LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 10, 2024) – The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced that Zach Edey of Purdue University is the winner of the 2024 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal as the most outstanding player in men’s college basketball. The announcement was made during ESPN SportsCenter.
Edey becomes only the second men’s player to win the Wooden Award twice, joining Ralph Sampson (1982 & 1983). While leading the nation in scoring, he broke the career Purdue records for most points and most rebounds.
Voting took place from March 18-25, 2024, by a national collection of voters who cover the sport and former winners. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award’s creation in 1976, all players considered for the ballot were certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the academic criteria of the John R. Wooden Award.
Zach joins Coach John Calipari, the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching presented by Principal recipient, and Caitlin Clark, the Wooden Award honoree for women’s basketball, as the celebrated winners of the nation’s most prestigious collegiate basketball awards. They will be joined by their coaches and the Wooden Award All American team at the trophy presentation on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Established in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball, recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All America Teams for men and women, and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have demonstrated to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to non-profit organizations, including general scholarship funds in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients, and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament.
Starting in 2024, the John R. Wooden Award Foundation will empower balloted candidates to use the Wooden Award platform to promote their chosen charities, with the Wooden Award presenting donations to the top five All Americans’ charities of choice to support their character initiatives.
Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Ralph Sampson (’82, ’83), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07; ’08), Maya Moore (’09; ’11), Breanna Stewart (’15; ’16), and last year’s recipients, Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Zach Edey of Purdue.
The Legends of Coaching Award presented by Principal will be conferred upon University of Kentucky coach John Calipari, alongside the Wooden Award Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year on April 12, 2024.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please visit www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
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John R. Wooden Award
Presented by Principal
Men’s Player of the Year
Year
Player
School
2024
Zach Edey
Purdue
2023
Zach Edey
Purdue
2022
Oscar Tshiebwe
Kentucky
2021
Luka Garza
Iowa
2020
Obi Toppin
Dayton
2019
Zion Williamson
Duke
2018
Jalen Brunson
Villanova
2017
Frank Mason III
Kansas
2016
Buddy Hield
Oklahoma
2015
Frank Kaminsky
Wisconsin
2014
Doug McDermott
Creighton
2013
Trey Burke
Michigan
2012
Anthony Davis
Kentucky
2011
Jimmer Fredette
BYU
2010
Evan Turner
Ohio State
2009
Blake Griffin
Oklahoma
2008
Tyler Hansbrough
North Carolina
2007
Kevin Durant
Texas
2006
J.J. Redick
Duke
2005
Andrew Bogut
Utah
2004
Jameer Nelson
St. Joseph’s
2003
T.J. Ford
Texas
2002
Jason Williams
Duke
2001
Shane Battier
Duke
2000
Kenyon Martin
Cincinnati
1999
Elton Brand
Duke
1998
Antawn Jamison
North Carolina
1997
Tim Duncan
Wake Forest
1996
Marcus Camby
Massachusetts
1995
Ed O’Bannon
UCLA
1994
Glenn Robinson
Purdue
1993
Calbert Cheaney
Indiana
1992
Christian Laettner
Duke
1991
Larry Johnson
UNLV
1990
Lionel Simmons
La Salle
1989
Sean Elliott
Arizona
1988
Danny Manning
Kansas
1987
David Robinson
Navy
1986
Walter Berry
St. John’s
1985
Chris Mullin
St. John’s
1984
Michael Jordan
North Carolina
1983
Ralph Sampson
Virginia
1982
Ralph Sampson
Virginia
1981
Danny Ainge
BYU
1980
Darrell Griffith
Louisville
1979
Larry Bird
Indiana State
1978
Phil Ford
North Carolina
1977
Marques Johnson
UCLA