Sports Hall of Fame and Wireless Company Announce Details of Awards Event Honoring Top Male and Female College Basketball Players in Magnolia State
Jackson, Miss., (February 21, 2012) – The C Spire Wireless Howell Trophy and Gillom Trophy, the media-selected honors awarded annually to Mississippi's top male and female college basketball players, will be held on Monday, March 5, 2012 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson.
This is the first year following two significant programming changes that were implemented in 2011, including scheduling the awards ceremony earlier in the month prior to conference tournament play and shifting from an evening venue to a daytime program.
"Everyone involved – fans, coaches and players – thought the changes went smoothly last year and helped us generate more enthusiasm and participation in the awards program," said Jim Richmond, director of Corporate Communications for C Spire Wireless. "With the new format, teams are still playing, games are still meaningful and basketball is still top of mind for everyone."
The format for selecting finalists remains the same with the top 3 men's and women's players selected by 51 statewide media voters. Finalists and their head coaches are expected to attend the luncheon event. Tickets are $35 per person and include a buffet-style lunch. Native Mississippian and former longtime national college basketball and football play-by-play announcer Ron Franklin will serve as master of ceremonies. All proceeds benefit the private, non-profit Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
"We’re always pleased with the caliber of young men and women who are selected as nominees and finalists for the C Spire Howell and Gillom awards," Richmond said. "This has been another strong year in terms of individual and overall performance and leadership among the basketball teams in our state. We're expecting another strong crop of finalists this year," he added.
The Howell Trophy presented by C Spire Wireless is named after Bailey Howell, a two-time All American at Mississippi State University and a six-time NBA All-Star who played on Boston Celtics world championship teams in 1968 and 1969. Howell, a 1977 inductee to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the first male Mississippi player inducted in the National Basketball Hall of Fame, still holds nearly a dozen season and career records at Mississippi State University.
The Gillom Trophy presented by C Spire Wireless is named after Abbeville, Mississippi native Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Ole Miss' all-time leading scorer and rebounder. She has coached in the WNBA and the Olympics and recently retired after a seven-year stint as Associate Head Coach of the Lady Rebels basketball team at Ole Miss.
2012 marks the 16th anniversary of Outstanding Player Awards presentation. C Spire Wireless has served as title sponsor for 14 of those years since 1998. The Conerly Trophy in college football, the Howell Trophy in men's college basketball, the Gillom Trophy in women's college basketball and the Ferriss Trophy in college baseball comprise the four elements of the C Spire Wireless Outstanding Player Award series.
For ticket information, contact the Museum at 1-800-280-FAME (3263).
About C Spire Wireless
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