University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Jaquez Jr. Among Wooden Award's Top 20 Candidates
January 30, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ UCLA senior Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been named as one of the top 20 men's college basketball players to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Watch List, as announced on Monday by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
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Jaquez Jr. leads UCLA (17-4, 8-2 Pac-12) in scoring and rebounding, having averaged 16.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in all 21 games for the Bruins this season. He currently ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in both scoring and rebounding average.
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Jaquez Jr. has shot 49.0 percent from the field and has totaled 35 steals this season. He is tied for the No. 4 spot among all Pac-12 players in steals per game (1.67). He has scored at least 10 points in 19 of 21 games this season and has registered three double-doubles for the Bruins.
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Through 118 career games, Jaquez Jr. has averaged 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
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Players on the Wooden Award's late season "top 20" list are considered strong candidates for the men's national player of the year award. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award's National Ballot. The National Ballot will consist of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award.
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The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. The winner of this year's Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
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Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award has been presented to two UCLA standout players in the past โ Marques Johnson in 1976-77 (the first-ever year of the award) and Ed O'Bannon following the 1994-95 season.
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