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PRESEASON HONORS

Guillermo Diaz has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award presented annually to the top collegiate basketball player in the nation.

Diaz earned second-team All-ACC honors last season after averaging 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Diaz was the only player in the ACC to rank among the top-10 (conference games only) in scoring (2nd), field goal percentage (8th), three-point field goal percentage (10th) and steals (3rd). He has scored in double-figures in 27 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the ACC.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Michael Jordan ('84), Larry Bird ('79), Tim Duncan ('97) and last year's recipient, Andrew Bogut ('05)..