Nov. 7, 2008

LOS ANGELES – South Carolina junior point guard Devan Downey has been selected to the 2008-09 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team and Player of the Year Trophy preseason top 50 candidate list, as announced by the organization’s chairman and founder, Richard “Duke” Llewellyn on Friday. The list is composed of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year’s individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor.

A First-Team All-SEC pick last season, Downey recorded 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and an SEC record-setting 3.2 steals per contest. He looks to lead a fast-paced Gamecock attack under first-year head coach Darrin Horn on the court this year.

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), and 2007 recipient Kevin Durant of Texas. Candace Parker of Tennessee won the Women’s Wooden Award in 2007 and 2008.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to one million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All-American recipients as well as sent over 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the awards name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All-Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on the Friday prior to the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by logging on to www.WOODENAWARD.com. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff via phone at 213-630-5231 or email at woodenaward@laac.net.