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Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston highlights the list of 50 preseason candidates for the 2020 Wooden Award that was announced Tuesday. Winston, one of five finalists for the 2019 award and the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, leads a Michigan State team that was voted No. 1 in the preseason AP poll for the first time. Winston and the Spartans open the season Tuesday night against Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Also earning mention on the initial Wooden list were 10 freshmen, including heralded newcomers James Wiseman (Memphis), Anthony Edwards (Georgia) and Cole Anthony (North Carolina). Wiseman (No. 1), Edwards (No. 2) and Anthony (No. 4) are all ranked in the top five of ESPN's most recent 2020 NBA mock draft. Duke's Zion Williamson became the third freshman winner in the 43-year history of the Wooden Award last season, joining Anthony Davis (Kentucky, 2012) and Kevin Durant (Texas, 2007). Schools with multiple players on the initial Wooden list include Davidson (Kellan Grady, Jon Axel Gudmundsson), Duke (Vernon Carey Jr., Tre Jones), Florida (Kerry Blackshear Jr., Scottie Lewis, Andrew Nembhard), Kansas (Devon Dotson, Udoka Azubuike), Kentucky (Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey), Maryland (Anthony Cowan Jr., Jalen Smith), Memphis (Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa), Utah State (Sam Merrill, Neemias Queta) and Washington (Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Stewart) Wooden Award preseason top 50 list: Precious Achiuwa, Memphis (6-9, Fr., F) Ty-Shon Alexander, Creighton (6-4, Jr., G) Cole Anthony, North Carolina (6-3, Fr., G) Udoka Azubuike, Kansas (7-0, Sr., C) Kamar Baldwin, Butler (6-1, Sr., G) Desmond Bane, TCU (6-6, Sr., G) Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky (6-11, So., C) Saddiq Bey, Villanova (6-8, So., F) Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida (6-10, Sr., F) Vernon Carey Jr., Duke (6-10, Fr., C) Yoeli Childs, BYU (6-8, Sr., F) Anthony Cowan Jr., Maryland (6-0, Sr., G) Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati (6-5, Sr., G) Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy (6-1, So., G) Mamadi Diakite, Virginia (6-9, Sr., F) Alpha Diallo, Providence (6-7, Sr., G) Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (6-5, So., G) Devon Dotson, Kansas (6-2, So., G) Anthony Edwards, Georgia (6-5, Fr., G) CJ Elleby, Washington State (6-6, So., F) Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's (6-1, Sr., G) Kellan Grady, Davidson (6-5, Jr., G) Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson (6-5, Sr., G) Ashton Hagans, Kentucky (6-3, So., G) Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State (6-5, So., G) Markus Howard, Marquette (5-11, Sr., G) Tre Jones, Duke (6-3, So., G) Anthony Lamb, Vermont (6-6, Sr., F) Scottie Lewis, Florida (6-5, Fr., G) Nico Mannion, Arizona (6-6, Fr., G) Naji Marshall, Xavier (6-7, Jr., F) Tyrese Maxey, Kentucky (6-3, Fr., G) Jaden McDaniels, Washington (6-9, Fr., F) Sam Merrill, Utah State (6-5, Sr., G) Andrew Nembhard, Florida (6-5, So., G) Jordan Nwora, Louisville (6-7, Jr., F) Reggie Perry, Mississippi State (6-5, Sr., G) Myles Powell, Seton Hall (6-2, Sr., G) Payton Pritchard, Oregon (6-2, Sr., G) Neemias Queta, Utah State (7-0, So., C) Nick Rakocevic, USC (6-11, Sr., F) Jalen Smith, Maryland (6-10, So., F) Lamar Stevens, Penn State (6-8, Sr., F) Isaiah Stewart, Washington (6-9, Fr., F) Killian Tillie, Gonzaga (6-10, Sr., F) Tres Tinkle, Oregon State (6-7, Sr., F) Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State (6-9, Jr., F) Cassius Winston, Michigan State (6-1, Sr., G) James Wiseman, Memphis (7-1, Fr., C) McKinley Wright IV, Colorado (6-0, Jr., G)
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