University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's Kelly Mazzante (Montoursville) and Tanisha Wright (West Mifflin) are among the 30 pre-season candidates for the 2003-04 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.
The Lady Lions' dynamic duo makes Penn State one of just seven schools to have multiple candidates on the list, along with Connecticut, Duke, Kansas State, LSU, Tennessee and Texas.
A two-time Kodak All-American, Mazzante enters the 2003-04 campaign just 16 points shy of becoming the Lady Lions' all-time leading scorer. The pre-season Big Ten Player of the Year also is within 341 points of becoming the top scorer in Big Ten history. The 2003 Big Ten Player of the Year, Mazzante enters the season having scored 2,238 points in her superlative career. A senior, Mazzante will have the opportunity to become the Big Ten's first-ever four-time first team all-conference selection.
Wright also was named to the 2003-04 pre-season All-Big Ten squads. A junior, Wright was the 2003 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a first team all-conference selection. She recorded 90 steals to go with her 16.0 point-per-game average last season and enters this year with 915 career points. Wright was an honorable mention Associated Press All-American last season.
Coach Rene Portland's Lady Lions, ranked No. 8 in the pre-season USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, open the 2003-04 season at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, hosting LSU at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's University Park campus.
The Naismith Awards program, in its 36th year, honors the outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball.
The candidates were selected by a vote of the board of selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists, and basketball analysts. Members of the board were asked to name top male and female players who are most likely to be in contention for the award.
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2003-04 Pre-Season Naismith Player of the Year Candidates
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame
Alana Beard, Duke
Jenni Benningfield, Vanderbilt
Tera Bjorklund, Colorado
Rebakkah Brunson, Georgetown
Jamie Carey, Texas
Shameka Christon, Arkansas
Shyra Ely, Tennessee
Trina Frierson, LA Tech
Ebony Hoffman, Southern California
Temeka Johnson, LSU
Chandi Jones, Houston
Kelly Mazzante, Penn State
Loree Moore, Tennessee
Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State
Jia Perkins, Texas Tech
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Nicole Powell, Stanford
Heather Schreiber, Texas
Stacy Stephens, Texas
Ann Strother, UConn
Diana Taurasi, UConn
Christi Thomas, Georgia
Iciss Tillis, Duke
Kendra Wecker, Kansas State
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota
Tan White, Mississippi State
Shereka Wright, Purdue
Tanisha Wright, Penn State