Oct. 29, 2009
The Complete Naismith Watch List 
ATLANTA - University of Dayton forward Chris Wright was named to the 2009-2010 Preseason Naismith Trophy watch list today. The Naismith Trophy is voted on by coaches, administrators and journalists from around the country and is awarded to the nation's top player. This is the second such honor Wright has received, was also named to the John R. Wooden Award Watch List in August.
Wright is the only player named to the list from the Atlantic 10.
The 6-foot-8 junior from Trotwood, Ohio played a pivotal part in leading the Flyers, who were ranked 21st by the Associated Press on Thursday, to the NCAA Tournament in 2008 behind a 27-8 record. Last season, Wright was First Team NABC All-District, Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and MVP of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. He led the Flyers in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg), free throws made (121), dunks (a school-record 54) and SportCenter Top Ten Plays (3).
In addition to his ability to be an impact player each time Wright is on the court, his most defining moments came during key matches for the No. 21 Flyers last season. Wright was showcased in SportCenter's Top Ten Plays with a thunderous dunk over a Marquette defender in the Chicago Invitational Challenge. Against then-No. 14 Xavier, Wright posted a team-leading 19 points en route to capturing the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy. The pinnacle of his sophomore season came during the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, when he scored a career-high 27 points and had 10 rebounds against the sixth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers.
Wright is one of four returning starters to Dayton this season. The Flyers also return 10 of its top 11 starters from last year's team that reached the NCAA Second Round. The returnees include all four players who earned Atlantic 10 postseason honors in 2008-09: Wright, Marcus Johnson, London Warren and Chris Johnson. UD was also voted the A-10 preseason favorite.
In February, the Naismith voting academy narrows the list to the top 30 based on athletic performance. In March, the voting academy selects the four finalists who will go to the final ballot. The winner is selected by a board of selectors vote, in conjunction with fan voting.
ABOUT THE NAISMITH
The most prestigious trophy in college and high school basketball, the Naismith was first awarded to the men's college basketball player of the year in 1969 (Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA).
As the creator of the Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club was founded during the 1956-57 basketball season and has since been armed with the mission of promoting the continued support for the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. Three former Atlantic 10 players have been awarded the Naismith Trophy. Saint Joseph's Jameer Nelson in 2004, UMass's Marcus Camby in 1996 and La Salle's Lionel Simmons in 1990.
