LOS ANGELES – UCLA sophomore Kris Wilkes has been selected as one of 50 top college basketball players to the preseason watch list for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award, as announced on Tuesday.
 
Wilkes, a 6-foot-8 guard from Indianapolis, registered 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a freshman last year. He played in all 33 games and made 32 starts, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding. In addition, he shot 44.1 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range.
 
During his freshman season, Wilkes scored at least 20 points in six games. He tallied a career-high 22 points in the team's road victory at USC on March 3, helping UCLA secure a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament.
 
Wilkes has also been named as one of 50 players to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy, annually awarded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's college basketball player.
 
Last month, Wilkes was named as one of 20 student-athletes to the national preseason watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.
 
No. 21/20 UCLA will open the regular season versus Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The season opener for both teams will begin at 6 p.m. (PT) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.

2019 John R. Wooden Award – Preseason Top 50 Watch List