KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- In response to the recent trend of college basketball players leaving early to turn professional, a new major award has been established to recgonize college seniors.
The senior CLASS Award will be presented annually to the outstanding senior NCAA Division I basketball player. The award will honor the top male and female player in the country.
The announcement was made Friday at a news conference at the Kansas City Club, the host organization for the new award.
Selection criteria will be based on a number of factors, the most important being that the recipient must have exhausted their four years of eligibility and have fulfilled their commitment to their university. In addition, the recipient must be working toward their degree, be in good academic standing and be of sound moral character.
"I applaud the Kansas City Club and the organizing group for taking the initiative to develop the senior CLASS Award," said CBS sportscaster Dick Endberg, who will serve as honorary chairman of the awards. "The idea is right and the time is right. This is the beginning of a new tradition as we seek to honor the attributes of a special breed of athlete -- the college senior."
Maryland guard Juan Dixon, Florida forward Udonis Haslem, Western Kentucky center Chris Marcus, Kentucky forward Tayshaun Prince, Iowa guard Luke Recker and Syracuse forward Preston Shumpert are some of the top players up for the award this season.
