JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NAMES 2022 HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 4, 2022) – The Los Angeles Athletic Club today announced the fourteen outstanding Southern California high school boys’ and girls’ basketball players who will be awarded the 2022 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year Award. The boys’ winners are: CIF Los Angeles City Section, Kalib LaCount, King/Drew Magnet High School (Los Angeles); CIF Southern Section Open Division, Donovan Dent, Centennial High School (Corona); CIF Southern Section Division I, Tyler Rolison, St. Bernard High School (Playa Del Rey); CIF Southern Section Division II, Cruz Billings, Foothill High School (Santa Ana); CIF Southern Section Division III, Shadale Knight, Rancho Cucamonga High School (Rancho Cucamonga); CIF Southern Section Division IV, Johny Dan, Valley Torah High School (Valley Village); CIF Southern Section Division V, Tyler Terry, Chaffey High School (Ontario).

The girls’ winners are: CIF Los Angeles City Section, Marianne Boco, Granada Hills Charter High School (Granada Hills); CIF Southern Section Open Division, Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth); CIF Southern Section Division I, Gabriela Jaquez, Camarillo High School (Camarillo); CIF Southern Section Division II, Chloe Briggs, Ontario Christian High School (Ontario); CIF Southern Section Division III, Audrey Chen, La Salle High School (Pasadena); CIF Southern Section Division IV, Kimiko Kennedy, Lawndale High School (Lawndale); CIF Southern Section Division V, Kaziah Fletcher, Price High School (Los Angeles).

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college
basketball recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07; ’08), Maya Moore (’09; ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), Breanna Stewart (’15 and ’16) and last year’s recipients, Paige Bueckers of Connecticut and Luka Garza of Iowa.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.

For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.