Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Tab Brockman
Isaiah Canaan Named Wooden Award Finalist
3/6/2012 8:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Wooden Award
Murray State junior Isaiah Canaan has been named a top-15 finalist for the 2012 John R. Wooden Award.
The award is named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, the John R. Wooden Award and was first given in 1976.
“It's a tremendous honor for Isaiah to be listed as a Wooden award finalist,” Murray State Head Coach Steve Prohm said. “It's a tribute to his great character, toughness, and his unselfishness. We've told our team all season long that you don't seek honor. Honor finds you; 31 games later, by doing the right things, being humble and being a great teammate, Isaiah is a finalist for the prestigious Wooden Award. This is also a credit to his 13 teammates and it's an outstanding accomplishment for the Murray State Basketball program as well.”
Canaan, from Biloxi, Miss., was added to the Wooden finalist list after a tremendous junior season as the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
One of the best in the nation in 3-point shooting, Canaan ranks fourth in the nation with a 47.3 percent average and ranks 11th in 3-pointers per game at 3.1. Even though he leads the Racers in assists, Canaan also leads the team in scoring and ranks 23rd in the nation at 19.2 points per game. He is a three-time All-OVC selection and was the OVC Freshman of the year in 2010.
Canaan recorded four 30-point games this season including a career-high 36 in the Great Alaska Shootout where the Racers won the championship in double overtime over Southern Miss. Canaan was the Shootout MVP. He also had a 35-point game against Austin Peay in which he hit seven straight threes to start the game.
“Isaiah always plays his best on the biggest stage,” Prohm said. “He loves the moment.”
Canaan is also a finalist for the Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, and Lou Henson awards and has been named a finalist for the CBSSports.com Player of the Year award. The Sporting News this week named Canaan a First Team All-American.
Canaan has helped the Racers to a 30-1 record this season and their 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament after MSU won the OVC Tournament last weekend with a victory over Tennessee State in the championship game. MSU also won its 23rd OVC regular-season title this season going 15-1. MSU was the last undefeated team in NCAA D-I this season and had an OVC record 23-0 start to the season. MSU was perfect away from home going 13-0.
The John R. Wooden Award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in all of college basketball. It is given to the nation's best player and one that is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Past winners include: Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984), Tim Duncan (1997) and Blake Griffin (2009).
The award is named in honor of John Wooden, who was the 1932 National Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year out of Purdue and later coached at Indiana State and UCLA. His teams at UCLA won 10 NCAA championships. He was also the first to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Murray State junior Isaiah Canaan has been named a top-15 finalist for the 2012 John R. Wooden Award.
The award is named after the Hall of Fame player, coach and teacher, the John R. Wooden Award and was first given in 1976.
“It's a tremendous honor for Isaiah to be listed as a Wooden award finalist,” Murray State Head Coach Steve Prohm said. “It's a tribute to his great character, toughness, and his unselfishness. We've told our team all season long that you don't seek honor. Honor finds you; 31 games later, by doing the right things, being humble and being a great teammate, Isaiah is a finalist for the prestigious Wooden Award. This is also a credit to his 13 teammates and it's an outstanding accomplishment for the Murray State Basketball program as well.”
Canaan, from Biloxi, Miss., was added to the Wooden finalist list after a tremendous junior season as the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
One of the best in the nation in 3-point shooting, Canaan ranks fourth in the nation with a 47.3 percent average and ranks 11th in 3-pointers per game at 3.1. Even though he leads the Racers in assists, Canaan also leads the team in scoring and ranks 23rd in the nation at 19.2 points per game. He is a three-time All-OVC selection and was the OVC Freshman of the year in 2010.
Canaan recorded four 30-point games this season including a career-high 36 in the Great Alaska Shootout where the Racers won the championship in double overtime over Southern Miss. Canaan was the Shootout MVP. He also had a 35-point game against Austin Peay in which he hit seven straight threes to start the game.
“Isaiah always plays his best on the biggest stage,” Prohm said. “He loves the moment.”
Canaan is also a finalist for the Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, and Lou Henson awards and has been named a finalist for the CBSSports.com Player of the Year award. The Sporting News this week named Canaan a First Team All-American.
Canaan has helped the Racers to a 30-1 record this season and their 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament after MSU won the OVC Tournament last weekend with a victory over Tennessee State in the championship game. MSU also won its 23rd OVC regular-season title this season going 15-1. MSU was the last undefeated team in NCAA D-I this season and had an OVC record 23-0 start to the season. MSU was perfect away from home going 13-0.
The John R. Wooden Award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in all of college basketball. It is given to the nation's best player and one that is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Past winners include: Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984), Tim Duncan (1997) and Blake Griffin (2009).
The award is named in honor of John Wooden, who was the 1932 National Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year out of Purdue and later coached at Indiana State and UCLA. His teams at UCLA won 10 NCAA championships. He was also the first to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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