Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Olivia Cochran Named to Wooden Award Preseason Watch List
November 14, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Cochran is coming off a career-best 21 points in the win over DePaul
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — University of Louisville women's basketball forward Olivia Cochran was named to the Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List, the Wooden Award association announced Tuesday afternoon. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All American Team™ and Most Outstanding Player Award.
The Cardinals have had at least one player on the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List in seven of the last eight seasons. Cochran has received numerous preseason accolades this season as she enters her senior year with the Cardinals. She was named to the Preseason All-ACC team and was named to the Katrina McClain Watch List for the third-straight season. She was one of five players to be on each of the previous three McClain Award Watch Lists. Cochran was also one of two Cardinals to be named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List.
Cochran has made an impact for the Cardinals this season in their two wins to begin the campaign. She is coming off a career-high 21 points to go with five rebounds, a team-best three assists and three steals in the win over DePaul. She has led the Cardinals in assists in each of the two games this season. In the road win over Cincinnati, Cochran hauled in a team-best 10 rebounds with seven points, three assists and a steal. In the two games, she leads the teams in points (14.0), rebounds (7.5), assists (3.0) and steals (2.0).
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Principal. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2024 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All America Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed 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), Breanna Stewart ('15; '16), and last year's recipients, Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Zach Edey of Purdue.
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.
The Legends of Coaching Award presented by Principal will be presented to University of Kentucky coach John Calipari, along with the Wooden Award Men's and Women's Players of the Year on April 12, 2024. For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
The Cardinals have had at least one player on the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List in seven of the last eight seasons. Cochran has received numerous preseason accolades this season as she enters her senior year with the Cardinals. She was named to the Preseason All-ACC team and was named to the Katrina McClain Watch List for the third-straight season. She was one of five players to be on each of the previous three McClain Award Watch Lists. Cochran was also one of two Cardinals to be named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List.
Cochran has made an impact for the Cardinals this season in their two wins to begin the campaign. She is coming off a career-high 21 points to go with five rebounds, a team-best three assists and three steals in the win over DePaul. She has led the Cardinals in assists in each of the two games this season. In the road win over Cincinnati, Cochran hauled in a team-best 10 rebounds with seven points, three assists and a steal. In the two games, she leads the teams in points (14.0), rebounds (7.5), assists (3.0) and steals (2.0).
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Principal. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2024 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All America Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed 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), Breanna Stewart ('15; '16), and last year's recipients, Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Zach Edey of Purdue.
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.
The Legends of Coaching Award presented by Principal will be presented to University of Kentucky coach John Calipari, along with the Wooden Award Men's and Women's Players of the Year on April 12, 2024. For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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