The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
James named to Wooden Award preseason list
08.19.2009 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 19, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- University of Texas senior swingman Damion James is among the Top 50 preseason candidates for the 2009-10 John R. Wooden All-American Team, Wooden Award Chairman and founder Richard "Duke" Llewellyn announced Wednesday. The top 50 candidates were selected based on last year's individual performance and team records. The student-athletes selected are all returning players, as transfers and first-time players were not included.
James led the team and ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and ranked second on the team and 10th in the league in scoring (15.2 ppg) last season. He also led the squad in double-doubles (16) en route to earning All-Big 12 Second Team and NABC All-District 8 Second Team honors.
A three-year starter who has played in all 108 games during his first three seasons, James enters his senior year ranked 18th on the school's career scoring list (1,306 points), third in career rebounds (968), fourth in career double-doubles (37) and seventh in career blocks (123). He is just 110 rebounds shy of becoming the school's all-time rebounding leader (current record is 1,077 by James Thomas, 2001-04).
Texas is the only school to have two winners of the Wooden Award in the last seven years. T.J. Ford won the 2003 Wooden Award, while Kevin Durant became the first freshman in the award's history to claim the honor in 2007. In addition, D.J. Augustin was a finalist for the award in 2008.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winner and the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 9-11, 2010.
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List (alphabetical order)
Solomon Alabi, Florida State; Cole Aldrich, Kansas; Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest; Luke Babbit, Nevada; Talor Battle, Penn State; Trevor Booker, Clemson; Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga; Craig Brackins, Iowa State; Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia; Sherron Collins, Kansas; Ed Davis, North Carolina; Devan Downey, South Carolina; Jerome Dyson, Connecticut; Devin Ebanks, West Virginia; Corey Fisher, Villanova; Luke Harangody, Notre Dame; Manny Harris, Michigan; Gordon Hayward, Butler; Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall; Robbie Hummel, Purdue; Damion James, TEXAS; Sylven Landesberg, Virginia; Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU; Greg Monroe, Georgetown; E'Twaun Moore, Purdue; Raymar Morgan, Michigan State; A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt; Patrick Patterson, Kentucky; Jerome Randle, California; Scottie Reynolds, Villanova; Samardo Samuels, Louisville; Larry Sanders, VCU; Jon Scheyer, Duke; DeShawn Sims, Michigan; Kyle Singler, Duke; Tyler Smith, Tennessee; Isaiah Thomas, Washington; Deon Thompson, North Carolina; J.T. Tiller, Missouri; Evan Turner, Ohio State; Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State; Greivis Vasquez, Maryland; Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati; Kemba Walker, Connecticut; Willie Warren, Oklahoma; Terrico White, Mississippi; Nic Wise, Arizona; Chris Wright, Dayton.
