The deadline for submitting stories and columns published during the 2008-09 basketball season for the USBWA Best Writing Contest is June 15.

Entries can be submitted in five categories: column writing, moderate-length features, magazine-length features, spot news/game coverage and enterprise/investigative stories.

Only dues-paying members of the USBWA are eligible to enter the writing contest. Members may enter more than one category but may submit only one entry per category.

Plaques and cash prizes will be awarded in each category.

Winners will be announced in an issue of The Tipoff and posted on the USBWA website.

Send all entries to: Joe Mitch; USBWA Writing Contest; 1818 Chouteau Ave.; St. Louis, Mo. 63103; (314) 421-0339; or e-mail entries to mitch@mvc.org.

For entries submitted by the mail, print the name of the category, the author of the story, the publication in which the article appeared and the date of the publication on a 3-by-5 card and staple it to the article.