OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (Feb. 12, 2014) — UConn senior basketball players Shabazz Napier (Roxbury, Mass.) and Stefanie Dolson (Port Jervis, N.Y.) have been selected as two of the 20 finalists for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Awards, which recognize excellence in men's and women's college basketball on and off the court.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition. The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 men's candidates and 30 women's candidates announced in October.
Napier, also on the final lists of the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, the John R. Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the James Naismith Award, currently leads the 18-5 Huskies in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and minutes played. He has been named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week three times and to the league's weekly Honor Roll seven times.
Off the court, he has been recognized with the Athletic Director High Five Award for academics and participated in numerous charitable events, including visits to the St. Elizabeth House Shelter in Hartford and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Dolson, a 2012-13 WBCA/State Farm All-America selection, is averaging 12.6 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Huskies this season. She is second in the American Athletic Conference in rebounds per game and third in field goal percentage at 56.4. The Port Jervis, N.Y. native has tallied 11 double-doubles and notched UConn first triple-double (26 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists) since Laura Lishness in 1989. Dolson, a 2013-14 Preseason American Athletic Conference First Team selection, enters the weekend only 37 rebounds shy of becoming only the fifth Husky al-time to accumulate 1,000 career rebounds.
Off the court, Dolson and the Huskies have participated in several community service efforts, including the Walk for Autism, visiting the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and helping to raise close to $50,000 to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Two former Huskies have won the Senior Class Award; Sue Bird in 2002 and Maya Moore in 2011.
Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through March 24. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches' votes to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four® and NCAA Women's Final Four®.
Men's Basketball Finalists
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Aaron Craft, Ohio State |
Tim Frazier, Penn State |
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Jordan Dykstra, South Dakota State |
Doug McDermott, Creighton |
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Melvin Ejim, Iowa State |
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut |
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Dwayne Evans, Saint Louis |
Russ Smith, Louisville |
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C.J. Fair, Syracuse |
Patric Young, Florida |
Women's Basketball Finalists
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Heather Butler, Tennessee-Martin |
Natasha Howard, Florida State |
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Hallie Christofferson, Iowa State |
Maggie Lucas, Penn State |
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Jerica Coley, Florida International |
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford |
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Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut |
Haley Peters, Duke |
|
Jordan Hooper, Nebraska |
Odyssey Sims, Baylor |
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