University of Tennessee Athletics
Chandler Earns Spot on Wooden Award Preseason Watch List
November 09, 2021 | Men's Basketball
Tennessee freshman guard Kennedy Chandler has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List, the award announced on ESPN's SportsCenter Tuesday.
Chandler is one of just nine freshmen and eight SEC players included on the Wooden Award watch list, which at the end of each season honors college basketball's top player.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award.
The Memphis, Tennessee native has now been included on four major preseason award watch lists prior to the start of Tennessee's season—the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List, the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Chandler led Tennessee in scoring during the Vols' exhibition win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 30, scoring 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting in just 22 minutes. He also dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Coming out of high school, Chandler was rated by ESPN as the nation's top point guard in the Class of 2021. He earned All-America honors from McDonald's, Spalding and Sports Illustrated after leading Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) to the championship game of the GEICO Nationals tournament in April.
Over this past summer, Chandler was part of the 12-man USA Basketball Men's U19 Team that captured a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Riga, Latvia.
Chandler is set to make his Tennessee debut on Tuesday night, as Tennessee hosts UT Martin in its season opener at 7 p.m. inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets remain available at AllVols.com.
Chandler is one of just nine freshmen and eight SEC players included on the Wooden Award watch list, which at the end of each season honors college basketball's top player.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award.
The Memphis, Tennessee native has now been included on four major preseason award watch lists prior to the start of Tennessee's season—the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List, the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award Preseason Watch List and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.
Chandler led Tennessee in scoring during the Vols' exhibition win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 30, scoring 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting in just 22 minutes. He also dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Coming out of high school, Chandler was rated by ESPN as the nation's top point guard in the Class of 2021. He earned All-America honors from McDonald's, Spalding and Sports Illustrated after leading Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) to the championship game of the GEICO Nationals tournament in April.
Over this past summer, Chandler was part of the 12-man USA Basketball Men's U19 Team that captured a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Riga, Latvia.
Chandler is set to make his Tennessee debut on Tuesday night, as Tennessee hosts UT Martin in its season opener at 7 p.m. inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets remain available at AllVols.com.
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