Feb. 24, 2009

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Senior guard Jack McClinton of the University of Miami men's basketball team was named among 30 mid-season candidates for the 2009 Naismith Trophy. The Atlantic Coast Conference leads all conferences with nine players on the list, followed by the Big East with eight.

The top 30 men's list was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from across the country. The Naismith Trophy is among the most prestigious national basketball awards given annually to the men's basketball player of the year. This year's award will be presented at the NCAA Men's Final Four in Detroit.

McClinton - the ACC's all-time three-point field goal percentage leader (.446) - also leads the ACC this season in three-point field goal percentage (.477) and three-pointers per game (3.2), while ranking among the league's top five in both scoring (20.1 ppg) and free throw percentage (.860). He is the only ACC player to rank among the nation's top 30 in four different statistical categories - including third in the country in three-point field goal percentage, and owns three of the conference's top 10 scoring performances this season - including back-to-back-to-back 30-point games versus Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina.

Miami's first First Team All-ACC pick last season, McClinton is one of nine ACC players on the Naismith mid-season list, including 2008 winner Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Trevor Booker (Clemson), Gerald Henderson (Duke), James Johnson (Wake Forest), Ty Lawson (North Carolina), Tyrese Rice (Boston College), Kyle Singler (Duke) and Jeff Teague (Wake Forest).

2009 Naismith Men's Mid-Season Candidates

A.J. Abrams		Texas
Jeff Adrien		Connecticut
DeJuan Blair		Pittsburgh
Trevor Booker		Clemson
Jon Brockman		Washington
Nick Calathes		Florida
Dionte Christmas		Temple
Earl Clark		Louisville
Sherron Collins		Kansas
Stephen Curry		Davidson
Devan Downey		South Carolina
Blake Griffin		Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough		North Carolina
Luke Harangody		Notre Dame
James Harden		Arizona State
Gerald Henderson		Duke
Robbie Hummel		Purdue
James Johnson		Wake Forest
Ty Lawson			North Carolina
Eric Maynor		VCU
Jack McClinton		Miami
Jerel McNeal		Marquette
Jodie Meeks		Kentucky
Patrick Mills		St. Mary's
Tyrese Rice		Boston College
Kyle Singler		Duke
Jeff Teague		Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet	         Connecticut
Terrence Williams		Louisville
Sam Young			Pittsburg