Allyssa DeHaan Named a Preseason Candidate for Wooden Award

Aug. 21, 2009

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball senior Allyssa DeHaan was one of 31 student-athletes named to the 2009-10 preseason Wooden Award list on Thursday afternoon. The list comprises the leading candidates for college basketball's most prestigious honor, based on individual and team performance.

DeHaan, who is on the preseason Wooden Award list for the second consecutive season, also was recognized by the WBCA on the Wade Watch list earleir this summer. She is one of five Big Ten student-athletes on the list, joining Penn State's Tyra Grant, Ohio State's Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis, and Illinois' Jenna Smith. The Big Ten has the most student-athletes recognized, followed by the BIG EAST, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-10 with four each.

Already the Michigan State and Big Ten blocked shots leader with 402, DeHaan enters her senior season needing only 78 rejections to tie the NCAA career record. In addition to her defensive presence, DeHaan is only one of five Spartans to be among the MSU top-10 in scoring and rebounding, ranking ninth in points with 1,298 and seventh in rebounds with 726. A three-time All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection, she holds a career line of 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. A human biology major, DeHaan has also excelled off the court, being named to the Academic All-Big Ten and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams in each of the last two seasons.

In late December, the Wooden Award Committee will release the Midseason Top 20 list, followed in March by the national ballot, consisting of approximately 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Women's Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.

The 34th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 9-11, 2010.

About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. The women's category was added in 2004. The Award is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (`79), Michael Jordan (`84), Tim Duncan (`97), Alana Beard (`06) and Blake Griffin (`09). Candace Parker won the Women's Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award's name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host a day-long basketball tournament. The tournament brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All-Americans in a setting that exemplifies the spirit of competition.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WoodenAward.com.