Shane Battier

Duke University's Shane Battier was named the winner of the 25th annual John R. Wooden Award as the college basketball player of the year. The 6-foot-8 Battier led his team to the 2001 NCAA championship game. John Wooden made the announcement and presented Battier with a special silver-plated 25th anniversary version of the Wooden Award trophy. Battier, a senior from Birmingham, Michigan, is a three-time Academic All-American and three-time National Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 19.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.3 blocks. His head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, who also made the trip to Los Angeles, has called him "the most complete all-around player I have coached." Other Wooden Award winners from Duke include Christian Laettner (1992) and Elton Brand (1999). Duke is now tied for the lead in all-time Wooden Award winners (3) with North Carolina. Players from the ACC have won four of the past five years.