University of Houston freshman point guard Kingston Flemings has been named to the National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal. The announcement was made Saturday, with Flemings joining 14 other candidates from across the country in contention for one of college basketball’s most prestigious individual honors.
The National Ballot is determined by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board and recognizes student-athletes who are considered among the best in college basketball. “The National Ballot consists of student-athletes selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board for the Wooden Award All-America Team and Wooden Award Trophy, recognizing the most outstanding college basketball player in the nation,” according to the University of Houston.
Flemings is one of only six freshmen included on this year’s ballot and one of five players representing Big 12 Conference schools.
In his first collegiate season, Flemings has led Houston with averages of 16.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting nearly 49 percent from the field and almost 38 percent from three-point range. He has recorded eleven games with at least 20 points during the current season, including a stretch of three consecutive games in late January.
A highlight came on January 24 when Flemings scored a career-high 42 points against Texas Tech, setting a new school record for single-game scoring by a freshman. He became only the twelfth player in program history to score more than forty points in a game and surpassed Rob Williams’ previous freshman record set in 1980.
With a total of 497 points so far this season, Flemings has also broken Houston’s freshman single-season scoring record, previously held by Williams at 456 points since the 1979-80 campaign.
Earlier this season, after contributing significantly to wins over ranked opponents Texas Tech and Auburn—including earning USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week as well as Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Week honors—Flemings continued to receive national attention.
Flemings joined Houston following an award-winning high school career at Brennan High School in San Antonio.
The John R. Wooden Award was established in 1976 to honor excellence in college basketball. It recognizes outstanding male and female players each year through its Most Outstanding Player awards and All-America Teams. Honorees must meet academic standards established by Coach John Wooden himself, including progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
Since its inception, nearly $1 million has been contributed by the award program to university scholarship funds and nonprofit organizations on behalf of recipients. The foundation also supports initiatives such as sending underprivileged children to basketball camps and partnering annually with Special Olympics Southern California for an inclusive tournament event hosted during John R. Wooden Award Weekend at Los Angeles Athletic Club.
For more information about nominees or updates on this year’s award process, visit https://www.WoodenAward.com or follow @WoodenAward on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Threads; details about Los Angeles Athletic Club can be found at https://www.LAAC.com.
