Wisconsin men’s basketball: Nate Reuvers named to Wooden Award watch list

Nate Reuvers has been collecting many preseason accolades this year and the latest one was announced on SportsCenter Tuesday morning. The Wisconsin Badgers big man was named to the 2021 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List which means he is on the shortlist of contenders for the John R. Wooden All-American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award.

Over the past six seasons, the Badgers have had five other players on this preseason list including Ethan Happ (2017, 2018, 2019), Nigel Hayes (2017), Bronson Koenig (2017), Frank Kaminsky (2015) and Sam Dekker (2014).

The Lakeville, Minn. native is averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game, shooting 64.7 percent from the floor through two games this season. Reuvers needs just five more swats to become Wisconsin’s all-time blocks leader and break Ethan Happ’s school record (154) and he is also 147 points away from scoring 1,000 for his career.

Reuvers made the Big Ten third-team last season and has been predicted by many to upgrade to the first-team this year.

The Big Ten leads all conferences with 10 selections, as players from 11 different conferences are represented on the Preseason Top 50. The ACC and SEC boast seven candidates apiece, the Big 12 and PAC-12 have six each, the Big East has four, the Atlantic 10 and WCC have three apiece, the American has two selections, and the Mountain West and Conference USA have one selection each.

The nine other B1G players are Iowa C Luka Garza, Iowa G Joe Wieskamp, Illinois C Kofi Cockburn, Illinois G Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota G Marcus Carr, Rutgers G Ron Harper, Jr., Michigan State F Joey Hauser, Indiana F Trayce Jackson-Davis and Michigan F Isaiah Livers.