Silva on Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The preseason accolades continue to roll in for senior forward Chris Silva as he was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List today. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award.
 
The Libreville, Gabon, native started all 33 games for Carolina last season leading the team in points per game (14.3), rebounds (8.0), field goal percentage (46.7%), blocks (1.4), free throws attempted (283) and free throws made (213). He was named First Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches and was voted the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Silva, a Preseason First Team All-SEC selection this year by both the coaches and media, was recently named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List and the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch List as well.
 
Silva is one of nine players in the SEC to be named to the Wooden Award Watch List. Click here to see the full list of student-athletes.
 
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Men’s Player of the Year. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award.
 
Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.
 
The Gamecocks begin the 2018-19 campaign tonight against USC Upstate at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ with Burch Antley (pxp) and Alex English (color) on the call. Doors at Colonial Life Arena open one hour prior to tipoff.