MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Pete Maravich Award

Jeremy Claridge, a 6-7 senior out of College Place, Washington and Walla Walla College is the recipient of the 2006 NCCAA Division I Men's Basketball Pete Maravich Award.

A First Team NCCAA All-American in 2004-05, Claridge led his team to the 2005 NCCAA Championships in Frankfort, KY, and has them back this year for the Championships in Oakland City, Indiana.

On the court Jeremy leads the Wolves with an average of 16.7 points per game and 7.2 rebounds a contest. Both are team bests in leading the team to a 17-11 record.

But Claridge's real "bests" may be on the "court of life", as he has worked in a weekly community Christian outreach program for disadvantaged children in the Walla Walla Valley for the last three years, and he has served as a bible study leader for junior high students through mentorship in his church. In addition, in the spring of 2000 he was part of a mission trip to Jamaica involving the presentation of spiritual programs and working on a building project. In December of 2003, he went on a mission trip to Thailand. In 2003-04 he worked as a student missionary volunteer in Phonom Penh, Cambodia, where he taught K-12 students Computers, English, and Physical Education, along with being a spiritual leader.

Says Walla Walla Director of Athletics, Tim Windemuth: "Jeremy Claridge is a Christian example in his walk, and he is beyond his years in this area of life. He has taken a strong Christian stand, and there is no doubt in my mind that Jeremy's best friend is Jesus Christ".

"Jeremy is the key to our success," says Walla Walla Coach Jimmy Hill, "he is extremely versatile and can gaurd on the block or play on the perimeter for us. (as evidenced by his 50% 3-point field goal shooting statistic).

Claridge has a 3.99 GPA after seven semesters of college work, and he plans on teaching Physical Education and Math and coaching after graduation in May of this year.