ESPN Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas To Headline 31st Annual Winged Foot Scholarship Foundation Awards

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas will headline the 31st Annual Winged Foot Scholarship Foundation Awards Banquet.

The annual awards presentation, which recognizes the achievements of Collier County’s best scholar athletes, will take place on Thursday, May 21st at The Naples Grande Beach Resort in North Naples.

Bilas, 56, has been a color commentator and studio analyst for ESPN since 1995. He was a four-year starter at Duke University,vplaying for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski and helping to leadvthe school to the Final Four and National Championship game inv1986.

Bilas later served as an assistant under Krzyzewski for three seasons from 1990 to 1992. He also earned his law degree and is a practicing attorney in North Carolina and was a game analyst for CBS on NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament coverage from 2003-10.

The Winged Foot Scholar Athlete Award began in 1990 at the Collier Athletic Club as a vision to recognize the top senior scholar athlete from each of the high schools in Collier County.

The first award was presented to Terry Dean of Barron Collier High School at a banquet featuring sportscaster Dick Vitale. The Winged Foot Scholar Athlete Award has become the most prestigious award a high school student can receive in Collier County.

Each of the public and private high schools nominates its best senior scholar athlete. Finalists receive a $5,000 scholarship. The winner, selected by a panel of Winged Foot Committee members and local citizens, earns a stunning trophy and $10,000 scholarship.

The event begins with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and awards presentation to follow at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are available for $275 per person. A number of sponsorship opportunities also are currently available. All proceeds from the banquet go toward the scholarship program. For further information, call 239-262-7171.

Major Sponsors of the 31st Annual Winged Foot Scholarship Foundation Awards Banquet include Barron Collier Jr. Foundation Inc, The Lutgert Companies, Gallagher Lutgert Insurance, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Grant Fridkin Pearson, PA, IBERIABANK, and Dr. Charles Karpas.