Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE'S COLLINS AND DUPREE NOMINATED FOR 2005-06 BAYER ADVANTAGE SENIOR CLASS AWARD
12.1.05 | General
KANSAS CITY, MO -
Temple University basketball seniors Mardy Collins and Candice Dupree have been nominated for the 2005-06 Bayer Advantage® Senior CLASS Award -- 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. This is the latest nomination in a string of awards that the two All-America candidates have been selected for.Named the nation's top point guard by CBS SportsLine.com's Senior Writer Gregg Doyel, Collins earned first team all-Atlantic 10 Conference and first team All-District honors by both the NABC and the USBWA as a junior in 2004-05 when he helped guide Temple to a 16-14 record and a berth in the NIT. It marked the 22nd straight postseason berth for the Owls.
Dupree, a preseason All-A-10 First team pick, also earned spots on the Street & Smith's, The Wooden Award and The State Farm Wade Trophy "Players To Watch" lists and was voted First Team All-America by the Women's Basketball News Service. Arguably one of the best players in Temple women's basketball history, Dupree led the Owls and was among the leaders in the A-10 in scoring (16.3 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg), blocks (65), steals (70) and field goal percentage (54%) last season. A 2004-05 Honorable Mention All-American, and the Big Five Player of the Year, Dupree was named to the A-10 and Big Five First Teams and became just the second player in Conference history to earn back-to-back Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament honors. She also had a league-leading 14 double-doubles on her way to scoring her 1,000th career point.
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. 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 next April.
From the list of 30 nominees for each gender, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the award in February as the conference season hits its peak. Those ten names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide voting process during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with results from voting by coaches and media to determine the male and female winner.
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.
