LOS ANGELES -- Green Bay senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) has secured an honor unprecedented in the history of the Green Bay men’s basketball program, as the senior has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50. The Wooden Award is handed out annually to the top college player in men’s basketball.
Sykes is the first Horizon League men's basketball player to earn a place on the list since Ray McCallum (Detroit) in 2012.
“The Wooden Award is an extremely prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy of college basketball,” Green Bay head coach Brian Wardle said. “It is an honor for Keifer and our program to see him included on this prestigious list, but it is also well deserved. Keifer’s work ethic and drive for continued improvement has put him in position to be among the candidates for the Wooden Award.”
The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American a season ago, Sykes opened his senior campaign with an impressive performance on Saturday as Green Bay posted an 88-57 victory. With 22 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting, Sykes became the tenth player in program history to surpass 1,500 career points. With 496 more points this season, Sykes will become just the second Phoenix player to reach the 2,000-point club.
As a junior in 2013-14, Sykes averaged 20.3 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was named the Horizon League Player of the Week a school and league record six times, and at the end of the season was voted to the USBWA All-District Team.
A two-time All-Horizon League performer, Sykes has tied a league record with 10 career Player of the Week honors. His success has come in large part due to his success against top competition. As a junior, Sykes averaged 25.6 points and 5.1 assists per game in seven games against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams.
Sykes and the Phoenix will return to action on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., traveling to Madison to take on No. 3/4 Wisconsin.
***Release courtesy of Green Bay athletics media relations***
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It 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 minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis won the men’s Award in 2012.
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 the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Gala.
