Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs was among three new names added to the midseason watch list for the 2021 Wooden Award, which was also reduced from 50 players to 25 on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-4 Suggs leads the top-ranked Bulldogs (10-0) in assists (5.4 APG) and steals (2.4 SPG) and joins teammates Corey Kispert and Drew Timme on the revised list.
Suggs, who was ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s most recent list of 2021 NBA draft prospects, is averaging 13.9 points per game and has had dazzling early-season performances against Kansas (24 points) and Iowa (27), but he has been hampered of late by a right leg injury. After missing two games, Suggs scored five points in 22 minutes against San Francisco on Saturday.
West Virginia‘s Derek Culver and Louisville‘s Carlik Jones also joined the Wooden list in Wednesday’s update.
Last season’s Wooden winner, Obi Toppin of Dayton, was not on the initial 50-player watch list in 2020, with his name first appearing on the midseason update.
Notable players removed from the watch list since the 50-player preseason announcement included Keyontae Johnson of Florida, who is not expected to play again this season after collapsing during a Dec. 12 game; Caleb Mills (Houston) and Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia), who both recently left their teams for personal reasons; and Chris Smith (UCLA), who was lost for the season due to a torn left ACL suffered against Utah last week.