West Virginia University junior guard Bria Holmes was named to the John R. Wood Award Preseason Top 30 list announced on Monday. 

 

Holmes, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 25.7 points in her first three games. Her 36 points versus Seton Hall on Nov. 17 was the most for a West Virginia player since 2005. Holmes’ point average ranks 13th nationally. 

 

“It is a great honor for Bria to be named one of the nation’s top-30 student-athletes,” said coach Mike Carey. “There is no doubt in my mind that she will continue to work hard every day. I am proud of Bria.”

 

The power conferences lead the way this preseason. The ACC led all leagues with six selections, followed by the Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC with five apiece. The American Athletic Conference followed with four selections, the Big 12 three and two more conferences had one pick; the MAC and Big East. Nearly half of the players chosen, 14 out of 30, are seniors. 

 

Players not chosen to the preseason list are eligible for both the midseason list and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. The Wooden Award All-American team, consisting of the nation's top five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four.

 

The 39th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the men's and women's Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which in 2015 will go to San Diego State Head Men’s Basketball Coach Steve Fisher. The event will take place the weekend of April 10-12, 2015.

 

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 player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.  Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike won the 2014 Wooden Award.

 

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name.   Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament.  The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

 

Editor's Note: Photo by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.