2% shooting from the field, including an impressive 42.2% from 3-point range, and 72.5% from the free throw line. On top of his scoring, Johnson also leads the team with 7.1 RPG, paired with 2.2 APG in 34 minutes per game. Johnson joins Wilson as one of two players in the Big 12 Conference to rank in the Top 5 in scoring and rebounding both in overall and league-only games.
Johnson and the Wildcats take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in their last game of the regular season at 1:00 PM CST, on Saturday March 4.
