Jan. 30, 2006
Los Angeles, Calif. -
Los Angeles - University of Missouri shooting guard Thomas Gardner (Portland, Ore. / Jefferson High School) was named one of 30 midseason candidates for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award, announced over the weekend by the Wooden Award committee in Los Angeles.
Composed of the nation's top 30 players, each of whom are expected to compete for this year's Wooden Player of the Year Award, the midseason list is based on individual player performance and team records throughout the first half of the 2005-06 season.
Gardner is one of only three Big 12 players represented on the midseason list, along with University of Texas standouts LaMarcus Aldridge and P.J. Tucker.
Touted as one of the nation's most improved players, Gardner leads the Big 12 Conference in both scoring (21.3) and three-point field goals (3.6), highlighted by his career high 40-point effort in the ESPN "Big Monday" win over rival Kansas on Jan. 16. Also ranked third in the Big 12 with a 43.0 three-point percentage, Gardner has produced his gaudy numbers after averaging 10.4 points as a sophomore on just 27.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Gardner has topped the 20-point plateau in 6-of-7 Big 12 games this season, including a 22-point effort at Nebraska over the weekend when he connected on 6-of-12 three-point field goals. Gardner has also shown an ability to play his best basketball down the stretch and is averaging 8.4 of his League-leading 21.3 points in the final 13:09 of Mizzou's 18 contests. The Portland, Ore., native's best late-game performance came in that 89-86 overtime win against Kansas, when he scored 18 points in the final 11:34 to upend the Jayhawks.
Gardner is the first Tiger to be named to the midseason Wooden Award list since Kareem Rush in the 2001-02 season.
Gardner and the Tigers return to action on Wednesday (Feb. 1), when they host the Aldridge, Tucker and the Texas Longhorns at Mizzou Arena at 8 p.m. (CT). The contest will be televised live on ESPN2, with Ron Franklin and Fran Fracshilla calling the action.
Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 List (alphabetical order)
Hassan Adams, Arizona; Maurice Ager, Michigan State; LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas; Dee Brown, Illinois; Rodney Carney, Memphis; Paul Davis, Michigan State; Taquan Dean, Louisville; Jordan Farmar, UCLA; Nick Fazekas, Nevada; Randy Foye, Villanova; Mike Gansey, West Virginia; Thomas Gardner, Missouri; Rudy Gay, Connecticut; Justin Gray, Wake Forest; Taurean Green, Florida; Marco Killingsworth, Indiana; Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh; Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech; Gerry McNamara, Syracuse; Adam Morrison, Gonzaga; Steve Novak, Marquette; Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia; Allan Ray, Villanova; J.J. Redick, Duke; Rajon Rondo, Kentucky; Brandon Roy, Washington; Craig Smith, Boston College; Alando Tucker, Wisconsin; P.J. Tucker, Texas; Shelden Williams, Duke.
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