Swanigan Named Finalist for Wooden Award

Earlier today, the 2017 National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award was released, and it included our own Caleb Swanigan. The ballot is comprised of 15 student-athletes from across the country. From the press release from Purdue Athletics:

Swanigan has had one of the top statistical seasons in not only Purdue history, but in college basketball over the last 25 years. The 6-foot, 9-inch sophomore from Fort Wayne, Indiana, leads the Big Ten (league games only) in scoring (18.9 ppg) and rebounds (12.5) and paces the country in double-doubles with 24, just two shy of the all-time Big Ten record set by Brad Sellers (1985-86) and the great Jerry Lucas (three times; 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62). His 24 double-doubles are the most for a Big Ten player in the last 31 years.

In the win over Indiana that clinched a share of Purdue’s 23rd Big Ten regular-season championship, Swanigan recorded his 12th, 20-point, 10-rebound game with a dominating 21-point, 10-rebound, three-assist, three-block effort while drawing 14 fouls against Indiana’s frontline.

Based on a 35-game schedule, Swanigan is on pace to become the first major-college player since at least 1992-93 to have 600 points, 400 rebounds and 100 assists in a season. He is already the first Purdue player to have 500 points and 300 rebounds in a since Brad Miller did so during the 1997-98 campaign and he owns the school record for rebounds in a season with 376, smashing the school record of 352 by Joe Barry Carroll in 1978-79.

Swanigan is also on pace to become the first player since Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan in 1996-97 to average 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is 1-of-2 players this year (Eastern Washington’s Jacob Wiley) to average 10.0 points and shoot at least 54-45-78 percent from the three levels (FGs-3Ps-FTs).

I should also note that the Wooden Award is sponsored by Wendy’s, and they used to have a “Biggie” size, and Swanigan’s nickname is “Biggie.” Just saying...

Here’s a list of all 15 finalists for the Wooden Award (listed in alphabetical order by last name):

• Lonzo Ball, UCLA
• Dillon Brooks, Oregon
• Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
• Markelle Fultz, Washington
• Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
• Josh Hart, Villanova
• Josh Jackson, Kansas
• Justin Jackson, North Carolina
• Luke Kennard, Duke
• Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
• Frank Mason III, Kansas
• Malik Monk, Kentucky
• Johnathan Motley, Baylor
• Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
• Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

Keep up the great work, Biggie.