Camby Named Wooden Winner

Massachusetts center Marcus Camby, who gave college basketball some of its greatest moments--and one of its scariest--capped a remarkable season Thursday when he was named the 1996 winner of the 20th John R. Wooden Award at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Camby, who led the Minutemen to a Final Four appearance and a 35-2 record, received 4,271 points in balloting conducted by more than 1,000 sportswriters and broadcasters nationally. Junior guard Ray Allen of Connecticut finished second with 3,617 points, followed by Wake Forest junior center Tim Duncan (3,328), Georgetown sophomore guard Allen Iverson (3,316) and senior guard Kerry Kittles of Villanova (2,011).

All but Duncan were in Los Angeles for the award presentation.

Camby had already been named national player of the year by Boost/Naismith, the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Assn., but said the Wooden Award meant the most.

“This one tops them all,” Camby said.

The 6-foot-11, 220-pound junior grew up in Bellevue Square, a housing project in Hartford, Conn., only a 45-minute drive, he said, from the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Camby remembered first visiting the hall at age 10 or 11.

“I said, ‘Maybe one day my jersey will be up here,’ ” Camby said Thursday. “There were a lot of dreams going on when I was in there.”

Camby averaged 20.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots for Massachusetts and played his best games against the best.

In two games--one win, one loss--against eventual national champion Kentucky, Camby totaled 57 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. Camby outplayed Duncan in a much ballyhooed showdown on Dec. 6 at Amherst, limiting Duncan to nine points on four-of-18 shooting. Camby had 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Camby also scored 23 points against star Memphis center Lorenzen Wright.

Camby’s season took a dramatic pause on Jan. 14, however, when he collapsed in the corridor following pregame warmups at St. Bonaventure. Camby remained unconscious for 10 minutes and was held out of the next four games but, after a battery of tests were conducted, he returned and never missed a beat.

Doctors still don’t have a medical explanation.

There were initial concerns Camby’s fainting spell would hurt his NBA stock, but he is expected to be the first or second player chosen this season if he does forgo his senior season.

Camby said he has not decided whether to return to Massachusetts but added that a painful 81-74 loss to Kentucky in the national semifinals last Saturday may affect his decision.

“I think that will weigh on my decision if I do come back, “ Camby said. “We were so close to the national title.”

Camby is a unique player in that he is not a true center or strong enough to be a power forward. Yet he has exceptional all-around skills for his size.

“I could have used him,” said Wooden, who coached UCLA to 10 national titles.

Massachusetts Coach John Calipari said Camby has a bright future in the NBA. Calipari hopes it begins in 1997.

“In my opinion, he will define a position in the NBA, because he really has none,” Calipari said. “But he will play. He’s a 7-footer with guard skills.”