Shenise Johnson was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List.

The University of Miami’s Shenise Johnson has been named to the Women’s Preseason Top 30 list for the 2011 John R. Wooden Award, the Los Angeles Athletic Club has announced. The Wooden Award is considered the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball.

“This is such an impressive award, and I am thrilled that Shenise can be considered as one of the top players in the country,” said Miami head coach Katie Meier. “She is one of the most complete players in the nation, and with her leadership on and off the court, I think she is a perfect candidate for this award.”

Last season, Johnson led the Hurricanes to a championship appearance in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Along the way, she was named First Team All-ACC and made appearances on the All-ACC Defensive Team as well as the WNIT All-Tournament Team.

Johnson scored 19.0 points per game last season and added 7.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest as well. She was the only player in the Atlantic Coast Conference to rank in the top 10 in each of those categories.

The Wooden Award list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early front-runners for the honor.

Transfers, freshmen, and medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December’s midseason list and the official voting ballot released in March. The national ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average. The Wooden Award All-American Team, consisting of the nation’s top five players, will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament.

The award is named after legendary former UCLA men’s basketball head coach John Wooden, who passed away last June.

The 35th annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the men’s and women’s Wooden Award winners, a special tribute to Coach Wooden and Wooden Award founder Duke Llewellyn, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, will take place the weekend of April 8-10.

In August, Johnson was named to the 2010-2011 preseason Wade Watch list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year.