Frank Kaminsky Headlines List of 2014-15 Men's Wooden Award Finalists

Wisconsin senior forward Frank Kaminsky highlights the list of finalists for the 2015 John R. Wooden Award. He's been at the forefront of the conversation throughout the season and never stopped living up to the preseason hype.

Five players in total remain in the hunt, with the quintet revealed on Monday night, per ESPN.com:

Player	School
Willie Cauley-Stein	Kentucky
Jerian Grant	Notre Dame
Frank Kaminsky	Wisconsin
Jahlil Okafor	Duke
D'Angelo Russell	Ohio State

Kaminsky is also one of 10 players on the Wooden All-American team, courtesy of ESPN.com:

Player	Team
Ron Baker	Wichita State
Malcolm Brogdon	Virginia
Willie Cauley-Stein	Kentucky
Jerian Grant	Notre Dame
Frank Kaminsky	Wisconsin
Jahlil Okafor	Duke
D'Angelo Russell	Ohio State
Seth Tuttle	Northern Iowa
Kyle Wiltjer	Gonzaga
Delon Wright	Utah

Although it's a talented group of players, Kaminsky should be viewed as the clear favorite for the Wooden Award. He's made steady strides during his four years with the Badgers. He went from averaging less than two points as a freshman to more than 18 points as a senior.

In an era where one-and-done players have become an accepted norm for the top-tier talents, a journey like his is becoming less common. Arriving to campus, accepting a limited role as a first-year player and then developing into one of the best players in the nation is an old-school approach.

Kaminsky has enjoyed the winding road that's led him to this point, though. Jeff Arnold of The New York Times passed along comments from the 7-footer.

"I love the way I've had to work through all my problems and my struggles to come out better than I was before," he said. "I view it in a way that maybe not everyone else views it."

At a time when the word bust is used almost immediately if a young player isn't living up to expectations, Kaminsky showed things don't always happen overnight. Sometimes more steady improvement to the top is still the way to go.

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan forced him to earn more playing time. When he received it, he took full advantage of the opportunity, especially this season. Even given the talent of the other finalists, it's a stretch to say they made a larger overall impact than Kaminsky.