Jan. 27, 2012
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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion junior point guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 list. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 20 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November, December, and January, are the frontrunners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. Bentley is one of two student-athletes from the Big Ten (Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis) to be named to the midseason list.
Bentley ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring average with a 15.2 per game and is also third in the conference and 23rd in NCAA Division I in assists (5.5 apg). Additionally, the Indianapolis native is second in the Big Ten and 20th nationally in steals at a 3.2 per game clip. Bentley also ranks among the top 15 in the conference in field goal percentage (11th; .462), assist-to-turnover ratio (5th; 1.5) and minutes played (10th; 33.8).
The 2012 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, Bentley became the 33rd player and the 15th junior to join the 1,000-point club at Penn State. She moved into the Top 25 on Penn State's career scoring list with her 18-point performance against Michigan last night. She now has 1,174 career tallies, which ranks 25th in program history. Bentley has also etched her name into the Penn State record books, ranking 11th in career assists (409) and tied for 15th in all-time steals (182).
The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans and the Legends of Coaching winner Geno Auriemma of Connecticut.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976 and named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, 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 or her university that he or she 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), Tim Duncan ('97), Blake Griffin ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and '11). BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Moore were the Wooden Award winners in 2011.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Gala.
Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5231 or email at woodenaward@laac.net.
The Lady Lions continue their road swing in the state of Michigan when they visit the Spartans Sunday, a game which will be televised on ESPN2. Penn State is back in the BJC to meet Indiana on Thursday, Feb. 2 for THON night at 7 p.m. Single game tickets and PNC Flex Books are available by calling 800-NITTANY. PNC Flex Books are $99 and give fans 12 vouchers, including one for the Coaches vs. Cancer game and one for the Pink Zone game, which can be redeemed for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball tickets in any combination. The Starting 5 Pack is $49 and features tickets to three games of the buyer's choice, a ticket for the Ohio State ESPN2 Big Monday game on Monday, Feb. 20 and a ticket for the Pink Zone game against Minnesota on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The 2012 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 as the Lady Lions take on Minnesota in the Bryce Jordan Center. Last year, the Lady Lions donated nearly $200,000 for breast cancer causes. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital and Lewistown Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone. The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.