Top Candidates for the 2015 Wooden Award

        The talent level in college basketball this season is as deep as it has been in recent memory. Jahlil Okafor, Frank Kaminsky, and D'Angelo Russell are the front runners to win the John Wooden Men's Player of the Year Award in college basketball. Kaminsky arguably has had the best statistical season of the three but Okafor and Russell are projected to be lottery picks in this years NBA Draft. The award winner will be announced on April 10th following the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. Most experts believe that the award will be given to the player who performs the best in the postseason, and leads his team the farthest in the tournament. 

       Jahlil Okafor is projected to be the Number 1 overall selection in this years NBA Draft out of Duke University. Averaging over 17 points and 9 rebounds per game, Okafor demands a double team every time he touches the ball in the post. His ability to see out of the double teams and find open three point shooters Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones is remarkable. He is one of the main reasons that the Blue Devils have been a consistent top 5 team all season long. The only weak area in Okafor's game is his free-throw shooting ability; shooting just over 50% from the line. If he can clean that up and lead Duke to a deep tournament run, you might expect to see Okafor hoisting the Wooden Award trophy on April 10th.

     Frank Kaminsky has had undeniably the best statistical season of the top three candidates. The 7-footer out of the University of Wisconsin, averaging 18.5 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per game, does it all for the Badgers. He leads them in almost every major statistical category, and has been the go-to-guy for the Big Ten Champions. The combination of his footwork in the post, his ability to shoot well from behind the arc, and his basketball I.Q. make for future lottery pick. Kaminsky averaged under 2 points per game as a freshman and has blossomed into a future All-Star at the next level. With Wisconsin being a predicted Final-Four team, Kaminsky could run away with the award provided he and his team meet their expectations.

    D'Angelo Russell is arguably the most fun player to watch in the country. The 6 foot-5 inch freshman has burst onto the scene as a potential number 1 draft pick behind Okafor. Averaging 19 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5 assists per contest Russell has been the lone bright spot for an Ohio State Buckeye team that has underachieved this year. His play is so smooth and he not only puts points on the scoreboard himself, but he makes his teammates around him better. Russell does not receive as much spotlight as the other 2 candidates because his team is not performing as well as Duke and Wisconsin. Watch out for D'Angelo Russell in the race for the Wooden Award and at the next level as a future star.

       

Will McDonough Writing Contest

My Favorite Athlete: LeBron James

LeBron James, a small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is regarded as the current best player in the NBA. He has scored over 24,000 points and dished out over 6,000 assists in his professional career thus far. Winning back-to-back titles with the Miami Heat cemented LeBron's status as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is the most scrutinized player in the league but remains determined to the be the best to ever play the game. Always being compared to Michael Jordan does not stop LeBron James from being the best player in the world.

Growing up in Akron, Ohio and being drafted right out of high school by his home town Cavaliers, James was given the nickname "The Chosen One." At the age of 20 he became the youngest player ever to receive the Rookie of the Year Award at age 20. James was also the first Cavalier to win the award. Since then LeBron has won 4 MVP Awards and 2 championships with the Heat. Most people see, to also forget the 2 Gold Medals James owns when he led team USA in both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Regardless of all of the accolades, he continuously strives to be the best and to win more titles than Bill Russell (11).

Measuring at 6 foot 8 inches and weighing 240 pounds, James has an extremely rare combination of size, speed, and power. He is an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier than the average NBA small forward gives LeBron the ability to beat his defender by attacking the rim with his size or backing him down in the post. Combine that size with the ability to run a 4.6 second 40 yard dash and blow by defenders with speed. His athleticism speaks for itself with his highlight-reel worthy explosive dunks. LeBron also has a very high basketball I.Q. and always seems to make the decisions on the court.

LeBron is my favorite player not only because he has freakish athletic ability, but because he is constantly motivated to be a better player and teammate. At just 30 years old, James is regarded as one of the best leaders in the game. After returning to the Cavaliers for the second time, he was already given the title of captain and worked together with the front office to create a championship caliber team in Cleveland.