Marquette University Athletics
Diener named Senior CLASS Award Candidate
11/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The award?s organizing committee announced the list of candidates today. From that list, a national media committee will select 10 Finalists for the award next February. When the season reaches the NCAA Tournament in March, nationwide fan balloting will be coupled with results from voting by coaches and media to determine the male and female winner. Legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg, who initiated the idea for the award and now serves as Honorary Chairman, announces the winner during the CBS telecast of the NCAA Men?s Final Four.
Diener has led Marquette to a perfect 6-0 start to 2004 by averaging 22.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Last week, Diener earned national player of the week honors from ESPN.com?s Andy Katz and also won Conference USA?s weekly award. Currently third all-time at Marquette in assists and 13th in scoring, Diener is a preseason candidate for the Wooden, Naismith and Cousy Awards.
The Senior Class Award - an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School - was launched in the 2001-02 college basketball season. It is designed to honor the attributes of seniors who remain committed to their university and elect to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.
?The award is designed to return the prestige and dignity of being a senior college basketball player,? Enberg said. ?It?s not intended to say that leaving early for pro basketball is wrong, rather to celebrate those who do decide to return for a senior season.?
The remarkable story of Shane Battier returning to lead Duke to the national championship in 2002 inspired the inception of the award. The inaugural men?s award winner was Juan Dixon of Maryland, followed by David West of Xavier in 2003 and Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph?s in 2004.
2004-05 Bayer Advantage? Senior CLASS Award Candidates
Taylor Coppenrath, University of Vermont
Travis Diener, Marquette University
B.J. Elder, Georgia Tech University
Daniel Ewing, Duke University
Channing Frye, University of Arizona
Ryan Gomes, Providence College
Joey Graham, Oklahoma State University
Danny Granger, University of New Mexico
Michael Harris, Rice University
Chuck Hayes, University of Kentucky
Chris Hill, Michigan State University
Julius Hodge, North Carolina State
Keith Jackson, Xavier University
Keith Langford, University of Kansas
David Lee, University of Florida
Jamaal Levy, Wake Forest University
John Lucas, Jr., Oklahoma State University
Jason Maxiell, University of Cincinnati
Juan Mendez, Niagara University
Aaron Miles, University of Kansas
Spencer Nelson, Utah State University
Roger Powell, Jr., University of Illinois
Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State University
Luke Schenscher, Georgia Tech University
Wayne Simien, University of Kansas
Salim Stoudamire, University of Arizona
Chris Thomas, University of Notre Dame
Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga University
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse University
Jawad Williams, University of North Carolina
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