Griffin Named A top Wooden Award Candidate

Lincoln - Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin earned a spot as one of the top 21 candidates for the Women's Wooden Award, presented to the nation's top player, when the award's midseason list was announced on Wednesday.

Griffin, a 6-2 senior forward from Eagle River, Alaska, leads the Huskers with 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 63.1 percent from the field so far this season. The two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection has powered Nebraska to the school's first-ever top-10 ranking and a school-record 15-game winning streak to open the season.

"Kelsey Griffin is one of the top players in the nation, and she has been throughout her career," Nebraska Coach Connie Yori said. "This season, she is finally able to show the full extent of her abilities because she is healthy for the first time in her career. When you compare her production to the other top players in the country, she is at the very top of the list. Kelsey is also a great person who is going to be a candidate for national honors in the classroom and the community. She definitely deserves to be named among Wooden Award candidates because she has worked so hard to become the player and person she is today."

Griffin ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference in scoring and leads the league in rebounding, while ranking among the top 10 players nationally in field goal percentage. She has produced seven double-doubles this season and 27 in her career, while putting up 25 or more points on seven occasions this season, including a pair of 30-point efforts. She also owns nine double-figure rebounding performances in 2009-10.

"It is great to be mentioned among the top players in the nation," Griffin said. "What it really shows though is how hard my teammates and coaches have worked to help me become a better player during my time at Nebraska. Our team is having a great season so far, and we are going to keep working hard everyday in practice to make sure that continues."

A dominant player in the nation's strongest women's basketball conference over her four-year career, Griffin recently became just the third player in Nebraska history to produce 1,600 points and 800 career rebounds. She enters Sunday's FSN nationally televised game at No. 9 Baylor with 1,636 points and 818 rebounds. She also set Nebraska's career record for free throws made (444) on Tuesday in the Huskers' 91-79 victory over No. 19 Texas. She ranks among the top 10 players in NU history in blocked shots, and leads the Huskers in steals and charges drawn this season.

The Wooden Award is named in honor of Hall of Fame Head Coach John Wooden and is presented annually to the top player in women's college basketball.

More than 300 voters, comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts from across the nation, will cast their votes to determine both the five-member Wooden All-America Team and the Player of the Year, which will be announced in late-March.

The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the men's and women's Wooden Award winners, and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award to Florida's Billy Donovan, will take place on April 9, 2010.

2010 Wooden Award Midseason Top 21

• Jayne Appel, 6-4, Sr., F/C, Stanford
• Ashley Barlow, 5-9, Sr., G, Notre Dame
• Tina Charles, 6-4, Sr., C, Connecticut
• Alysha Clark, 5-10, Sr., F, Middle Tennessee
• Cetera DeGraffenreid, 5-6, Jr., G, North Carolina
• Allyssa DeHaan, 6-9, Sr., C, Michigan
• Elena Delle Donne, 6-5, Fr., G/F, Delaware
• Dawn Evans, 5-7, Jr., G, James Madison
• Kelsey Griffin, 6-2, Sr., F, Nebraska
• Brittney Griner, 6-8, Fr., C, Baylor
• Amber Harris, 6-5, Jr., F, Xavier
• Allison Hightower, 5-10, Sr., G, LSU
• Jantel Lavender, 6-4, Jr., C, Ohio State
• Gabriela Marginean, 6-1, Sr., F, Drexel
• Maya Moore, 6-0, Jr., F, Connecticut (2009 Wooden Award Winner)
• Kayla Pedersen, 6-4, Jr., F, Stanford
• Brittany Ray, 5-9, Sr., G, Rutgers
• Shekinna Stricklen, 6-2, So., G/F, Tennessee
• Jasmine Thomas, 5-9, Jr., G, Duke
• Courtney Vandersloot, 5-8, Jr., G, Gonzaga
• Monica Wright, 5-11, Sr., G, Virginia