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Oct. 30, 2009

ATLANTA – South Carolina senior guard Devan Downey has been named to the 2009-10 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club this week. Downey, the SEC’s top returning scorer, was also named to the List prior to last season.

Two conferences – the Big East and Atlantic Coast – placed nine representatives apiece while the Big XII and SEC each had eight.

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 2009-10 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2010 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis, Ind.

“The level of talent is exceptional across all teams, conferences and classes, which further underscores just how many candidates have a legitimate chance to win this award,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “We are looking forward to the start of the season and to see who will end the year as the winner of the Naismith Trophy, the most prestigious award in college basketball.”

Since 2005, presenting sponsor AT&T has set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining the trophy 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, during CBS’ coverage of college basketball, the “AT&T at the Half” segment will feature a Naismith Trophy update highlighting the players in contention for the award.

In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the Top 30 players in the nation. Then in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.

Other notable Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year winners include Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and last year’s winner, Griffin. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year.