Moore, Paris Headline Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List
Duo Seeks To Join Exclusive Company

ATLANTA (Dec. 19, 2008) – Only five women student-athletes have ever won the Naismith Trophy in both high school and college, but with outstanding seasons in 2009 Maya Moore and Courtney Paris aspire to join that coveted group.  They are off to fast starts as they headline the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T early season watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. 

The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The watch list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February, 2009.   The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis, MO.

“It’s a tremendous thrill for us to watch high school winners grow and achieve even greater success on the college level,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president.  “That said, it will take an amazing season for someone to emerge as the Naismith Trophy winner because the talent pool is incredibly deep.  We look forward to watching this play out over the next four months.”

For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year’s winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25% of the final results – more than any other national college basketball award.

In February, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its preseason list to the Top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

Other notable Naismith Trophy past winners include Cheryl Miller (USC), Dawn Staley (Virginia), Lindsey Harding (Duke) and last year’s winner, Parker. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year.  

2008-09 Naismith Trophy early season watch list:

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, founded in 1956, has presented the Naismith Trophy since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969.   Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become an emblem of excellence for the game, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and overall contribution to the game.

ABOUT AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com.
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