Harvard's Wright Named to Wooden Preseason Top 50

Harvard men’s basketball co-captain Keith Wright was named one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden award, given to the country’s best player, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced today.

Wright, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, joins the likes of North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, and Kentucky’s Terrence Jones on the preseason list.

"Truly honored & blessed to be on such a prestigious list w/ so many talented players," Wright said on Twitter this evening. "Wouldn't be there without my teammates & the man above."

The lone representative from the Ivy League, Wright is one of just 12 candidates from outside a Power Six conference.

A traditional post player, the 6’8 forward was a force to be reckoned with in the Ancient Eight during his junior campaign. Wright led the conference in field-goal percentage and averaged 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game—good for third and second in the league, respectively.

Wright's entry on a list of assessments of the 50 candidates by opposing coaches (compiled by ESPN.com's Andy Katz) reads as the following: "He is a tremendous back-to-the-basket player. He knows when to pass and when to attack. He has great confidence in his teammates, which helps to make his team better."

But some onlookers expect Wright’s numbers to take a dip this coming season with the return of a healthy Kyle Casey from a foot injury and the addition of three talented freshmen—Kenyatta Smith, Jonah Travis, and Steve Moundou-Missi—to the frontcourt.

Regardless, Wright and the rest of the Harvard men’s basketball team will share the court with two other Wooden Award preseason candidates this coming season when the Crimson travels to UConn to take on the defending national champions Dec. 8.

While the Huskies lost Kemba Walker—the 2011 Wooden Award runner-up—to the NBA, they return a talented lineup led by sophomore Jeremy Lamb and junior Alex Oriakhi, both preseason candidates.