Has anyone won the Wooden Award twice?

Last Modified Mar 8, 2025 10:11 GMT
John R. Wooden Award. Source: Official Wooden Award website.

The John R. Wooden Award is given to the best men's and women's college basketball players in the United States every year. It was founded by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in 1976 and was established in order to promote excellence in athletic performance as well as integrity. The voting is done by over 1,000 national voters, including media representatives as well as former winners. To qualify, candidates should be full-time NCAA students, have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, exhibit team leadership, offensive and defensive ability, and excellent personal character. The award consists of a Player of the Year award and an All-American Team recognition, the voting taking place after the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. To ensure integrity in the process, the nomination is done by Deloitte.

The award is named after the legendary basketball player John Wooden. The award was sculpted by Don Winton and consists of five bronze figures, each representing one of the five key skills that Wooden believed that a total basketball player must demonstrate, rebounding, passing, shooting, dribbling, and defense. The awards ceremony occurs in Los Angeles, where recipients are awarded a trophy and a scholarship grant forwarded to their university. The Women's Wooden Award was established in 2004 to honor the best female college player.

Has anyone won the Wooden Award twice?

Yes, there have been two players who have won the John R. Wooden Award twice, Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983, and Zach Edey in 2023 and 2024, as per the official Wooden Award website.

NameYears
Ralph Sampson1982 and 1983
Zach Edey2023 and 2024

Ralph Samson played for the Virginia Cavaliers where he won two Wooden Awards and three Naismith Awards. He is inducted into the Naismith Awards Hall of Fame.

Zach Edey played for the Purdue Boilermakers and was only the second player to win the Wooden Awards twice in a row after Ralph Samson.

FAQs on Wooden Award

A. The Wooden Award is an annual award given to the best men's and women's college basketball players.

A. The Wooden Award was founded in 1976.

A. The Wooden Award is voted by 1,000 media members and former winners.

A. The Wooden Award ceremony takes place in Los Angeles.

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