Samuels Among Wooden Award Preseason Candidates

Aug. 19, 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville forward Samardo Samuels is among 50 preseason candidates for the 2009-10 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy. The list is comprised of 50 student athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor.

A 6-8 sophomore from Trelawny, Jamaica, Samuels was the seventh-leading freshman scorer ever at Louisville, averaging 11.8 points last season. He ranked 11th in the BIG EAST in blocked shots (1.3), was seventh in field goal percentage (.578) and grabbed 4.9 rebounds a game. A member of the BIG EAST All-Rookie team, his 51 dunks were the second most ever in a single season at U of L.

Former U of L forward Terrence Williams, a first-round NBA draft pick of the New Jersey Nets and the top college senior taken in the draft, was honored on the 2009 Wooden All-American team. The only returning member of that team is Luke Harangody, a senior forward for BIG EAST foe Notre Dame. Eleven BIG EAST players are represented on the list, more than any other conference.

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. Those and others may be considered for December's Midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March.

In late December, the Wooden Award Committee will release the Midseason Top 30 list, followed in March by the national ballot, consisting of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.

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.

Last season, the Cardinals attained their first-ever Associated Press No. 1 national ranking, achieving that position in the final poll of the season. U of L won its first BIG EAST Conference regular season title -- accomplished in a year in which the league had a national record nine teams earn national rankings during the season -- and also won the league tournament championship. U of L entered the NCAA Tournament the overall No. 1 seed and reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight season, finishing with a 31-6 overall record.

2009-10 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List
Name Height Class Pos. University ConferenceSolomon Alabi 7-1 So. C Florida State ACCCole Aldrich 6-11 Jr. C Kansas Big 12Al-Farouq Aminu 6-9 So. F Wake Forest ACCLuke Babbit 6-9 So. F Nevada WACTalor Battle 5-11 Jr. G Penn State Big TenTrevor Booker 6-7 Sr. F Clemson ACCMatt Bouldin 6-5 Sr. G Gonzaga West CoastCraig Brackins 6-10 Jr. F Iowa State Big 12Da'Sean Butler 6-7 Sr. F West Virginia Big EastSherron Collins 5-11 Sr. G Kansas Big 12Ed Davis 6-10 So. F North Carolina ACCDevan Downey 5-9 Sr. G South Carolina SECJerome Dyson 6-3 Sr. G Connecticut Big EastDevin Ebanks 6-9 So. F West Virginia Big EastCorey Fisher 6-1 Jr. G Villanova Big EastLuke Harangody 6-8 Sr. F Notre Dame Big EastManny Harris 6-5 Jr. G Michigan Big TenGordon Hayward 6-8 So. G/F Butler Conference USAJeremy Hazell 6-5 Jr. G Seton Hall Big EastRobbie Hummel 6-8 Jr. F Purdue Big TenDamion James 6-7 Sr. G/F Texas Big 12Sylven Landesberg 6-6 So. G Virginia ACCGani Lawal 6-9 Jr. F Georgia Tech ACCKalin Lucas 6-0 Jr. G Michigan State Big TenTasmin Mitchell 6-7 Sr. F Louisiana State SECGreg Monroe 6-11 So. C Georgetown Big EastE'Twaun Moore 6-3 Jr. G Purdue Big TenRaymar Morgan 6-8 Sr. F Michigan State Big TenA.J. Ogilvy 6-11 Jr. C Vanderbilt SECPatrick Patterson 6-9 Jr. F Kentucky SECJerome Randle 5-10 Sr. G California Pac 10Scottie Reynolds 6-2 Jr. G Villanova Big EastSamardo Samuels 6-8 So. F Louisville Big EastLarry Sanders 6-11 Jr. F VCU CAAJon Scheyer 6-5 Sr. G Duke ACCDeShawn Sims 6-8 Sr. F Michigan Big TenKyle Singler 6-8 Jr. F Duke ACCTyler Smith 6-7 Sr. G/F Tennessee SECIsaiah Thomas 5-8 So. G Washington Pac 10Deon Thompson 6-8 Sr. F North Carolina ACCJ.T. Tiller 6-3 Sr. G Missouri Big 12Evan Turner 6-7 Jr. G/F Ohio State Big TenJarvis Varnado 6-9 Sr. F/C Mississippi St. SECGreivis Vasquez 6-6 Sr. G Maryland ACCDeonta Vaughn 6-1 Sr. G Cincinnati Big EastKemba Walker 6-1 So. G Connecticut Big EastWillie Warren 6-4 So. G Oklahoma Big 12Terrico White 6-5 So. G Mississippi SECNic Wise 5-10 Sr. G Arizona Pac 10Chris Wright 6-8 Jr. F Dayton Atlantic 10

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