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Senior CLASS Award
(men's and women's basketball)
Awarded forthe senior NCAA Division I student athlete of the year in men's and women's basketball
CountryUnited States
Presented byPremier Sports Management
History
First award2001 (men)
2002 (women)
Final awardOn hiatus as of 2022
WebsiteOfficial website

The Senior CLASS Award is presented each year to the NCAA Division I student athlete of the year in men's and women's basketball who are seniors. The acronym "CLASS" stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.[1] According to the award's official website, the recognition "honors the attributes of NCAA Division I senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring."[1] NCAA Division I basketball coaches, media members, and fans vote during the selection process.[1]

History

The idea for the award came from legendary sportscaster Dick Enberg.[2] A major storyline throughout the 2000–01 men's basketball season, and during the broadcast of the 2001 championship game, was Duke player's Shane Battier's decision the previous summer to return to school for his senior season, despite being a projected first round NBA draft lottery pick if he had decided to turn pro.[3] Later in 2001, Premier Sports Management announced the formation of the Senior CLASS Award and teamed up with the Kansas City Club to host an annual awards gala.[2] Enberg agreed to serve as honorary chairman of the award and CBS Sports provided broadcast support, announcing the winner each year during the Final Four telecast.[2] Enberg's idea for this award was originally to honor men's basketball seniors but over the ensuing years it expanded to other sports, with women's basketball seniors getting their first awardee one year later.[2]

In September 2022, Premier Sports Management decided to "take a pause" on presenting future Senior CLASS award winners.[4] They had been operating without an official corporate sponsor since 2012–13 and in 2022 decided it was time to look for a new one.[4] Once they have a new sponsor they intend to resume the awards "for years to come."[4]

Key

    *     Awarded a national player of the year award:
Men – Sporting News; Oscar Robertson Trophy; Associated Press; NABC; UPI; Naismith; Wooden; Adolph Rupp Trophy
Women – Wade; Associated Press; Naismith; Wooden

Winners

Elena Delle Donne, Delaware, 2013
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State, 2016
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond, 2022
Lexie Hull, Stanford, 2022
Men
Year Player School Position Reference
2000–01 Shane Battier* Duke SF [5]
2001–02 Juan Dixon Maryland SG [5]
2002–03 David West* Xavier PF [6]
2003–04 Jameer Nelson* Saint Joseph's PG [7]
2004–05 Wayne Simien Kansas PF [8]
2005–06 JJ Redick* Duke SG [9]
2006–07 Alando Tucker Wisconsin SF [10]
2007–08 Shan Foster Vanderbilt SG / SF [11]
2008–09 Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina PF / C [12]
2009–10 Da'Sean Butler West Virginia SF / PF [13]
2010–11 Jimmer Fredette* BYU SG [14]
2011–12 Robbie Hummel Purdue SF [15]
2012–13 Jordan Hulls Indiana PG [16]
2013–14 Doug McDermott* Creighton SF / PF [17]
2014–15 Alex Barlow Butler PG [18]
2015–16 Denzel Valentine* Michigan State SF [19]
2016–17 Josh Hart Villanova SF [20]
2017–18 Jevon Carter West Virginia PG [21]
2018–19 Luke Maye North Carolina PF [22]
2019–20 Markus Howard Marquette PG [23]
2020–21 Luka Garza* Iowa C [24]
2021–22 Jacob Gilyard Richmond PG [25]
Women
Year Player School Position Reference
2000–01 No award[5]
2001–02 Sue Bird* UConn PG [5]
2002–03 LaToya Thomas Mississippi State F [6]
2003–04 Alana Beard* Duke SG / SF [7]
2004–05 Kendra Wecker Kansas State F [8]
2005–06 Seimone Augustus* LSU F [9]
2006–07 Alison Bales Duke C [26]
2007–08 Candice Wiggins* Stanford PG / SG [27]
2008–09 Courtney Paris Oklahoma C [12]
2009–10 Kelsey Griffin Nebraska F [28]
2010–11 Maya Moore* UConn PF [29]
2011–12 Nneka Ogwumike Stanford PF [30]
2012–13 Elena Delle Donne Delaware SF / SG [31]
2013–14 Stefanie Dolson UConn C [32]
2014–15 Samantha Logic Iowa PG [33]
2015–16 Breanna Stewart* UConn PF [34]
2016–17 Sydney Wiese Oregon State PG / SG [35]
2017–18 Gabby Williams UConn PF [36]
2018–19 Megan Gustafson* Iowa PF / C [37]
2019–20 Sabrina Ionescu* Oregon PG [38]
2020–21 Rennia Davis Tennessee F [39]
2021–22 Lexie Hull Stanford SG [40]

References

  1. ^ a b c "About the Senior CLASS Award". SeniorClassAward.com. Premier Sports Management. 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "History of the Award". SeniorClassAward.com. Premier Sports Management. 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  3. ^ Tudor, Caulton (March 5, 2000). "Devils hope Battier will stay". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 51. Retrieved September 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c Miner, Erik (September 13, 2022). "Senior CLASS Award Takes a Pause". SeniorClassAward.com. Premier Sports Management. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Prater, Derek (April 21, 2002). "CLASS passes tests in first year". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 42. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Kerkhoff, Blair (April 26, 2003). "Top seniors honored with CLASS". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 83. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Kerkhoff, Blair (May 7, 2004). "Nelson adds CLASS". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 80. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Voepel, Mechelle (May 1, 2005). "Award special for Simien, Wecker". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 31. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Kerkhoff, Blair (April 2, 2006). "Redick, Augustus show CLASS". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 35. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Badgers' Tucker wins senior CLASS award". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. April 2, 2007. p. 13. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Vandy's Foster honored as top Division I senior student-athlete". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. April 6, 2008. p. C4. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b "Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Announces Finalists for NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball". SeniorClassAward.com. Overland Park, Kansas. February 3, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  13. ^ Lesmerises, Doug (April 5, 2010). "Four things I think about the championship game". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 24. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Fredette Wins the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award". TheMTN.tv. Overland Park, Kansas. April 1, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  15. ^ "Hummel wins Lowe's Senior Class Award". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Munster, Indiana. March 31, 2012. p. B10. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Johnson, Bob (May 14, 2013). "Advice on making decisions". Daily Journal. Franklin, Indiana. p. 9. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "McDermott wins Senior CLASS Award". Omaha World-Herald. Omaha, Nebraska. April 4, 2014. p. 18. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "New accolade for Butler's Barlow". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. April 4, 2015. p. C7. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Award for Valentine". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. April 2, 2016. p. B3. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "At a glance – college basketball". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 1, 2017. p. D06. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Meehan, Jim (March 31, 2018). "Zags' Williams earns class honors". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. B6. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Alexander, Jonathan M. (April 6, 2019). "UNC senior wins award that goes beyond game of basketball". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. p. B2. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Markus Howard Wins Senior Class Award for Men's Basketball". GoMarquette.com. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. March 31, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  24. ^ Doxsie, Don (April 3, 2021). "Garza wins three more national awards". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. Davenport, Iowa. p. B5. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ O'Connor, John (April 2, 2022). "Spiders star Gilyard wins national character award". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. p. A6. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Bales wins Lowe's Senior CLASS award". The Herald-Sun. Durham, North Carolina. April 6, 2007. p. 22. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Parker captures national honors". Evansville Courier & Press. Evansville, Indiana. April 8, 2008. p. 17. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "NU's Yori and Griffin reap more accolades". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. April 4, 2010. p. D1. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Nash, John (April 1, 2011). "Moore awards for Maya". The Hour. Norwalk, Connecticut. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "CLASS Award". Journal & Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. April 1, 2012. p. B10. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "More honors for Mingo". Journal & Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. April 6, 2013. p. 9. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Altavilla, John (April 5, 2014). "Dolson's Award-Winning Season Keeps Going". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. p. C1. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Logic named to WBCA all-America team". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. April 6, 2015. p. B3. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "More Honors for Breanna Stewart". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. April 2, 2016. p. C5. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Metcalfe, Jeff (April 13, 2017). "Wiese, Osahor, Brunner could get selected". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. C1. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ Fulkerson, Vickie (March 31, 2018). "Geno has always loved everything about Wooden and UCLA". The Day. New London, Connecticut. p. 11. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Batterson, Steve (April 5, 2019). "Gustafson named AP player of the year". Muscatine Journal. Muscatine, Iowa. p. B1. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Ionescu wins Senior CLASS Award". Portland Tribune. Portland, Oregon. April 1, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  39. ^ "Senior CLASS Team". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. April 2, 2021. p. B3. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Stanford's Lexie Hull declares for WNBA draft". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. April 5, 2022. p. B2. Retrieved September 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.