What Is the Wooden Award in College Basketball?

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One of college basketball's top awards is named for UCLA coach John Wooden.
(AP Photo)
BetMGM @BETMGM Apr 09, 2023, 11:05 AM

The John R. Wooden Award – often known simply as the Wooden Award – is one of the premiere college basketball trophies annually given to the best player in college basketball.

The Wooden Award is given by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in honor of the late John Wooden. 

Wooden was the national collegiate player of the year in 1932 as a star at Purdue. 

Later, as the dynastic head coach at UCLA, Wooden was responsible for one of the greatest accomplishments ever achieved in any sport: 10 Division I national championships between 1964 and 1975.

In modern times, the Los Angeles Athletic Club has expanded the Wooden Award into a broader series of awards. 

In 1999, it began an annual Legends of Coaching award; in 2004, it began awarding a Wooden Award to the top player in both men’s and women’s college basketball.

The Wooden Award is one of several trophies given to the top player every year. There’s also the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Associated Press Player of the Year, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and a few others.

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Our BetMGM editors and authors are sports experts with a wealth of knowledge of the sports industry at all levels. Their coverage includes sports news, previews and predictions, fun facts, and betting.