Wooden Trophy makes stop at Players Era Tournament as Wooden Watchlist players shine in Las Vegas

The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it's 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.

LAS VEGAS — The John R. Wooden Trophy made a high-profile visit to the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week, drawing a crowd of fans, top prospects and a long list of basketball legends as the award celebrates its 50th anniversary season. The appearance came as more than a dozen Wooden Award Preseason Watchlist players took the floor across multiple showcase games at MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena.

The Wooden Trophy, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, was on display throughout the event, giving fans and players the opportunity to see college basketball’s most prestigious individual honor up close. Carmelo Anthony, Candace Parker, Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Jalen Rose and other former greats stopped by for photos with the trophy while also receiving formal invitations to attend the Wooden Award’s 50th anniversary ceremony in April 2026.

The Players Era Tournament featured one of the strongest collections of early-season talent anywhere in the country, including numerous Wooden Award hopefuls showcasing why they were named to the preseason Top 50. Tennessee’s Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Kansas freshman phenom Darryn Peterson, Notre Dame star Markus Burton, St. John’s standouts Ian Jackson, Bryce Hopkins and Zuby Ejiofor, Iowa State senior Tamin Lipsey, and Houston sharpshooter Emanuel Sharp were among the notable watchlist players competing in Las Vegas.

Throughout the week, the Wooden Trophy was on display as many fans and media members took photos with the trophy. Several coaches also stopped by to acknowledge the significance of the trophy’s presence at a tournament designed to showcase the sport’s next generation.

With the Wooden Award celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, the Players Era Tournament served as a fitting stage to kick off a season honoring both the game’s iconic past and its emerging stars. The trophy will continue making appearances at marquee events throughout the season before culminating in Los Angeles next April, when college basketball’s top men’s and women’s players will be honored alongside the the Legends of Coaching recipient, Purdue's Matt Painter.

For now, its stop in Las Vegas offered a rare moment where Wooden Award contenders, Hall of Famers and fans shared the same stage — a celebration of the sport’s history and its bright future.