Mississippi State is one of only two Southeastern Conference programs to place players on the men’s and women’s watch list for the John R. Wooden Award.
The Wooden Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate men’s and women’s basketball players. Bulldogs freshman guard Malik Newman earned the distinction from the men’s side while sophomore guard Victoria Vivians earned a spot on the women’s watch list.
Newman, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Jackson, made his collegiate debut Monday night scoring six points in 17 minutes off the bench. The former McDonald’s All-American has been sidelined with turf toe for the last three weeks.