Jan. 27, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas junior guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush and sophomore forward Darrell Arthur have been named to mid-season awards lists recently released.

Chalmers and Rush are on the John R. Wooden Award Mid-Season Top 30 list released Sunday, while Arthur was the lone Jayhawk on the Naismith Men's Mid-Season 30 list released late last week.

Including Chalmers and Rush for second-ranked Kansas, four Top 10 schools have multiple players nominated for the Wooden Award - North Carolina (Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough); Memphis (Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose); and Indiana (Eric Gordon and D.J White). Rush and Hansbrough were Wooden All-Americans last season.

Rush leads Kansas in scoring in Big 12 games with a 15.2 average. He is 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) from three-point range through the five conference contests. The Kansas City, Mo., native is scoring 12 points per game overall for the 20-0 Jayhawks.

For the third straight year, Chalmers leads the Big 12 steals with 2.68 per game in 2007-08, which ranks in the top 10 nationally. The Anchorage, Alaska, native also leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.00. He is scoring 11.9 points per game and is third in the conference in assists with 4.89 per contest.

Arthur leads Kansas in scoring with 13.6 points per game - 16th in the Big 12 - and his 1.60 blocked shots per game are a team-best and fourth in the league. The Dallas product is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds per contest, which are 14th in the conference.

John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 (listed alphabetical)

D.J. Augustin, Texas (So., 6-0, G)

Michael Beasley, Kansas State (Fr., 6-10, F)

Jon Brockman, Washington (Jr., 6-7, F)

Chase Budinger, Arizona (So., 6-7, F)

Mario Chalmers, KANSAS (JR., 6-1, G)

Stephen Curry, Davidson (So., 6-1, G)

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis (Jr., 6-7, G)

Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (So., 6-4, G)

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt (Sr., 6-6, G)

Eric Gordon, Indiana (Fr., 6-4, G)

Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State (Jr., 6-4, G/F)

Malik Hairston, Oregon (Sr., 6-6, G)

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (Jr., 6-9, F)

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (So., 6-8, F)

James Harden, Arizona State (Fr., 6-5, G)

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown (Sr., 7-2, C)

Chris Lofton, Tennessee (Sr., 6-2, G)

Kevin Love, UCLA (Fr., 6-10, C)

Derrick Low, Washington State (Sr., 6-2, G)

O.J. Mayo, USC (Fr., 6-5, G)

Raymar Morgan, Michigan State (So., 6-7, F)

Demarcus Nelson, Duke (Sr., 6-4, G)

Tyrese Rice, Boston College (Jr., 6-1, G)

Brian Roberts, Dayton (Sr., 6-2, G)

Derrick Rose, Memphis (Fr., 6-3, G)

Brandon Rush, KANSAS (JR., 6-6, G)

Sean Singletary, Virginia (Sr., 6-0, G)

Jason Thompson, Rider (Sr., 6-11, F)       

D.J. White, Indiana (Sr., 6-9, F)

Sam Young, Pittsburgh (Jr., 6-6, F)

2008 Naismith Men's Mid-Season Candidates (listed alphabetical)

A.J. Abrams, Texas

Darrell Arthur, KANSAS

D.J. Augustin, Texas

Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Jon Brockman, Washington

Chase Budinger, Arizona

Stephen Curry, Davidson

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

Wayne Ellington, North Carolina

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

Eric Gordon, Indiana

Mike Green, Butler

James Harden, Arizona State

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

Roy Hibbert, Georgetown

Ty Lawson, North Carolina

Kevin Love, UCLA

O.J. Mayo, USC

Drew Neitzel, Michigan State

DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

Tyrese Rice, Boston College

Brian Roberts, Dayton

Derrick Rose, Memphis

Josh Shipp, UCLA

Sean Singletary, Virginia

Kyle Weaver, Washington State

D.J. White, Indiana

Sam Young, Pittsburgh