The national recognition for Pitt sophomore Justin Champagnie continued on Monday as he was named as a candidate for the top individual college basketball award in the country.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced that Champagnie has made the Top 20 Watch List for the John Wooden Award, which is presented to the top college basketball player in the country. Champagnie becomes the 16th player in Pitt history to become a candidate for this prestigious award.
The sophomore from New York is averaging 20.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 53.1% from the field and 40% from three-point range. Averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds makes Champagnie only one of three NCAA players currently doing so.
A couple of Champagnie’s more impressive feats are a pair of games where he registered 20 points and 20 rebounds and his performance against Duke when he became the first player in Panther history to record 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a game. Champagnie finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Champagnie is looking to become Pitt’s first Wooden Award Finalists since DeJuan Blair in 2009. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be revealed the week of the Elite Eight round of games and the winner will be presented following the NCAA Tournament in April.
I love that he is nominated, just wish he would play defense half as good as he scores.