Purvis Short to Present Cellular South Howell Trophy

JACKSON, Miss. - (Mar. 29, 2005) – Former NBA All-Star and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee Purvis Short will present the 2005 Cellular South Howell Trophy to Mississippi’s top men’s college basketball player on Thursday April 14, 2005 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson, MS.

The Hattiesburg, MS native was a three-time All-American at Jackson State University and the number 5 player selected in the 1978 NBA draft. He scored 14,607 points during his twelve-year NBA career with Golden State, Houston and New Jersey. He currently serves as the Director of Player Programs for the NBA Players Association.

Short will present the Howell Trophy to either Ole Miss forward Tommie Eddie; Mississippi State forward Shane Power; or, Mississippi State center Lawrence Roberts. The trio finished at the top of voting by media members from across the state.

All three finalists are expected to be present when the winner is announced at the First Annual Cellular South Howell Trophy presentation at the Museum on April 14, 2005. For ticket information, contact the Museum at 601-982-8264 or 1-800-280-FAME.

The trophy is named after former Mississippi State All-American and six-time NBA All-Star Bailey Howell.

About Cellular South

The company is the largest privately held wireless provider in the U.S. and is licensed to provide wireless service - to a total population of more than five million people - on its network stretching from the Memphis Metropolitan Area, throughout all of Mississippi, along Coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Destin/Seaside. For more information, contact Cellular South at 1-877-CSOUTH1 or visit cellularsouth.com.

Contact:
Tanya Rankin, Cellular South (601) 974-7134 trankin@cellularsouth.com