Hokie ClubLos Angeles, Calif. – Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list, announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.
Delaney, a senior from Balitmore, Maryland, led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring as a junior during the 2009-10 season. He recorded 28 games of double-figure scoring last season, including 19 games of at least 20 points and five games of 30-or-more points. He led the Hokies in scoring in each of the last two seasons and is currently 14th in career scoring at Virginia Tech and fifth in career assists at the school. He is also the career leader in free throw percentage at Tech.
Delaney was a unanimous first team All-ACC selection as a junior and was named a fourth-team All-American by Sporting News. His 667 points scored last season is the seventh-best single-season scoring total in Virginia Tech history.
Delaney is one of eight ACC players on the 50 man list. Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. Ohio State’s Evan Turner won the award in 2010.
The national Wooden Award ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The official voting ballot will be released in March. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round during the NCAA Tournament.
The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men’s and Women’s Wooden Award winners, a special tribute to Coach Wooden and Wooden Award founder Duke Llewellyn, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 8-10, 2011.
2010-11 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List
| Name | Height | Class | Position | University | Conference |
| Ty Abbott | 6-3 | Sr. | G | Arizona State | Pac-10 |
| Lavoy Allen | 6-9 | Sr. | F | Temple | Atlantic 10 |
| Kevin Anderson | 6-0 | Sr. | G | Richmond | Atlantic 10 |
| Talor Battle | 6-0 | Sr. | G | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Kenny Boynton | 6-2 | So. | G | Florida | SEC |
| William Buford | 6-5 | Jr. | G | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Alec Burks | 6-6 | So. | G | Colorado | Big 12 |
| Randy Culpepper | 6-0 | Sr. | G | UTEP | Conference USA |
| 6-3 | Sr. | G | Virginia Tech | ACC | |
| LaceDarius Dunn | 6-4 | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Kim English | 6-6 | Jr. | G | Missouri | Big 12 |
| Corey Fisher | 6-1 | Sr. | G | Villanova | Big East |
| Jimmer Fredette* | 6-2 | Sr. | G | Brigham Young | Mountain West |
| Austin Freeman | 6-4 | Sr. | G | Georgetown | Big East |
| Ashton Gibbs | 6-2 | Jr. | G | Pittsburgh | Big East |
| Steven Gray | 6-5 | Sr. | G | Gonzaga | West Coast |
| Jordan Hamilton | 6-7 | So. | G/F | Texas | Big 12 |
| Elias Harris | 6-7 | So. | F | Gonzaga | West Coast |
| Jeremy Hazell | 6-5 | Sr. | G | Seton Hall | Big East |
| John Henson | 6-10 | So. | F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Cory Higgins | 6-5 | Sr. | G | Colorado | Big 12 |
| Tyler Honeycutt | 6-8 | So. | F | UCLA | Pac-10 |
| Robbie Hummel* | 6-8 | Sr. | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| JaJuan Johnson | 6-10 | Sr. | F/C | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Kris Joseph | 6-7 | Jr. | F | Syracuse | Big East |
| Kawhi Leonard | 6-7 | So. | F | San Diego State | Mountain West |
| Jon Leuer | 6-10 | Sr. | F | Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Kalin Lucas* | 6-1 | Sr. | F | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Shelvin Mack | 6-3 | Jr. | G | Butler | Horizon League |
| Demetri McCamey | 6-3 | Sr. | G | Illinois | Big Ten |
| E’Twaun Moore | 6-4 | Sr. | G | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Marcus Morris | 6-9 | Jr. | F | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Jacob Pullen | 6-0 | Sr. | G | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| John Shurna | 6-8 | Jr. | F | Northwestern | Big Ten |
| Kyle Singler* | 6-8 | Sr. | F | Duke | ACC |
| Chris Singleton | 6-9 | Jr. | F | Florida State | ACC |
| Nolan Smith | 6-2 | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Tracy Smith | 6-8 | Sr. | F | North Carolina State | ACC |
| Durrell Summers | 6-5 | Sr. | G | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Jeffery Taylor | 6-7 | Jr. | G/F | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Isaiah Thomas | 5-9 | Jr. | G | Washington | Pac-10 |
| Trey Thompkins | 6-10 | Jr. | F | Georgia | SEC |
| Klay Thompson | 6-6 | Jr. | G | Washington State | Pac-10 |
| Joe Trapani | 6-8 | Sr. | F | Boston College | ACC |
| Brandon Triche | 6-4 | So. | G | Syracuse | Big East |
| Nikola Vucevic | 6-10 | Jr. | F | USC | Pac-10 |
| Kemba Walker | 6-1 | Jr. | G | Connecticut | Big East |
| Derrick Williams | 6-8 | So. | F | Arizona | Pac-10 |
| Jordan Williams | 6-10 | So. | F | Maryland | ACC |
| Chris Wright | 6-8 | Sr. | F | Dayton | Atlantic 10 |
(Based on a preseason poll. Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden Award ballot