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We are approaching awards season, and that means preseason watch lists are narrowing their candidates closer to final fields. As expected, Purdue’ Caleb Swanigan is among the elite players in the running for national honors.
Caleb has already been named a semifinalist for the Karl Malone Award given to the nation’s top power forward. This week he was named as a finalist for two National Player of the Year Awards:
John R. Wooden Award
The Wooden Award was created in 1977 and is named after famed Purdue alumnus John Wooden. Purdue’s Glenn Robinson won the award in 1994, and Swanigan was named to the top 20 of this years list:
| Name |
School |
Conference |
Height |
Class |
Position |
|
Dwayne Bacon |
Florida State |
ACC |
6-7 |
Soph. |
G |
|
Lonzo Ball |
UCLA |
Pac-12 |
6-6 |
Fr. |
G |
|
Joel Berry II |
North Carolina |
ACC |
6-0 |
Jr. |
G |
|
Dillon Brooks |
Oregon |
Pac-12 |
6-7 |
Jr. |
F |
|
Bonzie Colson |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
6-5 |
Jr. |
F |
|
De'Aaron Fox |
Kentucky |
SEC |
6-3 |
Fr. |
G |
|
Markelle Fultz |
Washington |
Pac-12 |
6-4 |
Fr. |
G |
|
Ethan Happ |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
6-10 |
Soph. |
F |
|
Josh Hart |
Villanova |
Big East |
6-5 |
Sr. |
G |
|
Josh Jackson |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
6-8 |
Fr. |
G |
|
Justin Jackson |
North Carolina |
ACC |
6-8 |
Jr. |
F/G |
|
Marcus Keene |
Central Michigan |
MAC |
5-9 |
Jr. |
G |
|
Luke Kennard |
Duke |
ACC |
6-6 |
Soph. |
G |
|
Lauri Markkanen |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
7-0 |
Fr. |
F |
|
Frank Mason III |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
5-11 |
Sr. |
G |
|
Malik Monk |
Kentucky |
SEC |
6-3 |
Fr. |
G |
|
Johnathan Motley |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
6-10 |
Jr. |
F |
|
Caleb Swanigan |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
6-9 |
Soph. |
F |
|
Melo Trimble |
Maryland |
Big Ten |
6-3 |
Jr. |
G |
|
Nigel Williams-Goss |
Gonzaga |
WCC |
6-3 |
Jr. |
G |
Later on this season the award will be cut down to 15 finalists, and it will be presented on April 7th at the ESPN College Basketball Awards show.
Naismith College Player of the Year
A second Player of the Year Award released its top 30 this week and Caleb was on it. The Atlanta Tipoff Club runs the Naismith Award, and Caleb is one of 30 players still alive for it:
| FIRST | LAST | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Dwayne | Bacon | Sophomore | G | Florida State | ACC |
| Lonzo | Ball | Freshman | G | UCLA | Pac 12 |
| Joel | Junior | G | North Carolina | ACC | |
| Dillon | Brooks | Junior | F | Oregon | Pac 12 |
| Jalen | Brunson | Sophomore | G | Villanova | Big East |
| Bonzie | Junior | F | Notre Dame | ACC | |
| Jawun | Evans | Sophomore | PG | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Marcus | Foster | Junior | G | Creighton | Big East |
| De'Aaron | Fox | Freshman | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Markelle | Fultz | Freshman | G | Washington | Pac 12 |
| Ethan | R-Sophomore | F | Wisconsin | Big Ten | |
| Josh | Senior | G | Villanova | Big East | |
| Josh | Jackson | Freshman | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Justin | Jackson | Junior | F/G | North Carolina | ACC |
| Marcus | Keene | Junior | G | Central Michigan | MAC |
| Luke | Kennard | Sophomore | G | Duke | ACC |
| Jock | Landale | Junior | C | St. Mary's | West Coast |
| TJ | Leaf | Freshman | F | UCLA | Pac 12 |
| Lauri | Markkanen | Freshman | F | Arizona | Pac 12 |
| Frank | Senior | G | Kansas | Big 12 | |
| Donovan | Mitchell | Sophomore | G | Louisville | ACC |
| Malik | Monk | Freshman | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Monte | Morris | Senior | G | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Jonathan | Junior | F | Baylor | Big 12 | |
| Alec | Peters | Senior | F | Valparaiso | Horizon League |
| Dennis | Smith Jr. | Freshman | G | NC State | ACC |
| Caleb | Swanigan | Sophomore | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Sindarius | Thornwell | Senior | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Melo | Junior | G | Maryland | Big Ten | |
| Nigel | Williams-Goss | R-Junior | G | Gonzaga | West Coast |
10 semifinalists will be announced for this award on March 1st, and it will be announced after the tournament.
CoSIDA Academic All-District
Who says these early NBA prospects don't go to class? Remember: Caleb graduated high school a year early and should currently be a freshman instead of a sophomore. He is doing extremely well in the classroom too, as he was nominated for the Academic All-District First Team:
One-of-five players voted to the all-district first team from the region, Swanigan boasts a 3.30 GPA in general education / education studies. He is joined by Valparaiso's Alec Peters, IUPUI's Matt O'Leary, Michigan's Moritz Wagner and Oakland's Sherron Dorsey-Walker.
Swanigan, and the other 39 all-district honorees, are now eligible for academic All-America honors later this month to be voted on by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) members.
Swanigan has spent hours in local classrooms around the area as a student-teaching volunteer and aspires to be a teacher to be able to "make a difference in thousands of kids' lives".
So that is Caleb: Great on the court AND in the classroom.