| Show Honors Keep Rolling In For Andrew Bogut Jason Reid Los Angeles Times limes An unscheduled airplane landing briefly delayed Utah center Andrew Bogut's national year the tour but the trip ended as expected Saturday when the Australian American All-American became the first foreign recipient recipient of the John R. R Wooden Award The foot 7 sophomore had hada a rough travel day that included ed a flight detour because of another passengers passenger's illness and Bogut arrived at his hotel Saturday early morning but buthe buthe buthe he said receiving college basketballs basketball's basketballs basketball's basketballs basketball's bas bas- most prestigious individual award was worth the trouble Ive been all over the place and it has been crazy but its 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 Its It's something Ill I'll cherish forever He worked hard for it especially to attend Saturdays 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 basketballs basketball's basketballs basketball's basketballs basketball's basket basket- balls ball's major the player-of-the- year trophies and d t the Wooden Award capped his impressive haul hau 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 videotaped a message to the finalists that was played during a national TV broadcast Bogut whom many talent evaluators expect to be selected select select- ed first in the draft on June 28 had the nations nation's sec sec- ond-highest ond rebounding aver aver- age at was fourth in shooting at 62 percent and scored points a game He received points more than Duke guard- guard forward JJ Redick from apanel a apanel apanel panel of more than 1000 sportswriters and college basketball basketball basketball bas bas- observers The panel voted for a 10 member Wooden All- All American team and the top five vote-getters vote were named finalists The voting deadline was March 28 Bogut understood the signifIcance significance significance sig sig- sig- sig of the Wooden Award Brown said When we sat down and spoke about it it you can just see it in his eyes said Brown the Big Ten Conference player of the year Hes really happy to be herewith here herewith herewith with all the elite players Its It's an opportunity for him to win the biggest award of his life May scored a high game-high 26 points and grabbed 10 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 points rebounds and made percent of his shots in the tournament May might have finished higher in the Wooden Award voting or even edged out Bogut had it occurred after the Final Four Im not sure when the voting voting voting vot vot- ing occurred but you can pick any of these guys and were 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 Hes taken a club that not a alot alot alot lot of people thought could make it to the tournament or orI I I n i t t r t. t Tf 4 P- P rr rrt 4 A Ado d do m much d damage g in the t tournament tournament tour tour- r- r name nt and made it a Sweet 16 team He deserves it Utah 6 29 won the Mountain West Conference season regular-season championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 losing to Kentuck Kentucky Bogut is a phenomenon said Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun who received the Legends of Coaching Award during the ceremony Hes got great size and the greatest thing you can have a abig abig abig 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 |
