Hoop Thoughts: Seniors dominating Wooden Award conversation

In the fall of 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club approached former UCLA coach John Wooden, who had retired the year before, and proposed to establish an award in his name that would be given each spring to the best player in college basketball. Wooden agreed, but there was a caveat: He wanted it to be given to a graduating senior.

Wooden was overruled, and for good reason. If the idea was to recognize the nation's best player, then it made no sense to impose an age restriction. Still, it was a moot point, since back then the best players almost always were seniors anyway. During the first 19 years the Wooden award was handed out, a senior won it 16 times. Fittingly, the last of those was a…