Perry Ellis makes Wooden preseason top 50

Chicago — Kansas University senior Perry Ellis, who scored 21 points in a 79-73 loss to Michigan State at the Champions Classic, has been named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list for the second straight season, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Wichita is one of seven Big 12 Conference players on the list chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts.

Ellis is 2015 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, preseason unanimous all-Big 12 and 2015 Associated Press All-America honorable mention.

Ellis entered Tuesday’s top-15 matchup No. 37 on the KU career scoring list with 1,173 points and No. 24 on the KU all-time rebound list with 614 boards. 

He is on pace to become the eighth Jayhawk in school history to rank in the top 15 of both categories, joining the likes of Danny Manning, Nick Collison, Raef LaFrentz, Clyde Lovellette, Dave Robisch, Mark Randall and Wayne Simien.

The Wooden Award National Advisory Board will select 25 players to the Midseason Top 25 in early January. In early February, the Wooden Award will announce the Late Season Top 20–prior to the selection of 15 players for its national ballot.

Other Big 12 players on the list: Rico Gathers, Taurean Prince, Baylor; Buddy Hield, Oklahoma; Monte Morris, Georges Niang, Iowa State; Isaiah Taylor, Texas.

— See what people were saying about the game during KUsports.com’s live coverage


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