11/15/2022
Flyer Big Man One of 50 Top College Basketball Players On The List
COMPLETE WOODEN RELEASE
LOS ANGELES – University of Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II has been named to the John R. Wooden Award® presented by Wendy’s® Preseason Top 50 Watch List today. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All-American Team™ and Most Outstanding Player Award.
The award is presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient.
Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07; ’08), Maya Moore (’09; ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), Breanna Stewart (’15 and ’16) and Oscar Tshiebwe (’22).
Former Flyer and current New York Knick Obi Toppin won the award in 2020.
A 6-foot-10 sophomore forward from Goodyear, Ariz., Holmes was second nationally in field goal percentage (.649, 183-282) in 2021-22. He was first nationally among freshmen (and sixth overall) in dunks with 81 in 2021-22. The next two freshmen were Memphis’ Jalen Duren (70) and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren (57).
For the Flyers, he led the team in scoring (12.8) and was second in rebounding (6.1). He set the Flyer single-season block record in 21 games, breaking “Big Steve” McElvene’s record of 55 that was set in 32 games. Holmes now has 81 blocked shots. He was named UD’s White Allen Co-MVP, sharing the honor with Toumani Camara and Malachi Smith.
Holmes averaged 20.0 ppg. over his last five games of the 2021-22 season (vs. A-10 regular season champion Davidson, two A-10 tournament games and two NIT games).
In two games this season, Holmes is averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.0 assists per game. He is the only player from the Atlantic 10 Conference on the preseason watch list.
The 21st-ranked Flyers play at UNLV tonight at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET.
COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS
