University of Pittsburgh Athletics
2/1/2021 4:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PITTSBURGH – Pitt sophomore Justin Champagnie was named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy's® Late Season Top 20 Watch List as announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club Monday afternoon on ESPNU. Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2020-21 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor.
On the 2021 Wooden Award™ Late Season Top 20, three players make their debut on the Wooden Watch™: Champagnie, Hunter Dickinson (Michigan) and Quentin Grimes (Houston). Three schools have multiple players on the list, led by Gonzaga (Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, and Drew Timme), and followed by Illinois (Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu) and Villanova (Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl).
Champagnie is averaging 20.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent shooting from three-point range. He has recorded seven double-doubles and is one of three players in the NCAA averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game. Champagnie has posted a pair of 20/20 games this season and has six games with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.
He registered 31 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots in a home win over Duke Jan. 19 to become the first player in program history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a game. He was 12-of-15 from the field with four three-point field goals in the contest.
Champagnie is looking to become Pitt's first Wooden Award Finalist since DeJuan Blair (2009). He is the 16th Wooden Award candidate in program history.
The Big Ten leads all conferences with seven selections on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, followed by the Big East and WCC with three each, the ACC and Big 12 with two selections, and Conference USA, Pac-12, and American with one selection apiece.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15; '16) and last year's recipients, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Obi Toppin of Dayton.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's 2020-21 Late Season Top 20
On the 2021 Wooden Award™ Late Season Top 20, three players make their debut on the Wooden Watch™: Champagnie, Hunter Dickinson (Michigan) and Quentin Grimes (Houston). Three schools have multiple players on the list, led by Gonzaga (Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, and Drew Timme), and followed by Illinois (Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu) and Villanova (Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl).
Champagnie is averaging 20.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent shooting from three-point range. He has recorded seven double-doubles and is one of three players in the NCAA averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds per game. Champagnie has posted a pair of 20/20 games this season and has six games with 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds.
He registered 31 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots in a home win over Duke Jan. 19 to become the first player in program history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a game. He was 12-of-15 from the field with four three-point field goals in the contest.
Champagnie is looking to become Pitt's first Wooden Award Finalist since DeJuan Blair (2009). He is the 16th Wooden Award candidate in program history.
The Big Ten leads all conferences with seven selections on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, followed by the Big East and WCC with three each, the ACC and Big 12 with two selections, and Conference USA, Pac-12, and American with one selection apiece.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15; '16) and last year's recipients, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Obi Toppin of Dayton.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's 2020-21 Late Season Top 20
| Name | School | Conference | Ht | Cl | Pos |
| Charles Bassey | Western Kentucky | CUSA | 6-11 | Jr. | C |
| James Bouknight | Connecticut | Big East | 6-5 | So. | G |
| Jared Butler | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-3 | Jr. | G |
| Marcus Carr | Minnesota | Big Ten | 6-2 | Jr. | G |
| Justin Champagnie | Pitt | ACC | 6-6 | So. | F |
| Kofi Cockburn | Illinois | Big Ten | 7-0 | So. | C |
| Cade Cunningham | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 6-8 | Fr. | G |
| Hunter Dickinson | Michigan | Big Ten | 7-1 | Fr. | C |
| Ayo Dosunmu | Illinois | Big Ten | 6-5 | Jr. | G |
| Luka Garza* | Iowa | Big Ten | 6-11 | Sr. | C |
| Collin Gillespie | Villanova | Big East | 6-3 | Sr. | G |
| Quentin Grimes | Houston | American | 6-5 | Jr. | G |
| Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers | Big Ten | 6-6 | Jr. | G/F |
| Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana | Big Ten | 6-9 | So. | F |
| Carlik Jones | Louisville | ACC | 6-1 | Sr. | G |
| Corey Kispert | Gonzaga | WCC | 6-7 | Sr. | F |
| Evan Mobley | USC | Pac-12 | 7-0 | Fr. | F |
| Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | Villanova | Big East | 6-9 | So. | F |
| Jalen Suggs | Gonzaga | WCC | 6-4 | Fr. | G |
| Drew Timme | Gonzaga | WCC | 6-10 | Soph | F |
Players Mentioned
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