LOS ANGELES – Junior guard Aaron Holiday has been selected as one of 25 top college basketball players to the midseason watch list for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's, as announced on Thursday morning.
 
The John R. Wooden Award is annually presented to the nation's top men's and college basketball players. The players on this 25-person list are considered strong candidates for the 2018 John R. Wooden Award. The leading candidates will be pared to 20 top student-athletes in early February. This season's winner will be announced at the ESPN College Basketball Awards show presented by Wendy's on April 6.
 
Holiday has ranked among the top five scorers in the Pac-12 Conference this season, averaging a team-leading 19.4 points per game. In addition, Holiday has registered 5.3 assists per game, consistently ranking among the top three assist leaders in the Pac-12 all season.
 
A 6-foot-1 guard from Chatsworth, Calif., Holiday has scored in double figures in 15 of UCLA's 16 games while leading the Bruins to a 12-4 overall record and a 3-1 mark in Pac-12 action.
 
Holiday is among four Pac-12 Conference players selected to this season's 25-man midseason list. Joining Holiday as Pac-12 players on the list are Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Tra Holder (Arizona State) and Allonzo Trier (Arizona).
 
Holiday entered the week as one of six players in the nation to have averaged at least 19.0 points and 5.0 assists per game. He has twice scored at least 30 points in a game this season, logging a career-best 33 points in the Bruins' 96-82 win over Washington State on Dec. 29. Holiday had 23 of his 33 points in the first half in that victory, finishing the game having made 5 of 5 three-point attempts.
 
Entering the Bruins' contest against Utah in Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night, Holiday has shot 46.8 percent from the field (101-of-216) while making 37.9 percent of his three-point attempts (33-of-87).
 
Among the most veteran players in the Pac-12, Holiday has played in all 84 games for UCLA the past three seasons. He started all 32 contests as a freshman in 2015-16 and came off the bench in each game last season, averaging 12.3 points per game as the Bruins posted a 31-5 overall record.
 
Midway through his junior season, Holiday has logged career highs in points per game (19.4), rebounds per game (4.0), assists per game (5.3) and minutes per game (36.8).
 
Holiday became UCLA's 55th player in program history to have scored at least 1,000 career points in a UCLA uniform earlier this season. During his 33-point performance against Washington State (Dec. 29), Holiday crossed the 1,000 career point plateau. He currently ranks No. 49 on the Bruins' all-time scoring list with 1,082 points. He is one of just 13 players in program history to have totaled at least 1,000 career points and 300 career assists.
 
UCLA (12-4, 3-1 Pac-12) will return to action against Utah (10-5, 2-2) on Thursday evening. Game time in Pauley Pavilion is 8 p.m. (PT). UCLA's game versus Utah will be nationally televised on ESPN2.