Frank Kaminsky to win Wooden for sweep of top college awards

ByABC News
April 10, 2015, 12:21 PM

— -- Wisconsin Badgers star Frank Kaminsky will win the John R. Wooden Award as the nation's most outstanding player on Friday, according to a news release.

Two advance releases were sent out Friday morning by award organizers. One said Kaminsky would win the award, while another referred to Duke's Jahlil Okafor as the winner in its headline, but included text about Kaminsky. There hasn't yet been an official confirmation of the winner, though sources and multiple reports indicate it was indeed Kaminsky.

The award will be presented Friday night in Los Angeles during "The College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy's" show at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

"Two of the draft releases we prepare were incorrectly issued to the media," organizers said in another release Friday afternoon. "The winner of the 2015 John R. Wooden Men's Player of the Year Award will be announced tonight as part of the College Basketball Awards."

Kaminsky averaged 18.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in leading the Badgers (35-3) to the national title game, where they lost to Duke.

Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein, Notre Dame's Jerian Grant, Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell, Kaminsky and Okafor were the finalists for the award.

By winning the Wooden Award, Kaminsky will complete a clean sweep of the five major player of the year awards. The 7-footer also earlier won the Naismith Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy and the NABC and Associated Press player of the year awards.

Kaminsky will be the first Wisconsin player to win the Wooden Award, and he will be the first winner from the Big Ten since Michigan's Trey Burke won in 2013.