Pittsburgh junior Carl Krauser was named one of 50 preseason men's basketball All-America candidates yesterday by the John R. Wooden Award committee.

	Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Junior point guard Carl Krauser is named one of the top-50 players in the country. Click photo for larger image.

The top-50 candidates were selected by a preseason poll based on last year's individual performance and team records. The Wooden Award committee will release its Midseason Top-30 on CBS Sports in mid-January. The list will be narrowed to a 10-player Wooden All-America Team announced on March 29. One member of the Wooden Award All-America Team will be selected on April 9, 2005 as the recipient of the Wooden Award Trophy given to the nation's "Most Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year."

Named the Big East Most Improved Player as Pitt's point guard in 2003-04, Carl Krauser led Pittsburgh in scoring (15.4 points per game), assists (4.5 assists per game) and free throw shooting (77.8 percent). Krauser earned both USBWA All-District and NABC All-District First Team honors and was named to the All-Big East Second Team. He was also voted an Associated Press honorable mention All-America selection. In 64 career games and 33 starts, Krauser averages 10.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds per game.