No Pac-12 Players Included In Final 15 For Wooden Award

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and freshmen Austin Rivers of Duke and teammates Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis of Kentucky are among the 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award given to the nation's top men's college basketball player.

The finalists were announced Tuesday. The winner will be announced on ESPN at the Final Four in New Orleans and the award will be presented April 6 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Sullinger is the only finalist returning from last year. The sophomore forward averages 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Guard Rivers and forwards Kidd-Gilchrist and Davis are the only freshmen on the list. They are joined by guard Damian Lillard of Weber State, whose scoring average of 24.5 points is No. 2 in the nation, and guard Scott Machado of Iona, who leads the nation in assists with 10.1.

Other finalists are: guard Isaiah Canaan of Murray State; forward Jae Crowder of Marquette; guard Marcus Denmon of Missouri; forward Draymond Green of Michigan State; forward Kevin Jones of West Virginia; forward Kris Joseph of Syracuse; forward Doug McDermott of Creighton; forward Thomas Robinson of Kansas; and forward Tyler Zeller of North Carolina.

The women's finalists will be announced Wednesday.