Nov. 15, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s basketball senior guard A’dia Mathies (pronounced ODD-ee-uh) was selected to the prestigious 2012-13 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Thursday.
The 50 player watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2012-2013 college basketball season. The Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year presented by AT&T will be awarded on April 8, 2013, in New Orleans, La.
The 5-foot-9 guard led the Wildcats to their first Southeastern Conference title in 30 years last season and helped guide UK to the 2011-12 NCAA Elite Eight. The senior was named the 2012-13 SEC Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches and media and is a finalist for the “Wade Watch” list, Wooden Award and is a Senior CLASS Award candidate.
Mathies currently leads No. 6/7 Kentucky (1-1) in scoring (14.0 ppg), assists (5.0 apg), steals (2.5 spg) and is third on the squad in rebounds (4.0 rpg). The Louisville, Ky., native has 1,463 career points and is just 19 points shy of climbing into a tie for No. 10 on UK’s career scoring charts and needs to tally 11 more steals to move into a tie at No. 5 on Kentucky’s all-time steals list.
Mathies is one of five players on the list from the SEC. Joining her on the list are Anne Marie Armstrong (Georgia), Kelsey Bone (Texas A&M), Christina Foggie (Vanderbilt) and Jennifer George (Florida).
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. In March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.
The Wildcats return to the court Saturday, Nov. 17 against High Point from the Big South Conference at 1 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum.
Follow UK Hoops on its new social media page at www.UKwomensbasketball.com.
For more information on the Naismith Awards, visit www.naismithawards.com.
