Bowman Named To Naismith Trophy Early Watch List
12/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2008
ATLANTA, Ga. - Gonzaga University women's basketball player Heather Bowman was named to the Naismith Trophy Early Watch List presented by AT&T as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Bowman, a junior forward averaging 19.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Bulldogs this season, became the inaugural Zag to be named to this list.
Earlier this season, Bowman was also named to the preseason Women's Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year trophy.
The Naismith Trophy 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, Tennessee's Candance Parker. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball's player of the year. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Last, First - Cl. - Pos. - School
Allison, Rachel - Sr. - Forward - Baylor
Appel, Jayne - Jr. - Forward/Center - Stanford
Barlow, Ashley - Jr. - Guard - Notre Dame
Black, Chante - Sr. - Center - Duke
Bonne, DeWanna - Sr. - Guard - Auburn
Bowman, Heather - Jr. - Forward - Gonzaga
Brown, Arnika - So. - Forward - Western Kentucky
Cann, Jernisha - Sr. - Forward - IUPUI
Cassidy, Carlee - Jr. - Guard - Maryland - Baltimore Co.
Charles, Tina - Jr. - Center - Connecticut
Cirone, Kristi - Sr. - Guard - Illinois State
Clark, Alysha - Jr. - Forward - Middle Tennessee
Coleman, Marissa - Sr. - Guard/Forward - Maryland
Criner, Dellena - Sr. - Guard - Nevada
DeHaan, Allyssa - Jr. - Center - Michigan State
DeLaHoussaye, Tiera - Sr. - Guard - Western Michigan
Dixon, Erin - Sr. - Forward - Texas - Arlington
Ellis, Krystal - Sr. - Guard - Marquette
Evans, Dawn - So. - Guard - James Madison
Fitz, Rachele - Jr. - Forward - Marist
Guffey, Amber - Sr. - Guard - Murray State
Harris, Amber - Jr. - Forward - Xavier
Houghton, Britni - Jr. - Forward - Central Michigan
Houts, Ashley - Jr. - Guard - Georgia
Ibekwe, Ify - So. - Forward - Arizona
Jackson, Amber - Sr. - Forward - North Texas
Jaeschke, Amy - So. - Center - Northwestern
Lavender, Jantel - So. - Center - Ohio State
Lomax, Judie - So. - Forward - Columbia
Marginean, Gabriela - Jr. - Forward - Drexel
McCants, Rashanda - Sr. - Guard/Forward - North Carolina
McCoughtry, Angel - Sr. - Forward - Louisville
Mitchell, Phyllisha - Sr. - Forward - Tennessee-Martin
Montgomery, Renee - Sr. - Guard - Connecticut
Moore, Maya - So. - Forward - Connecticut
Paris, Courtney - Sr. - Center - Oklahoma
Phillips, Ta'Shia - So. - Center - Xavier
Prince, Epiphanny - Jr. - Guard - Rutgers
Riley, Andrea - Jr. - Guard - Oklahoma State
Smith, Jenna - Jr. - Center - Illinois
Starks, Takia - Sr. - Guard - Texas A&M
Toliver, Kristi - Sr. - Guard - Maryland
Vaughn, Kia - Sr. - Center - Rutgers
Walker, Ashley - Sr. - Forward/Center - California
Waner, Abby - Sr. - Guard - Duke
Warburton, Morgan - Sr. - Guard - Utah
Wirth, Christina - Sr. - Forward - Vanderbilt
Womack, Noteisha - Sr. - Forward - Seton Hall
Wright , Monica - Jr. - Guard - Virginia
Zellous, Shavonte - Sr. - Guard - Pittsburgh
