April 6, 2007

CONTACT: Rick Leddy, NABC Public Relations Director
Ricknabc@gmail.com
203-815-2437

ATLANTA, Ga. (April 1, 2007) - Here is a summary of awards presented at the AT & T/NABC Guardians of the Game awards show held Sunday night at the Sidney J. Marcus Auditorium.

NABC Division I Player of the Year - Kevin Durant, Texas

Naismith Trophy - Kevin Durant, Texas

NABC/Pete Newell Big Man of the Year - Greg Oden, Ohio State

NABC Defensive Player of the Year - Greg Oden, Ohio State

NABC Career Achievement Awards - Acie Law, Texas A & M and Alando Tucker, Wisconsin

NABC Division II Player of the Year - John Smith, Winona State

NABC Division III Co-Players of the Year - Andrew Olson, Amherst and Ben Strong, Guilford College

NABC Division I Coach of the Year - Todd Lickliter, Butler

NABC Division II Coach of the Year - Ron Lievense, Barton College

NABC Division III Coach of the Year - Dave Hixon, Amherst College

NABC NAIA Coach of the Year - Rocky Lamar, MidAmerica Nazarene

NABC/Hillyard Golden Anniversary Award - John Chaney, Temple

NABC Silver Anniversary All-America Team
Dan Calandrillo, Seton Hall
Jeff Jones, Virginia
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown
Pete Metzelaars, Wabash
Ricky Pierce, Rice

NABC Milestone in Coaching Awards - Bob Knight, Texas Tech and Herb Magee, Philadelphia University

NABC Literacy Champion Award - Bert Hammel, Merrimack College

NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award - Bruce Weber, Illinois

NABC Guardians of the Game Pillar Awards
Advocacy - Jud Heathcote, Michigan State
Education - Gary Smith, University of Redlands
Leadership - Steve Bankson, Baldwin-Wallace College
Service - Richard Reed, Sacramento State

NABC/Cliff Wells Appreciation Awards - Mayor Kay Barnes, Kansas City, Mo., and Bill Hall, Hallmark Family Foundation

Metropolitan Award - Jim O'Connell, Associated Press

NABC Ray Marquette Award - Tom Shatel, Omaha World-Journal (President, U.S. Basketball Writers Assn)

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches
Located in Kansas City, MO, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.