Zags’ Petrusev among new faces on Wooden list
Oregon’s Payton Pritchard and Sabrina Ionescu reflect on both being named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 as well as who has the better uniforms between the two teams. (2:14)
Gonzaga sophomore forward Filip Petrusev was among five new names added to the midseason watch list for the 2020 Wooden Award, which was also reduced from 50 players to 25 on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-11, 235-pound Petrusev is the leading scorer and rebounder for the top-ranked Bulldogs (16-1), averaging 16.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for a team that has won eight in a row heading into Thursday’s matchup with San Diego.
Also featured in Wednesday’s update was Dayton‘s Obi Toppin, who has helped the Flyers emerge as part of the national picture. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound Toppin ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with 19.5 points per game, and also leads No. 15 Dayton in rebounds with 7.7 per outing.
Toppin was ranked No. 13 in ESPN’s most recent NBA mock draft.
San Diego State‘s Malachi Flynn, Iowa‘s Luka Garza and Michigan‘s Zavier Simpson joined Petrusev and Toppin as new faces on the list.
Notables dropped from the watch list since the 50-player preseason announcement included injured North Carolina guard Cole Anthony and former Memphis center James Wiseman, who announced his departure from the program last month.
A complete look at the Wooden Midseason Top 25:
Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (6-9, Fr., F)
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (7-0, Sr., C)
Saddiq Bey, Villanova (6-8, So., F)
Vernon Carey Jr., Duke (6-10, Fr., C)
Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland (6-0, Sr., G)
Devon Dotson, Kansas (6-2, So., G)
Anthony Edwards, Georgia (6-5, Fr., G)
Malachi Flynn, San Diego State (6-1, Jr., G)
Luka Garza, Iowa (6-11, Jr., C)
Ashton Hagans, Kentucky (6-3, So., G)
Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (6-5, So., G)
Markus Howard, Marquette (5-11, Sr., G)
Tre Jones, Duke (6-3, So., G)
Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (6-3, Fr., G)
Jordan Nwora, Louisville (6-7, Jr., F)
Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga (6-11, So., F)
Myles Powell, Seton Hall (6-2, Sr., G)
Payton Pritchard, Oregon (6-2, Sr., G)
Zavier Simpson, Michigan (6-0, Sr., G)
Lamar Stevens, Penn State (6-8, Sr., F)
Isaiah Stewart, Washington (6-9, Fr., F)
Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (6-7, Sr., F)
Obi Toppin, Dayton (6-9, So., F)
Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (6-9, Jr., F)
Cassius Winston, Michigan State (6-1, Sr., G)