Penn State basketball star Lamar Stevens has been selected as one of 20 contenders for the John R. Wooden Award.

Stevens joins other standout players from the Big Ten such as Luka Garza from Iowa, Anthony Cowan Jr. from Maryland, Cassius Winston from Michigan State, and Daniel Oturu from Minnesota.

The Wooden Award, which was created in 1976 and named after legendary former player and UCLA coach John R. Wooden, is presented as one of the most prestigious honors in college basketball for men and women. The winner is awarded the five-figure bronze trophy, depicting a player’s excellence in rebounding, passing, defense, shooting, and dribbling. A scholarship grant in the winner’s name is also sent to the university.

In 2019, former Duke superstar Zion Williamson, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, was awarded the honor. Previous winners also include Larry Jordan in 1979, Michael Jordan in 1984, and Kevin Durant in 2007.

The Wooden Award Preseason Committee initially begins with the selection process for the award in October and evaluates male candidates based on the Men’s Preseason Top 50. By February, the Wooden Award committee narrows down the list to 20 players for the final ballot.

Stevens had an outstanding senior year, averaging 17.6 points per game, and coming just six points shy of becoming Penn State’s all-time leading scorer. At one point this season he helped the Nittany Lions climb to ninth in the county in the AP Top 25. Stevens set a record by appearing in the starting lineup for all 135 possible games in his career at Penn State, which, unfortunately, recently got cut short.

Nonetheless, Stevens undoubtedly helped put Penn State on the map and is one of the most skilled contenders on the list for the Wooden Award.

Voting opened on March 16 and will run until March 23, and those interested in showing their support for Stevens can do so by checking out the voting link here.