Bogut Adds Wooden to His Hardware Haul

An unscheduled airplane landing briefly delayed Utah center Andrew Bogut’s national player-of-the-year tour, but the trip ended as expected Saturday when the Australian All-American became the first foreign recipient of the John R. Wooden Award.

The 7-foot sophomore had a rough travel day that included a flight detour because of another passenger’s illness, and Bogut arrived at his hotel early Saturday morning, but he said receiving college basketball’s most prestigious individual award was worth the trouble.

“I’ve been all over the place and it has been crazy, but it’s definitely an honor,” Bogut said. “The John Wooden Award is the most respected award in basketball and to have my name engraved on that trophy with the likes of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan is just unbelievable. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.”

He worked hard for it, especially to attend Saturday’s ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Bogut and Utah Coach Ray Giacoletti attended an awards banquet Friday in Atlanta, spending only five hours there and receiving a police escort to the airport. Their scheduled nonstop flight stopped in Phoenix because of a medical emergency, Giacoletti said, and “got in sometime around 1:30 in the morning.”

Of course, Bogut has become accustomed to life on the banquet circuit, having won most of college basketball’s major player-of-the-year trophies, and the Wooden Award capped his impressive haul.

“I researched it before I came out,” Bogut said. “I went on the Internet and read so many positive things about the man.

“He was so influential in college basketball. College basketball wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Wooden, 94, did not attend the ceremony. The Hall of Fame coach, who videotaped a message to the finalists that was played during a national TV broadcast, was expected to attend a banquet after the ceremony.

Bogut, whom many talent evaluators expect to be selected first in the NBA draft on June 28, had the nation’s second-highest rebounding average at 12.2, was fourth in shooting at 62% and scored 20.4 points a game.

He received 4,314 points, 762 more than Duke guard-forward J.J. Redick, from a panel of more than 1,000 sportswriters and college basketball observers.

The panel voted for a 10-member Wooden All-American team, and the top five vote-getters were named finalists. The voting deadline was March 28.

Illinois guard Dee Brown finished third with 3,003 points, North Carolina center Sean May had 2,806 and Kansas forward Wayne Simien totaled 2,707.

Bogut understood the significance of the Wooden Award, Brown said.

“When we sat down and spoke about it ... you can just see it in his eyes,” said Brown, the Big Ten Conference player of the year. “He’s really happy to be here with all the elite players. It’s an opportunity for him to win the biggest award of his life.”

May scored a game-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading North Carolina to a 75-70 victory against Illinois in the Division I national championship game. May, whose father, Scott, was the 1976 player of the year for undefeated Indiana, averaged 22.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and made 66.7% of his shots in the NCAA tournament.

May might have finished higher in the Wooden Award voting, or even edged out Bogut, had it occurred after the Final Four.

“I’m not sure when the voting occurred, but you can pick any of these guys and we’re all winners,” May said of the finalists. “Any of us would gladly accept this award, but Andrew has had a terrific year all year.

“He’s taken a club that not a lot of people thought could make it to the tournament, or do much damage in the tournament, and made it a Sweet 16 team. He deserves it.”

Utah (29-6) won the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and advanced to the Sweet 16, losing to Kentucky.

“Bogut is a phenomenon,” said Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun, who received the Legends of Coaching Award during the ceremony.

“He’s got great size, and the greatest thing you can have, a big man with feel for the game. He can score points, he can rebound and he can block shots. But the most important thing is that he knows how to play.”