Home UVA’s Sam Hauser named to Wooden Award watch list
Sports News

UVA’s Sam Hauser named to Wooden Award watch list

Chris Graham
sam hauser
Sam Hauser drives the lane against a Towson defender. Photo credit: Johnnie Izquierdo / Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Virginia forward Sam Hauser was one of 50 players named to the watch list for the 2021 John Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s announced Tuesday.

Hauser is averaging a team-best 14.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 2020-2021. He was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection in 2018-2019 at Marquette, where he averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds, shooting 45.9 percent from the field, 40.2 percent from 3-point range and leading the BIG EAST in free throw percentage at 92.4 percent.

The players on the Wooden Award watch list are considered strong candidates for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot.

The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award.

Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.

The winner of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s following the NCAA Tournament in April.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].