About John R. Wooden Award 2024
John R. Wooden Award is an annual honour that is awarded to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball players in the United States. This award is named after the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who is known as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. The award is organised by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Initially, the John R. Wooden Award was presented to male basketball players. However, in recognition of accomplishments of women's basketball players, the award was extended to the women's basketball category starting in 2004. The award ceremony is a significant event in the college basketball community and captures the attention of fans, players, coaches, and supporters alike.
John R. Wooden Award History
The John R. Wooden Award was first presented in 1977, the year after John Wooden retired from coaching at UCLA. It was created to honour his legacy and recognize the top college basketball players in the nation. John R. Wooden was the national collegiate basketball player of the year from Purdue and has also won several other awards as a player and also as a coach.
The first player to receive this award is Marques Johnson in the 1976-77 season, when he was playing as a forward for the UCLA college basketball team.
Initially, the award was only given to the most outstanding men's college basketball player. However, in 2004, the Wooden Award added a category for women's basketball.
The Wooden Award winner is selected by a panel of national college basketball media members and experts. This panel votes on the most outstanding player from a list of finalists.
John R. Wooden Award Winners
The John R. Wooden Award was established in 1977 to recognize the most outstanding college basketball player of the season. The first recipient of this prestigious award was Marques Johnson from UCLA in the 1976-77 season.
In the history of the John R. Wooden Award, there have been many notable winners. In the 2003-04 season Alana Beard became the first woman to win the John R. Wooden Award. She was a standout player for the Duke women's basketball team at the time and made history by being the first female recipient of this award.
Here is the list of John R. Wooden Award winners for men’s category:
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
| 1976–77 | Marques Johnson | UCLA | F | Senior |
| 1977–78 | Phil Ford | North Carolina | PG | Senior |
| 1978–79 | Larry Bird | Indiana State | SF | Senior |
| 1979–80 | Darrell Griffith | Louisville | SG | Senior |
| 1980–81 | Danny Ainge | BYU | SG | Senior |
| 1981–82 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia | C | Junior |
| 1982–83 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia | C | Senior |
| 1983–84 | Michael Jordan | North Carolina | SG | Junior |
| 1984–85 | Chris Mullin | St. John's | SF / SG | Senior |
| 1985–86 | Walter Berry | St. John's | PF | Senior |
| 1986–87 | David Robinson | Navy | C | Senior |
| 1987–88 | Danny Manning | Kansas | PF | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Sean Elliott | Arizona | SF | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Lionel Simmons | La Salle | SF | Senior |
| 1990–91 | Larry Johnson | UNLV | PF | Senior |
| 1991–92 | Christian Laettner | Duke | F | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Calbert Cheaney | Indiana | SF | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Glenn Robinson | Purdue | SF / PF | Sophomore |
| 1994–95 | Ed O'Bannon | UCLA | SF | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Marcus Camby | UMass | C | Junior |
| 1996–97 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest | C | Senior |
| 1997–98 | Antawn Jamison | North Carolina | PF | Junior |
| 1998–99 | Elton Brand | Duke | C | Sophomore |
| 1999–00 | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati | PF | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Shane Battier | Duke | SF / PF | Senior |
| 2001–02 | Jason Williams | Duke | PG | Junior |
| 2002–03 | T. J. Ford | Texas | PG | Sophomore |
| 2003–04 | Jameer Nelson | Saint Joseph's | PG | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Andrew Bogut | Utah | C | Sophomore |
| 2005–06 | JJ Redick | Duke | SG | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Kevin Durant | Texas | SF | Freshman |
| 2007–08 | Tyler Hansbrough | North Carolina | PF | Junior |
| 2008–09 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | PF | Sophomore |
| 2009–10 | Evan Turner | Ohio State | SF | Junior |
| 2010–11 | Jimmer Fredette | BYU | PG | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | C | Freshman |
| 2012–13 | Trey Burke | Michigan | PG | Sophomore |
| 2013–14 | Doug McDermott | Creighton | SF / PF | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Frank Kaminsky | Wisconsin | PF | Senior |
| 2015–16 | Buddy Hield[26] | Oklahoma | SG | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Frank Mason III | Kansas | PG | Senior |
| 2017–18 | Jalen Brunson | Villanova | PG | Junior |
| 2018–19 | Zion Williamson | Duke (6) | SF / PF | Freshman |
| 2019–20 | Obi Toppin | Dayton | PF | Sophomore |
| 2020–21 | Luka Garza | Iowa | C | Senior |
| 2021–22 | Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky | C | Junior |
| 2022–23 | Zach Edey | Purdue | C | Junior |
Here is the list of John R. Wooden Award winners for women’s category:
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
| 2003–04 | Alana Beard | Duke | G | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Seimone Augustus | LSU | G | Junior |
| 2005–06 | Seimone Augustus | LSU | G | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Candace Parker | Tennessee | C | Junior |
| 2007–08 | Candace Parker | Tennessee | C | Senior |
| 2008–09 | Maya Moore | UConn | F | Sophomore |
| 2009–10 | Tina Charles | UConn | C | Senior |
| 2010–11 | Maya Moore | UConn | F | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Brittney Griner | Baylor | C | Junior |
| 2012–13 | Brittney Griner | Baylor | C | Senior |
| 2013–14 | Chiney Ogwumike | Stanford | F | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Breanna Stewart | UConn | F | Junior |
| 2015–16 | Breanna Stewart | UConn | F | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Kelsey Plum | Washington | PG | Senior |
| 2017–18 | A'ja Wilson | South Carolina | F | Senior |
| 2018–19 | Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon | G | Junior |
| 2019–20 | Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon | G | Senior |
| 2020–21 | Paige Bueckers | UConn | G | Freshman |
| 2021–22 | Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | F | Junior |
| 2022–23 | Caitlin Clark | Iowa | G | Junior |
Legends of Coaching Award
The Legends of Coaching Award is similar to the John R. Wooden Award, this award is given annually to the best coaches. It is also named after John Wooden to honour the legacy of his coaching career as well.
When selecting the individual to receive this award, the Wooden Award Committee takes into consideration various factors such as the coach's character, success rate on the court, graduating rate of student athletes, coaching philosophy, and identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award.
The Legends of Coaching Award was first presented in the 1998-99 season, with the inaugural recipient being Dean Smith from the North Carolina School.
Here is the list of Legends Of Coaching Award winners as of 2023-24:
| Season | Coach | School(s) |
| 1998–99 | Dean Smith | North Carolina |
| 1999–00 | Mike Krzyzewski | Duke |
| 2000–01 | Lute Olson | Arizona |
| 2001–02 | Denny Crum | Louisville |
| 2002–03 | Roy Williams | Kansas |
| 2003–04 | Mike Montgomery | Stanford |
| 2004–05 | Jim Calhoun | Connecticut |
| 2005–06 | Jim Boeheim | Syracuse |
| 2006–07 | Gene Keady | Purdue |
| 2007–08 | Pat Summitt | Tennessee (women) |
| 2008–09 | Rick Barnes | Texas |
| 2009–10 | Billy Donovan | Florida |
| 2010–11 | Tom Izzo | Michigan State |
| 2011–12 | Geno Auriemma | Connecticut (women) |
| 2012–13 | Bill Self | Kansas |
| 2013–14 | Tara VanDerveer | Stanford (women) |
| 2014–15 | Steve Fisher | San Diego State |
| 2015–16 | Tubby Smith | Texas Tech |
| 2016–17 | Muffet McGraw | Notre Dame (women) |
| 2017–18 | Jay Wright | Villanova |
| 2018–19 | Lon Kruger | Oklahoma |
| 2019–20 | C. Vivian Stringer | Rutgers (women) |
| 2020–21 | Dave Yanai | Cal State Dominguez Hills &Cal State Los Angeles |
| 2021–22 | Rick Byrd | Belmont |
| 2022–23 | Dawn Staley | South Carolina (women) |
| 2023–24 | John Calipari | Kentucky |
FAQs
A. John R. Wooden was a basketball coach and player who led the UCLA Bruins to numerous national championships and has also earned several individual awards and accolades.
A. The award was established in 1976, a year after John Wooden's retirement from coaching at UCLA. The award was firstly presented in 1977.
A. Winners are selected by a panel of national college basketball media members and experts. They vote on the most outstanding player from a list of finalists.
A. Yes, there are separate John R. Wooden Awards for the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players awarded at the end of every season.
