April 18, 2002

INDIANAPOLIS - Samford basketball's redshirt freshman forward Jon Mills is one of 260 student-athletes selected to participate in the sixth annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference.

The Winfield, Ala., native was selected from a total of 1,084 nominations from NCAA member institutions that participate in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program. The conference will be held May 26-31, 2001, in Orlando, Fla.

Mills was tabbed the 2001-02 Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year as he started 21 of his 28 games in his first collegiate season. He averaged six points and nearly three rebounds per game, including five double-digit scoring performances which and his career high of 14 points in the season opener against Loyola Marymount. Academically, he has earned All-TAAC honors in Fall 2000 and All-Atlantic Sun accolades in Fall 2001.

Mills broke into the starting lineup on Nov. 29 when sophomore forward Sebastian Sachse injured an ankle in the Bulldogs' first conference game against Mercer. Mills started 11 straight games before an ankle injury sidelined him for two games on Jan. 12. He returned to start the last 10 games of the season.

The mission of the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference is to provide a diverse group of the nation's top student-athletes an opportunity to actively participate in challenging and thought-provoking activities that will enable them to become better leaders on their campuses and in their communities. As a result of participation, the student-athletes will enhance their communication skills, decision-making and problem-solving skills, critical-thinking skills and collaborative skills. The conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities.

Over 1,600 student-athletes have taken part in the NCAA Foundation Leadership experience. Of the 260 attendees this year, 188 are from Division I institutions, 29 are from Division II and 43 are from Division III. This year's participants also include representatives of 32 sports, including less-sponsored sports such as skiing, ice hockey, equestrian and water polo.

For more information on the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference and the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, log on to the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org.