Grand finale: Bogut earns top hoop honor

LOS ANGELES — As Andrew Bogut and Ray Giacoletti were walking to the press conference at the Los Angles Athletic Club on Saturday morning, they talked about all the amazing things that had transpired over the past year since they first met.

"Neither one of us could have ever imagined all the different things and good fortune we've been able to be a part of this year," the first-year Utah coach said. "It's been a dream season."

Moments before, Bogut, as expected, had been awarded the John R. Wooden Award in a live televised broadcast on CBS-TV. It capped off an extraordinary season for the 7-foot Australian center, who went from not being on preseason all-American lists to making a clean sweep of the 2004-05 major college basketball player of the year awards. Bogut earned 4,314 points in the balloting of more than 1,000 media members and basketball experts in what is supposed to be the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for college basketball.

Duke's J.J. Redick was second with 3,552 points, followed by Dee Brown of Illinois (3,003), North Carolina's Sean May (2,806) and Wayne Simien of Kansas (2,707).

All five players were in attendance for the presentation, which took a little less than a minute of the half-hour broadcast that included profiles of each of the players along with the five women finalists.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun, who received the Legends of Coaching Award, made the announcement in place of Wooden, who wasn't able to attend the presentation but came to the black-tie dinner later in the day.

Crouching his 7-foot frame to speak (why can't they find taller microphones for basketball players?), Bogut praised each of his fellow finalists and thanked his coaches, teammates, students and "people of Salt Lake City" in his short acceptance speech.

Later at the press conference, which included two Australian television stations, Bogut talked about what the award meant to him.

"It's very special," said Bogut. "To have my name engraved on the trophy with the likes of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan is unbelievable and something I'll cherish forever."

Bogut said he was aware of John Wooden before he came to play in the United States, but he did his homework by going on the Internet to "research" the accomplishments of the former UCLA coach.

"He was one of the best of all time," Bogut said. "There are so many positive things about the man. Without him, college basketball wouldn't be the same."

Because it would be "a long and taxing day," according to a press release, the 94-year-old Wooden skipped the presentation at the Athletic Club but was present for the formal dinner later in the day at the Omni Hotel.