Shenise Johnson Named to Wooden Preseason List
Oct. 5, 2010
LOS ANGELES –
The University of Miami’s Shenise Johnson has been named to the Women’s Preseason Top 30 list for the 2011 John R. Wooden Award, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Tuesday. The Wooden Award is considered the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball.
“This is such an impressive award and I am thrilled that Shenise can be considered as one of the top players in the country,” said Miami head coach Katie Meier. “She is one of the most complete players in the nation and with her leadership on and off the court, I think she is a perfect candidate for this award.”
Last season, Johnson led the Hurricanes to a championship appearance in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Along the way, she was named First Team All-ACC and made appearances on the All-ACC Defensive Team as well as the WNIT All-Tournament Team.
The Henrietta, N.Y. native scored 19.0 points per game last season and added 7.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest as well. She was the only player in the Atlantic Coast Conference to rank among the Top 10 in each of those categories.
The Wooden Award list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners.
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December’s Midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation’s top five players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, a special tribute to Coach Wooden and Wooden Award founder Duke Llewellyn, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 8-10, 2011.
In August, Johnson was named to the 2010-2011 preseason “Wade Watch” list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year.
2010-11 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 List
Name Height Class Position University Conference
Danielle Adams 6-1 Sr. F/C Texas A&M Big 12
Kachine Alexander 5-9 Sr. G Iowa Big Ten
Angie Bjorklund 6-0 Sr. G/F Tennessee SEC
Jessica Breland 6-3 Sr. F North Carolina ACC
Elena Delle Donne 6-5 So. G/F Delaware CAA
Skylar Diggins 5-9 So. G Notre Dame Big East
Jasmine Dixon 6-0 Jr. F UCLA Pac 10
Victoria Dunlap 6-1 Sr. F Kentucky SEC
Dawn Evans 5-7 Sr. G James Madison CAA
Brittney Griner 6-8 So. C Baylor Big 12
Amber Harris 6-5 Sr. F Xavier Atlantic 10
Tiffany Hayes 5-10 Jr. G Connecticut Big East
Shenise Johnson 5-11 Jr. G Miami ACC
Jantel Lavender 6-4 Sr. C Ohio State Big Ten
Italee Lucas 5-8 Sr. G North Carolina ACC
Maya Moore*# 6-0 Sr. F Connecticut Big East
Deirdre Naughton 5-10 Sr. G DePaul Big East
Nnemkadi Ogwumike* 6-2 Jr. F Stanford Pac 10
Kayla Pedersen 6-4 Jr. F Stanford Pac 10
Ta’Shia Phillips 6-6 Sr. C Xavier Atlantic 10
Samantha Prahalis 5-7 Jr. G Ohio State Big Ten
Lauren Prochaska 5-11 Sr. G/F Bowling Green Mid-American
Chastity Reed 6-1 Sr. F Ark. Little-Rock Sun Belt
Danielle Robinson 5-9 Sr. G Oklahoma Big 12
Sugar Rodgers 5-11 So. G Georgetown Big East
Shekinna Stricklen 6-2 Jr. G/F Tennessee SEC
Helena Sverrisdottir 6-1 Sr. G/F TCU Mountain West
Carolyn Swords 6-6 Sr. C Boston College ACC
Jasmine Thomas 5-9 Sr. G Duke ACC
Courtney Vandersloot 5-8 Sr. G Gonzaga West Coast
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden All American Team
#indicates player was 2009 Wooden Award winner
% indicates player chosen to the 2008 Wooden All American Team
