SI.com's Luke Winn dominates best-writing contest

Luke Winn of SI.com took first place in one category and finished third in two others in the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's best-writing contest.

Winn took first in moderate-length features for a story on Connecticut big man Hasheem Thabeet. Winn also finished third in enterprise/investigative reporting for "The Hoops Ideology Report" and in spot news for a story on Stephen Curry.

John Feinstein of the Washington Post also placed in three categories, finishing fourth in spot news ("Magic Lives on at the Palestra") and moderate-length features ("Obama's Brother-In-Law is Court Authority") and fifth in column writing ("A Void That Can't Be Filled").

John Akers of Basketball Times took first place in enterprise/ investigative reporting for a story that explored how two programs went in opposite directions following an nondescript NCAA Tournament game between Minnesota and Gonzaga 10 years ago. Akers also finished fourth in magazine-length features for a piece on Tennessee- Martin's Lester Hudson.

Tom Archdeacon of the Dayton Daily News also placed in two categories – fourth in column writing ("Majerus Credits Donoher For Success") and second in moderate- length features ("Hall of Fame Reunites Former Star With Happier Times").

Other first-place winners" Marty Dobrow of the Boston Globe in magazine-length features, Lew Freedman of Basketball Times for column writing and Phil Chardis of the Manchester Journal Inquirer for spot news.

Dobrow won for a story on Memphis freshman Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, believed to be the first woman to play in the NCAA in full Muslim dress.

Freedman won for a column on the late Kay Yow. Chardis won for his story on Syracuse's six-overtime victory in the Big East Conference tournament.

In enterprise/investigate reporting, other placewinners included second-place Steve Wieberg of USA Today, fourth-place Bud Withers of the Seattle Times and fifthplace John Bohnenkamp of the Burlington Hawk Eye.

In magazine-length features, other place-winners included second-place Jerry Bembry of ESPN the Magazine, third-place Kevin Armstrong of SI.com and fifth-place David Jones of the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

In column writing, other place-winners were secondplace Gary Parrish of CBS Sports.com and third-place David Teel of the Newport News Daily Press.

In spot news, place-winners included second-place Pete DiPrimo of the Fort Wayne News Sentinel and fifth-place Tom Kensler of the Denver Post.

In moderate-length features, other place-winners included third-place Ken Davis and fifth-place Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.