Both senior point guard Joel Berry and junior forward Luke Maye were named to the Midseason Wooden Award Watch List on Thursday, giving UNC two of the 25 players among the mix.

The award–which annually recognizes the nation’s top player–has its watch lists determined by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances over the first half of the season.

UNC is one of four schools (Duke, Arizona, Villanova) to have two players on the watch list.

Maye is averaging 18.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game so far during his breakout campaign, including a career-high 32 points and 18 rebounds this past Tuesday against Boston College.

The Huntersville native is also one of five players now in contention for the Wooden Award who was not on the preseason watch list.

Berry, meanwhile, was expected to have a big impact this year after winning the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player honor during the Tar Heels’ run to the NCAA Championship last season.

His 17.6 point scoring average is a career-high, while he’s also right around his career average of three assists per game.

The Wooden Award will narrow its field to 20 candidates in February, with the top 15 players eventually making it onto the final ballot prior to the NCAA Tournament.

For the full Midseason Wooden Award Watch List, click here.

 

 

Photo via Todd Melet

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