The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced its list of 20 finalists for the 2017 John Wooden Award on Wednesday, placing a pair of Tar Heels among a group of players competing for college basketball’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Junior point guard Joel Berry and his classmate–forward Justin Jackson–make UNC one of just three schools (Kansas, Kentucky) to have a pair of players still in the running.
Berry has helped steer the ship for the Tar Heels all year long in the backcourt, leading the team in assists (93), three-point percentage (.421), free throw percentage (.873) and steals (33).
His 14.9 points per game rank second on the squad only to Jackson–the rangy, 6-foot-8 wing who has seen his game jump to the next level this season.
The native of Tomball, Texas has become UNC’s go-to scorer, using his size and shooting ability to create offense both inside and outside.
Jackson’s 20 points per game average is good enough for second in the ACC, a statistic aided by his team-high 66 three-pointers made.
Over the next month, both players will look to state their cases to be included among the Wooden Award’s top 15 finalists–which will be announced in early March.
Voters include a panel of over 1,000 members of the national college basketball media and will begin at the conclusion of the regular season. Early rounds of the NCAA Tournament will also be factored in.
All candidates must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.0 throughout their academic careers.
The winner will be announced during the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show on April 7.
For the full Wooden Award Top 20 list, click here.
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