LOS ANGELES - Middle Tennessee senior forward Alysha Clark was among the list of 31 names released Thursday by Richard "Duke" Llewellyn, the John R. Wooden Award Chairman and founder, as Preseason John R. Wooden Award candidates.
The list contains 31 players, not the traditional 30, because the playing status of one student-athlete is uncertain due to a possible medical redshirt year. Transfers, freshmen and 2009 medical redshirts are not eligible for the preseason list. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December's midseason list and the official ballot released in March.
Clark was the only representative from the Sun Belt Conference among the 31 players. She was on the Midseason Top-20 Candidate list last season, earning a spot as one of three added at midseason.
"This is such an honor," Clark said, "with the history of the award and being recognized for it is just awesome. It is bringing light to our program."
The Mt. Juliet, Tenn., native finished 2008-09 as the nation's leading scorer with 27.5 points per game and 935 total points. She was selected as an All-American by CBSSports.com (Second Team), Associated Press (Third Team) and State Farm/WBCA (Honorable Mention).
Clark helped guide the Blue Raiders to a 28-6 mark as the Sun Belt's Player of the Year and its Newcomer of the Year. She was presented with the Sun Belt Player of the Week accolade a single-season league record six times.
Clark will join her 10 teammates from last season and five newcomers for this year's Middle Tennessee squad, which will begin preseason practice in mid-October.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. The Award is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher learning who has proved to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 grade-point average.
2009-10 John R. Wooden Award Women's Preseason Top-30 List:
Alysha Clark, Sr., F, Middle Tennessee
Jayne Appel, Sr., F/C, Stanford
Erica Beverly, Jr., F, Hartford
Angie Bjorklund, Jr., G/F, Tennessee
Heather Bowman, Sr., F, Gonzaga
Jessica Breland, Sr., F, North Carolina
Tina Charles, Sr., C, Connecticut
Allyssa DeHaan, Sr., C, Michigan State
Tyra Grant, Sr., G, Penn State
Alexis Gray-Lawson, Sr., G, California
Allison Hightower, Sr., G, LSU
Ashley Houts, Sr., G, Georgia
Ify Ibekwe, Jr., F, Arizona
Jantel Lavender, Jr., C, Ohio State
Gabriela Marginean, Sr., F, Drexel
Danielle McCray, Sr., G/F, Kansas
Nicole Michael, Sr., F, Syracuse
Jacinta Monroe, Sr., F/C, Florida State
Maya Moore, Jr., F, Connecticut
Jene Morris, Sr., G, San Diego State
Dierdre Naughton, Sr., G, DePaul
Ta'Shia Phillips, Jr., C, Xavier
Jeanette Pohlen, Jr., G, Stanford
Samantha Prahalis, So., G, Ohio State
Andrea Riley, Sr., G, Oklahoma State
Danielle Robinson, Jr., G, Oklahoma
Jenna Smith, Sr., C, Illinois
Ashley Sweat, Sr., F, Kansas State
Carolyn Swords, Jr., C, Boston College
Courtney Vandersloot, Jr., G, Gonzaga
Monica Wright, Sr., G, Virginia
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