Wooden Watch: Week 3

Story posted November 13, 2019 in CommRadio, Sports by Caleb Schweiger

The college basketball season is underway, and the stars are showing why they had all this hype around them. On top of this, we have seen plenty of under-the-radar guys out-preform expectations. Let’s discuss the top candidates for the next winner of the prestigious John R. Wooden Award:

Cole Anthony, North Carolina Tar Heels

The No. 4 overall prospect in this year's class has been nothing but phenomenal for the Tar Heels. In his first two games, Anthony is averaging 27 points, 10.5 rebounds, and four assists. Anthony is one of the purest scorers in the game. His strong ball handling helps him create many easy looks around the basket and can also create him some separation for jump shots.

Markus Howard, Marquette Golden Eagles

Markus Howard has been one of the best guards in the nation now for three years and is only improving. In his first game this year, he dropped 38 points on 70 percent three-point shooting against Loyola-Maryland. He has carried this Marquette team to two tournament berths in three years and looks to make it three after this year.

James Wiseman, Memphis Tigers

James Wiseman has been at the center of the NCAA basketball world this week and it’s not for his playing. Recently, is was discovered that James Wiseman accepted money to cover moving expenses from his high school coach Penny Hardaway. Hardaway ended up taking over the coaching job at Memphis, where Wiseman attends, creating a whole mess of problems.

Regardless, Wiseman has been playing and absolutely dominating. He is averaging 22.5 points, 10 rebounds, and a staggering four blocks per game. Wiseman is proving why he was the No. 1 overall prospect in his class.

Myles Powell, Seton Hall Pirates

Myles Powell was a lesser known four-star recruit coming out of high school but has made himself into a household name for fans of college basketball. Powell put up 27 points in his first game before exiting Seton Hall’s matchup against Stony Brook early with an injury. Powell has probably one of the most talented teams around him since he has been at Seton Hall and chances are good Powell leads them to his fourth trip to the tournament.

Cassius Winston, Michigan State Spartans

Senior superstar Cassius Winston has had himself a forgettable start to the basketball season. The Spartans, who were ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, dropped the first game of the year to Kentucky. Winston, though averaging 19 points per game, has been uncharacteristically inefficient, shooting only 26.7 percent from three. He will have a chance to break out of this slump against the Seton Hall Pirates and Miles Powell.

Honorable Mention: Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky Wildcats

After his stellar 26-point game that led Kentucky to an upset win over No. 1 Michigan State, Maxey needed a shout out. The five-star recruit came off the bench in that game but absolutely dominated in what was most likely the biggest game of his life up to this point. Will he keep this type of production up? Who knows, but, for now, fantastic job kid.

 

 

Caleb Schweiger is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email cxs1943@psu.edu.