Middleton (North Charleston, S.C.), a consensus All-Big 12 and All-Region selection last year, was one of only four Big 12 players to make the list. He paced Texas A&M in scoring last year, averaging 14.4 points, and ranked second on the squad in rebounds (5.2/game). Middleton led the Aggies to a 24-9 record, a third-place league finish and the school's sixth-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. He is the first A&M player to make the list since Joseph Jones in the fall of 2007.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84) and Tim Duncan ('97). BYU's Jimmer Fredette won the men's Award in 2011.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball media members, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason list but can be added mid-season.
The list will be cut down to 10 with the announcement of the Wooden Award All American Team in late March. The 36th annual Wooden Award ceremony will take place the weekend of April 6-8, 2012.
Fans can follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.woodenaward.com or www.facebook.com/woodenaward.
Middleton and the Aggies will begin preseason practice in a few weeks in preparation for the season opener against Liberty on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Reed Arena. Season tickets are available for as low as $200 and are on sale now by calling 888-99-AGGIE or by logging on to tickets.12thmanfoundation.com.
2011-12 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List, Men
- Name   Height Class    Position               University          Conference
- Tim Abromaitis 6-8         GS         F             Notre Dame       Big East
- Harrison Barnes               6-8         So.         F             North Carolina ACC
- Will Barton         6-6         So.         G            Memphis            Conference USA
- Dee Bost              6-2         Sr.          G            Mississippi State              SEC
- William Buford 6-5         Sr.          G            Ohio State           Big Ten
- Allen Crabbe      6-6         So.         G            California           Pac-12
- Aaron Craft        6-2         So.         G            Ohio State           Big Ten
- Marcus Denmon              6-3         Sr.          G            Missouri              Big 12
- Festus Ezeli        6-11       Sr.          C            Vanderbilt          SEC
- Ashton Gibbs    6-2         Sr.          G            Pitt        Big East
- Michael Glover 6-7         Sr.          F             Iona      MAAC
- Drew Gordon    6-9         Sr.          F             New Mexico       Mountain West
- Draymond Green             6-7         Sr.          F             Michigan State  Big Ten
- JaMychal Green 6-8         Sr.          F             Alabama             SEC
- Jorge Gutierrez  6-3         Sr.          G            California           Pac-12
- Tim Hardaway, Jr.           6-5         So.         G            Michigan            Big Ten
- Elias Harris        6-7         Jr.           F             Gonzaga             WCC
- John Henson      6-11       Jr.           F             North Carolina ACC
- Tu Holloway     6-0         Sr.          G            Xavier  Atlantic 10
- Robbie Hummel               6-8         Sr.          F             Purdue Big Ten
- Joe Jackson         6-1         So.         G            Memphis            Conference USA
- Scoop Jardine    6-2         Sr.          G            Syracuse              Big East
- John Jenkins       6-3         Jr.           G            Vanderbilt          SEC
- Orlando Johnson              6-5         Sr.          G            UCSB    Big West
- Darius Johnson-Odom   6-2         Sr.          G            Marquette           Big East
- Kevin Jones        6-8         Sr.          F             West Virginia    Big East
- Terrence Jones   6-8         So.         F             Kentucky             SEC
- Perry Jones III    6-11       So.         F             Baylor  Big 12
- Kris Joseph         6-7         Sr.          F             Syracuse              Big East
- Jeremy Lamb     6-5         So.         G            Connecticut        Big East
- Kendall Marshall             6-4         So.         G            North Carolina ACC
- Trevor Mbakwe 6-8         Sr.          F             Minnesota          Big Ten
- Ray McCallum  6-1         So.         G            Detroit  Horizon League
- Doug McDermott             6-7         So.         F             Creighton            Missouri Valley
- Khris Middleton               6-7         Jr.           F             Texas A&M        Big 12
- Reeves Nelson   6-8         Jr.           F             UCLA   Pac-12
- Andrew Nicholson          6-9         Sr.          F             St. Bonaventure Atlantic 10
- Alex Oriakhi      6-9         Jr.           C            Connecticut        Big East
- Thomas Robinson           6-9         Jr.           F             Kansas Big 12
- John Shurna       6-9         Sr.          F             Northwestern    Big Ten
- Peyton Siva        6-0         Jr.           G            Louisville            Big East
- Joshua Smith     6-10       So.         C            UCLA   Pac-12
- Jared Sullinger* 6-9         So.         C            Ohio State           Big Ten
- Jeffery Taylor     6-7         Sr.          G/F        Vanderbilt          SEC
- Jordan Taylor    6-1         Sr.          G            Wisconsin          Big Ten
- Casper Ware      5-10       Sr.          G            Long Beach State              Big West
- Maalik Wayns   6-2         Jr.           G            Villanova            Big East
- Keith Wright      6-8         Sr.          F             Harvard              Ivy League
- Patric Young      6-9         So.         F/C        Florida SEC
- Tyler Zeller         7-0         Sr.          F             North Carolina ACC
Players listed alphabetically    *indicates player chosen to the 2011 Wooden All American Team; GS=Graduate Student
Based on a preseason poll. Award winner honored April 6, 2012 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.