Jackson Named To Naismith List

NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma senior sensation Dionnah Jackson adds to her list of preseason honors. Jackson was named a candidate for the 2004-05 Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday.

The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's players of the year. The Top 50 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its pre-season criteria on player performances from last season.

Jackson is also a Wooden Preseason All-American and a State Farm Wade Trophy National Player of the Year Award candidate. She has already been named one of 12 semifinalists, out of nearly 200 candidates, for the inaugural John Wooden Trophy/Athletes for a Better World. The mission of Athletes for a Better World (ABW) is to use sports to develop character, teamwork, and citizenship through commitment to an athletic Code for Living that applies to life and to create a movement that will play a significant role in the transformation of individuals, sports and society.

In January, the Board of Selectors will narrow its pre-season list to the Top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

The 5-9 guard is one of 10 candidates from the Big 12 Conference. Former Sooners Caton Hill (2003), LaNeishea Caufield (2002) and Stacey Dales-Schuman (2002) were also preseason candidates for this award. Dales-Schuman was a top 5 finalist.

In the Sooners first exhibition win, Jackson had an all-around game as she scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out four assists and pocketed three steals in just 19 minutes of play. The Sooners won, 101-57, over Latvia, improving their exhibition record to 11-0 since the 1999 season.

OU is set to wrap up its exhibition schedule this week as the Sooners face Oklahoma Christian on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in Norman. Season tickets are still available for purchase and ingle game tickets for Thursday's action are just $5.

2004-05 Naismith Preseason Women's Basketball
Player of the Year Candidates
Player, School
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Sherrill Baker, Georgia
Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame
Stephanie Blackmon, Baylor
Nikki Blue, UCLA
Natasha Brackett, Auburn
Jamie Carey, Texas
Monique Currie, Duke
Jessica Deveney, Boston College
Shay Doron, Maryland
Shyra Ely, Tennessee
Emily Faurholt, Idaho State
Katie Feenstra, Liberty
Katie Gearlds, Purdue
Erin Grant, Texas Tech
Sandora Irvin, TCU
Dionnah Jackson, Oklahoma
Tiffany Jackson, Texas
Tamara James, Miami
Temeka Johnson, LSU
Alexis Kendrick, Georgia
Laurie Koehn, Kansas State
Cathrine Kraayeveld, Oregon
Ivory Latta, North Carolina
Camille Little, North Carolina
Sancho Lyttle, Houston
Kristen Mann, UC-Santa Barbara
Janel McCarville, Minnesota
Jessica Moore, Connecticut
Loree Moore, Tennessee
Bernice Mosby, Florida
Chelsea Newton, Rutgers
Shawntinice Polk, Arizona
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Noelle Quinn, UCLA
Kathrin Ress, Boston College
Alesha Robertson, Texas Tech
Heather Schreiber, Texas
Khara Smith, DePaul
Kim Smith, Utah
Ann Strother, Connecticut
Kelley Suminski, Stanford
Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt
Barbara Turner, Connecticut
Kendra Wecker, Kansas State
Dee-Dee Wheeler, Arizona
Tan White, Mississippi State
Tanisha Wright, Penn State
Sophia Young, Baylor
Shanna Zolman, Tennessee

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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