Hemsley Named Candidate For Naismith Award

Sept. 7, 1999

CORAL GABLES, FL — University of Miami senior Johnny Hemsley hasbeen selected as one of 30 preseason candidates for the 1999-2000 NaismithCollege Basketball Player of the Year Award.

Hemsley, a 6-5 guard/forward and 1998-99 first-team All-BIG EASTselection, averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game lastseason in helping lead Miami to a 23-7 record and its second consecutivetrip to the NCAA tournament.

The 1998-99 BIG EAST Most Improved Player, Hemsley improved hisnumbers in every statistical category including scoring, rebounding,assists, blocks, steals, field goal percentage and three-point field goalpercentage.

Hemsley is one of six BIG EAST athletes recognized as a preseasoncandidate for the Naismith Award. Joining Hemsley on the list are ErickBarkley (St. John’s), Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut), Kevin Freeman(Connecticut), Troy Murphy (Notre Dame) and Etan Thomas (Syracuse).

The Naismith Awards program, now in its 32nd year, honors theoutstanding college basketball player in the United States. The awardsprogram was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated torecognizing the achievements of student athletes in basketball.

The candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectorscomprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketballanalysts.

Preseason Naismith Player of the Year Candidates
(listed alphabetically)

Courtney Alexander, Fresno State
Harold Arceneaux, Weber State
Erick Barkley, St. John’s
Shane Battier, Duke
Chris Carrawell, Duke
Eric Chenowith, Kansas
Jason Collier, Georgia Tech
Ed Cota, North Carolina
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
Khalid El-Amin, Connecticut
Kevin Freeman, Connecticut
AJ Guyton, Indiana
Brendon Haywood, North Carolina
Johnny Hemsley, Miami
Mark Madsen, Stanford
Jamaal Magloire, Kentucky
Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati
Pete Mickeal, Cincinnati
Chris Mihm, Texas
Mike Miller, Florida
Terence Morris, Maryland
Hanno Mottola, Utah
Troy Murphy, Notre Dame
Robert O’Kelley, Wake Forest
Scoonie Penn, Ohio State
Chris Porter, Auburn
Michael Redd, Ohio State
Quentin Richardson, DePaul
Matt Santangelo, Gonzaga
Etan Thomas, Syracuse