Wolters Named to Wooden Award Preseason Top 50

ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State's Nate Wolters, The Summit League's Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club on ESPN.com. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball media members, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious honor.

Wolters, who is also one of 30 national candidates for the men's basketball Senior CLASS Award, is the nation's fourth-leading returning scorer at 21.2 points per game. He enters the upcoming season as The Summit League's active career leader in points and assists, while ranking third in rebounds. Last season, Wolters became just the fifth player in NCAA history to average 20 points, five assists (5.9) and five rebounds (5.1) per game.

Wolters and his South Dakota State teammates open the 2012-13 season Friday with a nationally-televised contest at Alabama (9 p.m. ET on ESPNU).

Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not eligible for the Preseason Top 50. The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the midseason list and the official voting ballot, both of which are open to freshman and transfer students. The National Ballot consists of approximately 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 10 players, will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament.

The 37th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which in 2013 will go to Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. The event will take place the weekend of April 12-13, 2013.

ABOUT SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Entering its fourth decade of Division I athletics, The Summit League features men's basketball teams from nine member institutions: Fort Wayne, IUPUI, Kansas City, North Dakota State, Oakland, Omaha, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Western Illinois. Known as the Mid-Continent Conference until 2007, The Summit League enjoyed unprecedented success during a 2011-12 campaign that included an all-time best final RPI ranking, the highest home attendance in league history, the most teams in postseason tournaments, a record total of all-district honorees and the NCAA scoring champion. For more information about the league and to "See The Summit", visit www.thesummitleague.org and follow Summit League Basketball on Twitter @summithoops.

ABOUT THE JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD
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), Kevin Durant ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and '11). Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis won the men's Award in 2012.

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 or going to the Wooden Award facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward.

2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50, Men

Players listed alphabetically
*indicates player chosen to the 2012 Wooden All American Team
Based on a preseason poll. Award winner honored April 5, 2012 at The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Courtesy:  The Summit League