Freije Named Finalist For Naismith Award

Freije Named Finalist For Naismith Award

2/19/2004

Freije Named Finalist For Naismith Award
VU senior one of 20 finalists

ATLANTA – Vanderbilt senior Matt Freije has been named one of 20 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award, as announced by Jackie Bradford, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

The Naismith Board of Selectors, which includes some of the country’s leading basketball coaches, journalists, and administrators, began the selection process earlier this year. They have reduced the number of finalists by balloting to the twenty top male and female players they feel most deserving of the award.

The winners of the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball, will be honored in Atlanta on Friday, April 9, 2004.

The finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award (listed alphabetically) are as follows:

Josh Childress, Stanford
Ike Diogu, Arizona State
Chris Duhon, Duke
Andre Emmett, Texas Tech
Raymond Felton, North Carolina
Matt Freije, Vanderbilt
Francisco Garcia, Louisville
Ryan Gomes, Providence
Ben Gordon, Connecticut
Devin Harris, Wisconsin
Julius Hodge, NC State
Luke Jackson, Oregon
Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph’s
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
J.J. Redick, Duke
Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State
Wayne Simien, Kansas
Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse
Bracey Wright, Indiana

The Naismith Awards program, now in its 36th year, honors outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of excellence in basketball for student-athletes. Please visit our web page at www.naismithawards.com for more information on the Naismith Awards and past winners.