Feb. 3, 2003
Notre Dame, Ind. – Sophomore Chris Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind.) is among 30 finalists for the 2002-03 John R. Wooden Award. A national poll was conducted by the Wooden Award Midseason Committee to determine the Top 30 Midseason candidates.
The Wooden Award, which will be presented in Los Angeles, Calif., on April 1, is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball and is bestowed upon the the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
Thomas is averaging 18.0 points (second best on the team) and a team-leading 7.0 assists this season and 1.9 steals. He owns a 19.9 scoring averaging in BIG EAST play and has scored 20-plus points in four of the last seven games and in nine contests overall. Thomas has registered three double doubles this season and has dished off 10-plus assists in four games. As the Irish’s starting point guard, he ranks eighth nationally in assists. Thomas has scored 20-plus points 18 times during his career (54) games and has failed to score in double figures just 12 times during his career.
Thomas is one of six BIG EAST players on the list of 30 candidates. The others include Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse; Marcus Hatten of St. John’s; Brandin Knight of Pittsburgh; Emeka Okafor of Connecticut; Darious Rice of Miami; and Michael Sweetney of Georgetown.