Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe and Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji are among the many 5 finalists contending for the 2022 John Wood Award.
The 5 finalists for the Wood Award as school basketball’s most excellent gamers have been introduced on Wednesday with some huge hitters vying for the glory.
Ochai Agbaji of Kansas, Johnny Davis of Wisconsin, Keegan Murray of Iowa, Drew Timme of Gonzaga and Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky are nonetheless within the operating.
Coming into the NCAA Match, Tshiebwe was thought of the run away favourite to win the award. He averaged 17.4 factors and 1.6 blocks this season whereas rebounding at a ridiculous price, averaging 15.1 per recreation.
Nevertheless, Tshiebwe and Kentucky have been shocked within the first spherical by No. 15 Saint Peter’s, placing a damper on his candidacy. Voting closed on Mar. 21, after the massive upset on the opening day of the event.
Agbaji is averaging18.9 factors for Kansas and will swoop in to seize the award if Tshiebwe doesn’t draw sufficient votes.
Oscar Tshiebwe and Ochai Agbaji are finalist for the Wood Award
The Wood Award winner shall be introduced on Tuesday, Apr. 5 on ESPN.
Candidates on the poll who didn’t make the reduce embody Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, Villanova’s Collin Gillespie, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, UCLA’s Johnny Juzang, Auburn’s Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith, Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell and Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin.
Of the 15 candidates who appeared on the poll, solely Agbaji, Banchero and Gillespie managed to maintain their groups in March Insanity via the ultimate weekend of motion. Agbaji will lead his Jayhawks in opposition to Gillespie’s Wildcats on Saturday within the Closing 4, so one in all them will compete for the nationwide championship this yr. Banchero must get Duke previous rival UNC to compete within the title recreation.
The Wendy’s All-American group, which was additionally introduced on Wednesday, is made up of the highest vote-getters for the Wood Award. The 5 finalists have been joined by Cockburn, Holmgren, Ivey, Mathurin and Smith for that honor.
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