LOS ANGELES – University of Dayton junior forward DaRon Holmes II has been named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal Late Season Top 20 Watch List.  Compiled from a poll of national college basketball experts, the list is the 20 leading candidates for the Wooden Player of the Year Award.

Holmes joins Armando Bacot of North Carolina, Johni Broom of Auburn, L.J. Cryer of Houston, Johnell Davis of Florida Atlantic, RJ Davis of North Carolina, Hunter Dickinson of Kansas, Zach Edey of Purdue, Kyle Filipowski of Duke, PJ Hall of Clemson, David Jones of Memphis, Dalton Knecht of Tennessee, Tyler Kolek of Marquette, Jaedon LeDee of San Diego State, Caleb Love of Arizona, Kevin McKullar, Jr. of Kansas, Antonio Reeves of Kentucky, Baylor Scheierman of Creighton and KJ Simpson of Colorado.

Holmes has been the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week three times (all in the month of January) and was on the USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week five-man team for the week ending Jan. 21.  He was also named the National Player of the Week by NCAA March Madness on Jan. 15.

Holmes leads the A-10 in scoring (19.1) and UD in rebounding (7.6).  He is the only player in the league's Top 12 in scoring, rebounding, FG%, 3-pt. FG% and blocked shots.

 He is the only player in D-I who has more than 40 blocks, 40 dunks and 40 assists.  Holmes has 42, 43 and 48 respectively.   Holmes also has 21 threes and is shooting .396 (21-53) from deep.  He had a total of seven made threes in his first two seasons at UD.

Dayton, ranked 21st in this week's AP Poll and 19th in the Coaches Poll, hosts George Washington tonight at 7 p.m. ET.