Wisconsin standouts Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes have been named to the prestigious Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 List, awarded to the best NCAA men’s basketball players thus far.
In receiving the honor, Wisconsin joins Kansas, UCLA, UNC, and Kentucky as the only schools to have two players named to the list.
Additionally, Wisconsin received half of the Big Ten’s four nominees, the others being Melo Trimble of Maryland and Caleb Swanigan of Purdue.
Through 16 games, Happ is averaging 13.4 points per game to go along with 9.1 RPG and 2.9 APG. He is second in the Big Ten in rebounds (behind only Swanigan), second in the Big Ten in FG% at 64.6%, and second in the Big Ten in steals (1.9 per game).
Hayes is averaging just a touch above Happ at 13.5 points per game, as well as 5.5 RPG and 3.2 APG. He has reached double-digit scoring in 11 of the team’s 16 games, and has scored at least 20 points three times. Against then-No. 22 Syracuse, Hayes fell one point short of a triple double, posting nine points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
No. 18 Wisconsin takes on Ohio State tonight in the Kohl Center. The game can be seen on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. CT.