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Naismith Trophy names midseason candidates
Three
players from top-ranked Illinois make list
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[FEB. 11, 2005]
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Thirty of the country's top
collegiate men's basketball players were named as midseason
candidates for the Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless,
the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday. The Naismith Trophy is
the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's
and women's players of the year. Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron
Williams from the University of Illinois are among the candidates.
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The top 30 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of
Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and
administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria
on player performances this season. The list was narrowed down from
the preseason list of 50 candidates who were announced at the
beginning of the season. "This basketball season has been among
the most exciting and unpredictable in recent years," said Gary
Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. "It's a result of these
players rising to the occasion when it's most important, and the one
player who distinguishes himself above all others will raise the
Naismith Trophy in April."
As part of its involvement, Cingular is making this year's
selection process unique. For the first time, college basketball
fans have a voice in deciding who wins the Naismith Trophy presented
by Cingular Wireless, through the power and ease of wireless text
messaging.
"The Naismith Trophy symbolizes the best player in the country,
and all of these candidates are worthy of that honor," said Marc
Lefar, chief marketing officer for Cingular. "We are excited that
our involvement will enable college basketball fans nationwide to
have their say in who will be this year's winner."
Beginning Saturday, CBS' "Cingular at the Half" will feature a
weekly "Naismith Trophy Watch" highlighting the players in
contention. These players, and others who distinguish themselves
throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in
March, when four finalists for the award are announced by the
Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors.
The midseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy presented by
Cingular Wireless are listed in alphabetical order in the
chart below.
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 Last year's Naismith Trophy recipient was Saint Joseph's
University guard Jameer Nelson. Other notable men's college player
of the year winners include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan,
Patrick Ewing and Christian Laettner.
For more information, visit
http://www.naismithawards.com/.
About the Atlanta Tipoff Club
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is
committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the
outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club has presented the Naismith Trophy since
UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969.
The Naismith awards program has become an emblem of excellence
for the game, recognizing the men's and women's college player of
the year, men's and women's coach of the year, as well as awards for
outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating and
overall contribution to the game.
About Cingular Wireless
Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United
States, serving more than 49 million customers. Cingular, a joint
venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC) and BellSouth
Corporation (NYSE: BLS), has the largest digital voice and data
network in the nation -- the ALLOVER network -- and the largest
mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier.
Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover, the
wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes.
Details about the company are available at
http://www.cingular.com/.
[Atlanta Sports Council
news release] |
