Redick & Williams Selected Senior CLASS Award Finalists

(Kansas City, MO) ? Ten male and female finalists for the 2005-06 Bayer Advantage? Senior CLASS Award were announced today and will be on the official ballot for the nation's premier tribute to college seniors.

The award, now in its fifth year, is presented annually to the nation's senior player-of-the-year for NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball.

Nationwide voting begins on Monday, March 6 and concludes two weeks later on March 20. Winners are determined by a balloting system that includes college basketball coaches, media and fans. Over 100 coaches and media will receive private ballots. Fans can vote on-line at www.seniorclassaward.com.

Sportscaster Dick Enberg, who initiated the idea for the award and now serves as Honorary Chairman, will announce the winner during the CBS telecast of the NCAA Men's Final Four on April 1.

The male finalists are: Maurice Auger of Michigan State, Dee Brown of Illinois, Taquan Dean of Louisville, Randy Foye of Villanova, Vincent Grier of Minnesota, Chris Hernandez of Stanford, Kevin Pittsnogle of West Virginia, J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams of Duke, and Craig Smith of Boston College.

The female finalists are: Seimone Augustus of LSU, Monique Currie of Duke, LaToya Davis of Texas Tech, Megan Duffy of Notre Dame, Candice Dupree of Temple, Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers, Liz Shimek of Michigan State, Ann Strother and Barbara Turner of Connecticut and Sophia Young of Baylor.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional.

While performance on the basketball court is the defining attribute, candidates must maintain NCAA student-athlete academic standards and be working towards a degree. The foundation of the award is based on commitment to their university and their education while achieving on the basketball court. The remarkable story of Shane Battier returning to lead Duke to the national championship in 2001 inspired the inception of the award.

Previous winners of the men's award include Juan Dixon of Maryland (2002), David West of Xavier (2003), Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph's (2004) and Wayne Simien of Kansas in (2005).

Recipients of the women's award include Sue Bird of Connecticut (2002), LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State (2003), Alana Beard of Duke (2004) and Kendra Wecker of Kansas State (2005).

This year's award winners will be honored at a college basketball gala in Kansas City hosted by the Parkinson's Foundation of the Heartland. The trophies will be presented on April 1, simultaneous with the official announcement by Enberg on CBS. The event will also recognize the All-Senior All-American Teams as determined by the Bayer Advantage? Senior CLASS Award balloting.

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About Premier Sports Management
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2005-06 Women's Finalists
Seimone Augustus, Louisiana State
Monique Currie, Duke
LaToya Davis, Texas Tech
Megan Duffy, Notre Dame
Candice Dupree, Temple
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Liz Shimek, Michigan State
Ann Strother, Connecticut
Barbara Turner, Connecticut
Sophia Young , Baylor

2005-06 Men's Finalists
Maurice Auger, Michigan State
Dee Brown, Illinois
Taquan Dean, Louisville
Randy Foye, Villanova
Vincent Grier, Minnesota
Chris Hernandez, Stanford
Kevin Pittsnogle, West Virginia
J.J. Redick, Duke
Shelden Williams, Duke
Craig Smith, Boston College