LOS ANGELES, Calif. (January 9, 2019) – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced today on espnW.com that University of Louisville senior guard Asia Durr has been named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Midseason Top 25.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the first half of the 2018-19 season, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.
Durr is averaging 20.9 points per game, which ranks second in the ACC and 15th in the country. She is connecting on 2.6 3-point field goals per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. She is 55-64 (.859) from the free throw line, which ranks sixth in ACC.
She scored 31 points at Central Michigan to enter the 2,000 point club, joining Angel McCoughtry, Shoni Schimmel, and Myisha Hines-Allen. Her 13 points at Duke gave her 2,038 points and she passed Myisha Hines-Allen for third all-time.
Durr ranks second in the ACC with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. She has led the team or tied for the team-lead in assists the last three games. Overall, she has led the team in assists five times this year and 18 times in her career.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s. The leading candidates will be further pared to 20 top players in early February. Fifteen top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA will be submitted to voters on the Final Ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament.
Every year, players have made the Final Ballot that were not on the preseason or midseason lists. Voters are permitted to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament when casting the ballot. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented during the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s on Friday, April 12, 2019.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she meets or exceeds the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07 & ’08), Maya Moore (’09 & ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), and last year’s recipients, A’ja Wilson of South Carolina and Jalen Brunson of Villanova.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s
2018-19 Midseason Top 25
| Name | School | Conference | Height | Class | Position |
| Kristine Anigwe | California | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Sr. | F/C |
| Kenisha Bell | Minnesota | Big Ten | 5-9 | Sr. | G |
| Kalani Brown | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-7 | Sr. | C |
| Bridget Carleton | Iowa State | Big 12 | 6-1 | Sr. | G |
| Chennedy Carter | Texas A&M | SEC | 5-7 | So. | G |
| Kaila Charles | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
| Napheesa Collier | Connecticut | American | 6-1 | Sr. | F |
| Lauren Cox | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-4 | Jr. | F |
| Sophie Cunningham | Missouri | SEC | 6-1 | Sr. | G |
| Crystal Dangerfield | Connecticut | American | 5-5 | Jr. | G |
| Rennia Davis | Tennessee | SEC | 6-2 | So. | G/F |
| Asia Durr# | Louisville | ACC | 5-10 | Sr. | G |
| Megan Gustafson | Iowa | Big Ten | 6-3 | Sr. | F |
| Ruthy Hebard | Oregon | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Jr. | F |
| Rhyne Howard | Kentucky | SEC | 6-2 | Fr. | G |
| Sabrina Ionescu# | Oregon | Pac-12 | 5-11 | Jr. | G |
| Tiana Mangakahia | Syracuse | ACC | 5-6 | Jr. | G |
| Teaira McCowan | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-7 | Sr. | C |
| Aari McDonald | Arizona | Pac-12 | 5-7 | So. | G |
| Arike Ogunbowale | Notre Dame | ACC | 5-8 | Sr. | G |
| Katie Lou Samuelson# | Connecticut | American | 6-3 | Sr. | G/F |
| Jessica Shepard | Notre Dame | ACC | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Destiny Slocum | Oregon State | Pac-12 | 5-7 | So. | G |
| Alanna Smith | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Jackie Young | Notre Dame | ACC | 6-0 | Jr. | G |
# indicates players selected as a 2017-18 John R. Wooden Award All American®
Daryl Foust
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