MANHATTAN, Kansas – K-State senior forward
Peyton Williams received more national recognition entering the 2019-20 season, as she was named to the 2019-20 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's Women's Preseason Top 30 Watch List.
The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious honor. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national women's college basketball media members.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2020 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot.
The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow them to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2020 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 10, 2020.
Among the 30 players selected as watch list candidates, Williams is one of four players from the Big 12 Conference on the watch list: Lauren Cox of Baylor, Juicy Landrum of Baylor and DiDi Richards of Baylor.
Other candidates for the award are: Bella Alarie of Princeton, DiJonai Carrington of Stanford, Chennedy Carter of Texas A&M, Kaila Charles of Maryland, Crystal Dangerfield of Connecticut, Rennia Davis of Tennessee, Chelsea Dungee of Arkansas, Dana Evans of Louisville, Kiah Gillespie of Florida State, Haley Gorecki of Duke, Tyasha Harris of South Carolina, Ruthy Hebard of Oregon, Becca Hittner of Drake, Rhyne Howard of Kentucky, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon, Aari McDonald of Arizona, Ayana Mitchell of LSU, Beatrice Mompremier of Miami, Erica Ogwumike of Rice, Michaela Onyenwere of UCLA, Ali Patberg of Indiana, Mikayla Pivec of Oregon State, Satou Sabally of Oregon, Destiny Slocum of Oregon State, Christyn Williams of Connecticut and Kiana Williams of Stanford.
Williams is the fourth player in program history to be named to the Wooden Award watch list, as Nicole Ohlde, Kendra Wecker and Shalee Lehning all previously earned the distinction. Ohlde and Wecker were each finalists for the honor.
In October, Williams was named to the 2020 Katrina McClain Award watch list which is awarded to the nation's top power forward. Earlier this week, Williams was selected to the ESPN.com top-25 Players entering the 2019-20 season.
Williams, a 2020 All-America candidate, will begin her senior season as the league's fifth-highest returning scorer and the top returning rebounder from the 2018-19 season.
She enters her final season with the K-State women's basketball program as the fourth player in program history with 1,000 or more career points, 600 or more career rebounds and 80 or more career blocks.
Williams completed her junior season in 2018-19 with a career-high 303 rebounds (9.5 rpg). Williams led all players in the Big 12 for rebound percentage at 26.6 percent and ranked second in rebound average for all games. Her rebounding total in the 2018-19 season ranked fourth in program history for a single season and were the most since Nicole Ohlde pulled in a junior season record 306 rebounds in the 2002-03 season.
Williams finished Big 12 play by averaging a double-double with 16.2 points and 10.0 rebounds. She is the first Wildcat to average a double-double in league play since Kendra Wecker in the 2004-05 season.
She carded a career-high and Big 12 best 14 double-doubles in the 2018-19 season. Her 14 double-doubles rank fourth in school history for double-doubles in a single season.
Williams, 2019 All-Big 12 First Team selection, increased her scoring average for the third straight season and led the Wildcats with 15.5 points per game (496 points) and free throw percentage (.833). She was the third player in program history to register 475 or more points and 300 or more rebounds in a single season.
Williams was the second player in program history to garner Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors, joining former teammate and three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection Breanna Lewis. Williams recorded 37 blocks and a career-high 62 steals in the 2018-19 season. She ranked among the top-15 in the Big 12 in steals per game (fourth; 1.9) and blocks per game (11th; 1.2).
Kansas State will begin its 52nd season of action with a four-game home stand starting on Friday against Omaha at 6:30 p.m.
To become a 2019-20 K-State women's basketball season ticket holder, fans can purchase a women's basketball Powercat Pass for just $20 for football and men's basketball season ticket holders, $50 for the public, $40 for K-State faculty and staff, military, seniors and youth, or just $120 for a 4-Pack.
A 4-Pack of Powercat Passes (68 total vouchers) is available for just $120 – a savings of up to $20 per pass. At only $30 per pass, and less than $1.76 per game, the 4-Pack Powercat Pass is your best value.
Additional season ticket options include Cat Cushion tickets at $99 per seat, as well as Chairback seats for $132 each (plus a $50 donation per season ticket account to the Ahearn Fund). K-State faculty and staff can purchase discounted season tickets in the Chairback sections at $110 each and Cat Cushion sections at $79 per ticket.
To purchase 2019-20 K-State women's basketball season tickets, contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or visit www.kstatesports.com/tickets.
