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Black & Waner Named To Naismith Watch List
12/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA, Ga. ? The watch list for the 2009 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T was released on Friday with Duke University seniors Chante Black and Abby Waner named two of the 50 candidates, which was released by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
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.
Black, a product of Winston-Salem, N.C., has led the eighth-ranked Blue Devils on the season with averages of 15.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals. She has collected three double-doubles and registered a career-high 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds to open the season against 14th-ranked Oklahoma State. Black is the only Blue Devil to register double-figure points in all eight contests.
A native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Waner has started all eight games and leads Duke in three-pointers made (13), assists (31) and steals (20). She is averaging 10.8 points, 3.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals on the year. Earlier this season, Waner collected a season-high 24 points as she hit four three-pointers in a victory over Southern.
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. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Duke will take on Southern California on Friday, Dec. 19 at 11:00 p.m. (EDT), which is part of the Women of Troy Basketball Classic and will be aired live on Fox Sports Net West.
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