Baylor women’s basketball is the only Big 12 Conference program to have players recognized in the Wooden Award Midseason 25. The Los Angeles Athletic Club announced this week that senior forward Nina Davis and redshirt senior guard Alexis Jones are in consideration for the 41st John R. Wooden Award, which honors the most outstanding basketball player of the year.
Davis has been a finalist for the Wooden Award twice in 2015 and 2016, while Jones is making her first appearance on the prestigious list. Baylor women’s basketball has had one winner of the Wooden Award in Brittney Griner who did it twice, once in 2012 and again in 2013.
A two-time consensus All-American, Davis has been a mainstay in the Baylor lineup with 126 starts in her career. She became the sixth Lady Bear to score more than 2,000 points this season and has climbed steadily since with 12 double-double figure scoring efforts, bringing her total to 2,189 through 19 games this season. As a senior, Davis is averaging 11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She is also shooting an efficient 57.9 percent from the floor and 74.5 from the free throw line.
Davis, a three time All-Big 12 first team selection, was named the 2017 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-Big 12 first team. She has also been included on the 2017 Wade Trophy and 2017 Naismith Trophy watch lists this year.
In her second year with the program, Jones has increased her production to lead the Lady Bears in scoring with 15.3 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 12 of 16 games played this year. Jones is second on the team in assists, averaging 5.0 per contest, and has recorded an average of 4.9 rebounds per game. She is third in the Big 12 and 21st nationally in three-point field goal percentage (44.0) and is shooting 43.6 percent from the floor overall.
Jones, who was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Big 12 first team in 2016, was a 2017 Preseason All-Big 12 first team pick. She has also been included on 2017 Wade Trophy, 2017 Naismith Trophy and 2017 Leiberman Award watch lists this season.
Leading candidates for the 2017 Wooden Award will be cut to 20 players in early February. Fifteen finalists will be submitted to voters on the final ballot before the NCAA Tournament. Voters, comprised of national college basketball experts, cast their ballots following first and second rounds to determine the ten-player Wooden Award All-American Team, which will be announced the week of the Elite Eight.
