Fresno State Athletics
Men's Basketball's Ely Among Wooden Award Top 50
8/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 3, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - Two Fresno State basketball players have been named to the John R. Wooden Award Top 50 preseason candidates.
Senior center Melvin Ely, the 2001 WAC Player of the Year, and sophomore point guard Tito Maddox, the 2001 WAC Freshman of the Year, were selected by a national poll of the Wooden Award Committee to determine the Top 50 Preseason Candidates for the 2001-2002 Wooden Award All-American Team. The top 50 Candidates have been selected based on last year's individual performance and team records. Ely and Maddox were the only two players from the WAC selected on the top 50 list.
Ely averaged 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season while leading the WAC in field goal percentage and blocked shots. Maddox led the WAC and ranked fourth in the NCAA in assists, averaging eight per game. He also averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
"It's a great honor for both of these players to be selected for such an honor," said head coach Jerry Tarkanian. "There is no question that they are among the best players in the nation at their positions. I think Mel (Ely) will be one of the best big men in the country and Tito (Maddox) has the ability to be one of the best point guards. I'm really happy for these guys."
On Tuesday March 26, 2002, the ten-player Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced. One member of the Wooden Award All-American Team will be selected on Sunday April 7, 2002 as the recipient of the Wooden Award Trophy as the nation's "Most Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year." The event will be a one hour telecast on FOX Sports Net. In late December, the Wooden Award committee will release the Midseason Top 30 during a half-hour program on FOX Sports Net.
Additionally, www.WoodenAward.com, the official site of the John R. Wooden Award has been re-launched in correlation with the announcement of the preseason Top 50. The WoodenAward.com site serves as a vault for all information relating to the Wooden Award history and players in contention for the upcoming award presentation. For more information on candidates and the Wooden Award program, visit the website at www.WoodenAward.com.
