McClinton Named to Wooden Preseason List
Nov. 7, 2008
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Senior guard Jack McClinton of the University of Miami men’s basketball team was named a 2008-09 preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award. McClinton is listed among 50 candidates as early frontrunners for basketball’s most prestigious honor, based on last year’s individual performance and team record.
McClinton is the fourth Hurricane to become a Wooden Award candidate and the first since Guillermo Diaz was named to the preseason list in 2005-06. Darius Rice was named to the preseason list in both 2002-03 and 2003-04 and was also on the midseason list in 2003-04, while Tim James was on both the preseason and midseason lists for the Wooden Award in 1998-99.
McClinton averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game, including an ACC-leading 2.9 three-pointers per game, en route to First Team All-ACC honors as a junior in 2007-08. The nation’s top returning free throw shooter, he converted an ACC-high 91.9 percent of his free throws last season and also finished among the league’s leaders in scoring (4), three-point field goal percentage (2) and minutes played (13). In addition, the sports administration major was named to the All-ACC Academic Team with a 3.1 GPA.
McClinton is one of eight ACC players on the preseason list, including 2007-08 Wooden Award winner Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Gerald Henderson (Duke), James Johnson (Wake Forest), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Tyrese Rice (Boston College) and Kyle Singler (Duke).
In mid-January, 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 also shown they are making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All-America Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” during the NCAA Tournament, while the 33rd annual Wooden Award ceremony will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in April.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97) and 2007 recipient Kevin Durant.
2008-09 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List
A.J. Abrams Texas
Wink Adams UNLV
DeJuan Blair Pittsburgh
Jon Brockman Washington
Derrick Brown Xavier
Chase Budinger Arizona
Nick Calathes Florida
Dionte Christmas Temple
Earl Clark Louisville
Sherron Collins Kansas
Darren Collison UCLA
Lee Cummard BYU
Stephen Curry Davidson
Devan Downey South Carolina
Robert Dozier Memphis
Wayne Ellington North Carolina
Jonny Flynn Syracuse
Taj Gibson USC
Blake Griffin Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina
Luke Harangody Notre Dame
James Harden Arizona State
Gerald Henderson Duke
Lester Hudson Tennessee Martin
Robbie Hummel Purdue
Stefon Jackson UTEP
Dominic James Marquette
Damion James Texas
Curtis Jerrells Baylor
James Johnson Wake Forest
Marcus Landry Wisconsin
Ty Lawson North Carolina
Eric Maynor VCU
Jack McClinton Miami
Jerel McNeal Marquette
Patrick Mills St. Mary’s
Raymar Morgan Michigan State
A.J. Ogilvy Vanderbilt
Jeremy Pargo Gonzaga
Patrick Patterson Kentucky
A.J. Price Connecticut
Scottie Reynolds Villanova
Tyrese Rice Boston College
Kyle Singler Duke
Tyler Smith Tennessee
DaJuan Summers Georgetown
Hasheem Thabeet Connecticut
Robert Vaden UAB
Terrence Wililams Louisville
Sam Young Pittsburg
