Turiaf again in running for Wooden award

Gonzaga University senior Ronny Turiaf has been selected to the John R. Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 30 for collegiate basketball’s outstanding player of the year.

Turiaf is among the Wooden award Top 30 for the second straight season, and joins former Bulldogs Matt Santangelo (2000), Casey Calvary (2001), Dan Dickau (2002) and Blake Stepp (2004) as Top 30 nominees. Calvary became the Bulldogs inaugural Top 10 Wooden All-American, Dickau was a member of the Wooden Top 5 All-American team and Stepp was a Top 10 All-American.

In addition to Turiaf, who is averaging 16.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg for the 17-4 Bulldogs, the mid-season list includes 2004 Wooden Award All-Americans Lawrence Roberts (Mississippi State University), John Lucas (Oklahoma State University) and Ryan Gomes (Providence University), as well as a number of outstanding players who were in the running last year.

The top five male and female finalists will be invited to Los Angeles for the awards ceremony on April 9.