Saturday, April 08, 2000

UC's Martin adds Wooden Award

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Injured Bearcat beats out Fizer

The Associated Press

Kenyon Martin and John Wooden. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        LOS ANGELES — Even without an opportunity to shine in this spring's NCAA Tournament, Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin continues to be acknowledged as the men's college basketball player of the year.

        The 6-foot-9 senior, who broke his right leg in Cincinnati's first-round game of the Conference USA tournament four weeks ago, was a runaway winner of the 24th John R. Wooden Award, presented Friday at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. He was previously honored as player of the year by The Associated Press, the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the United States Basketball Writers Association.

        “If I could have played, I would trade all this in,” Martin said. “Just not being able to help my team, that was the biggest thing. But it is a great honor receiving this award.”

        The awards handed out earlier were based on the regular season; the 1,047 sportswriters and sportscasters who voted for the Wooden Award had until March 27 to cast their ballots. By that time, the Final Four had been determined.

        Martin received 4,365 points to 2,993 for runner-up Marcus Fizer of Iowa State. Mateen Cleaves, who led Michigan State to an 89-76 victory over Florida in Monday night's NCAA championship game, was third with 2,296. Duke's Shane Battier was next with 1,990.

        Martin, one point shy of being a unanimous All-American selection, is the first player from Cincinnati to win the Wooden Award, named for the 89-year-old former UCLA coach who guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year span before retiring in 1975.

        Wooden expressed satisfaction that the award went to a senior, saying, “I am very pleased always when the winner of this stays in school.”

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