Washington State senior guard Derrick Low is one of 50 men's basketball players on the John R. Wooden Preseason All-America Team, which was released yesterday.

Low, a 2004 'Iolani School graduate, led the Cougars in scoring last season with 13.7 points per game. He also averaged 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

Washington State finished 26-8 last season, setting a school record for most victories in a season.

According to a press release from the Wooden Award committee, the preseason list "is composed of 50 student-athletes who, based on last year's individual performance and team records, are the early frontrunners" for the 2007-08 John R. Wooden All-America Team.

A Midseason Top 30 will be released in January, and then the 10-player Wooden All-America Team will be announced in March.

Players from the Western Athletic Conference on the preseason list are Nevada's Marcelus Kemp and Utah State's Jaycee Carroll.

Low's teammate, Kyle Weaver, is also on the list.

The award is named for the three-time college basketball All-American, 1932 Player of the Year and 10-time national championship coach at UCLA.

"The committee had a tough time deciding on just 50 candidates, with so many returning talented players across the country," said Duke Llewellyn, Wooden Award chairman.

TENNIS

NALBANDIAN LOSES

David Nalbandian lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round of the Swiss Indoors at Basel, Switzerland yesterday, three days after beating top-ranked Roger Federer to win the Madrid Masters.

Wawrinka won 7-6 (5), 6-2 to extend his winning streak against Nalbandian to four.

James Blake defeated Oscar Hernandez, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the second round.

TOP SEED RODDICK FALLS

Top-seeded Andy Roddick was upset by Fabrice Santoro in the first round of the Lyon Grand Prix yesterday at Lyon, France.

Santoro hit three aces in the last game to complete a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-4 victory.

AND WHAT'S MORE . . .

Argentina returned to No. 1 in soccer's world rankings yesterday, with World Cup champion Italy dropping two places to third. The United States men stayed in 18th place. ... Sheffield FC, an amateur team from from Northern England, celebrated its 150th anniversary as the oldest soccer team in the world.