Kansas City, MO As the 2002-03 college basketball season gets underway, the list of candidates for the second annual Senior CLASS Award have been selected and were announced today by the awards organizing committee.
The award is presented annually to the nations senior player-of-the-year for NCAA Division I mens and womens basketball. The inaugural award winners were Juan Dixon of Maryland and Sue Bird of Connecticut.
The “Players to Watch” on the mens side include representatives from 15 different conferences, nine of which have multiple players on the list. The SEC has the most nominations with six players being listed. There are also four teams with multiple listings: Kansas, Arizona, Oklahoma and Florida.
The list of womens “Players to Watch” include representatives from 15 conferences, eight of which have multiple players on the list. The SEC also has the most womens players, with six nominations. There are five players on the womens list that were AP All-Americans last season, including two first-team selections.
The formation of the Senior CLASS Award – an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School – was announced during last seasons college basketball season. The CLASS Award was developed in response to the recent trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional. Selection criteria is based on a number of factors, the most important being that the recipient must have exhausted their four years of eligibility and have fulfilled their commitment to their respective university. In addition, the recipient must be working toward their degree, be in good academic standing and be of sound moral character.
The performances of the “Players to Watch” for both men and women will be tracked during the season. From that pool of players, a national committee of sportscasters and sportswriters who cover college basketball on the Division I level will select 10 Finalists.
The names of these Finalists will appear on the official ballot during the national voting process in March. The selection of the men’s and women’s award winner will be based on the cumulative ballots of the national media committee and Division I college basketball coaches. The winner will be announced during the respective NCAA Final Four events in March.
“The inaugural year of the Senior CLASS Award came together with a storybook ending, as both winners led their team to the national championship,” said Gary Heise, President of Premier Sports Management, the company responsible for the overall administration of the award. “With Juan Dixon and Sue Bird having already set a high benchmark, we are very impressed with the candidates for year two. Senior players are dominating the preseason All-American teams and it will be an intriguing race in the balloting for the 2002-03 award winners.”
The 2003 Mens Senior CLASS Award “Players to Watch”
Marcus Bailey, University of WyomingTroy Bell, Boston CollegeSteven Blake, University of MarylandBrett Blizzard,UNC-WilmingtonKeith Bogans,University of KentuckyMatt Bonner,University of FloridaNick Collison,University of KansasBrian Cook,University of IllinoisTom Coverdale,Indiana UniversityWillie Deane,Purdue UniversityHenry Domercant,Eastern Illinois UniversityErwin DudleyUniversity of AlabamaRonald Dupree,Louisiana State UniversityEbi Ere,University of OklahomaReece Gaines,University of LouisvilleJason Gardner,University of ArizonaMarcus Hatten,St. Johns UniversityKirk Hinrich,University of KansasJosh Howard, Wake Forest UniversityBrandon Hunter,Ohio UniversityBritton Johnsen,University of UtahDahntay Jones,Duke UniversityJason Kapono,UCLABrandin Knight,University of PittsburghKyle Korver,Creighton UniversityChris Marcus,Western Kentucky UniversityBrett Nelson,University of FloridaKirk Penney,University of WisconsinHollis Price,University of OklahomaHector Romero,University of New OrleansRon Slay,University of TennesseeTheron Smith,Ball State UniversityDarrell Tucker, University of San FranciscoLuke Walton,University of ArizonaTravis Watson,University of VirginiaDavid West,Xavier University
The 2003 Womens Senior CLASS Award “Players to Watch”
Jordan Adams,University of New MexicoChantelle Anderson,Vanderbilt UniversityKristine Austgulen,Virginia Commonwealth UniversityGunta Basko,Siena UniversityTamara Bowie,Ball State UniversitySyretta Bromfield,Michigan State University Coretta Brown,University of North CarolinaCourtney Coleman, Ohio State UniversityMolly Creamer,Bucknell UniversityAngela Davidson,Northwestern State UniversityTamika Dudley,Long Island UniversityCrissy Floyd,Clemson UniversityCheryl Ford,Louisiana Tech UniversityCaton Hill,University of OklahomaConstance Jinks,UNLVTrish Juhline,Villanova UniversityKara Lawson,University of TennesseeSonja Mallory,Georgia Tech UniversityAshley McElhiney,Vanderbilt UniversityLoree Payne,University of WashingtonJocelyn Penn,University of South CarolinaAlicia Ratay,University of Notre DameAyisha Smith,Louisiana State UniversityKate Smith,University of Nevada-RenoBrianne Stepherson,Boston CollegeLaToya Thomas,Mississippi State UniversityErin Thorn,Brigham Young UniversityShaquala Williams,University of OregonLindsey Wilson,Iowa State UniversityKatie Wolfe,Oakland UniversityQ9;P?NACMDLFGK~IKJLIN|OHQSGzTFVyWExYDwCv_BuacAtdfsg?rik>qlnpo;nt:vm!w#9ly$8&k|’7~j)+6i,5.h><>hQ”&Pf7z8Lb aJ2tv2G\-DmqB,UW(gl&ORy#7ga8|IMs1b3wHCl+.T~rCfX)%Nmx>6`S$Hh9r0NZcB4lx*IT/7)f”QmY~%%……..0NfhnjhQK7&oWn$Yr6xgN7’*GgsfTorfT; ybOP
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