Nov. 9, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion guards Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Maggie Lucas (Narbeth, Pa.) are among the players named to the John. R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top 30, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced today. Bentley and Lucas are two of the five Big Ten players on the preseason list, which also includes Ohio State's Tayler Hill and the Nebraska duo of Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore.
Bentley, who is one of 34 Lady Lions to score 1,000 career points, is on the Wade Watch for the second consecutive season. The senior is coming off an outstanding 2011-12 campaign where she was selected All-Big Ten first team for the second time in her career and garnered WBCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades. The point guard currently sits 10th on Penn State's career assists chart (455), 15th in scoring (1,335) and 12th in steals (216). Bentley is the first Lady Lion to lead the conference in steals (3.1) since Jess Strom led the league in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Lucas, who was named Honorable Mention All-America by the Associated Press last year, was also selected to the All-Big Ten first team accolades in 2011-12. The junior became just the third sophomore in school history and 11th-fastest player in Big Ten history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Additionally, Lucas was third in the conference and 20th in the NCAA in scoring with a 19.5 scoring. With 642 points last year, she is the fourth person in school history to surpass the 600-point mark in a season, joining Suzie McConnell (1988), Susan Robinson (1990) and Kelly Mazzante (three times). The Narberth, Pa., native leads the Lady Lions' career free throw percentage chart (.881) entering her junior campaign and sits third in school history in career three-pointers list (194) and 25th in career scoring list (1,194).
Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Wooden Preseason Top 30. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for January's midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation's top five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four.
About the John R. Wooden Award
The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winners the weekend of April 5-7, 2013. It will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and will recognize the Legends of Coaching Award recipient Bill Self of Kansas.
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 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), Candace Parker ('07 and '08) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and `11).
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 ceremony.
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 213-630-5206 or email at woodenaward@laac.net.
The Lady Lions open their regular-season schedule on Sun., Nov. 11 against Howard at 2 p.m., at the Bryce Jordan Center, where the Lady Lions will raise their 2012 Big Ten Championship banner. Fans will receive a replica Big Ten Championship banner at the gates. The game is also Military Appreciation Day where fans that show their military ID will get four (4) free tickets and can purchase additional tickets for $5 each. It is also a Subway Full Court 4-Pack where fans will receive four reserved game tickets and one voucher for four 6" subs and four 21 oz. fountain drinks at any of the seven State College Subway locations for just $40!
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.
2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 List, Women
Alex Bentley, Penn State
Carolyn Davis, Kansas
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Jasmine Dixon, UCLA
Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt
Chassidy Fussell, Texas
Angel Goodrich, Kansas
Chelsea Gray, Duke
Brittney Griner, Baylor
Bria Hartley, Connecticut
Tayler Hill, Ohio State
Jordan Hooper, Nebraska
Natasha Howard, Florida State
Maggie Lucas, Penn State
Tyaunna Marshall, Georgia Tech
Anna Martin, DePaul
A'dia Mathies, Kentucky
Laurin Mincy, Maryland
Lindsey Moore, Nebraska
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Niveen Rasheed, Princeton
Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown
Shoni Schimmel, Louisville
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Duke
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
John R. Wooden Award winner honored in April 2013 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.