LADYDRAGON.COM - NCAA® FINAL FOUR MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER JUAN DIXON NAMED COVER ATHLETE FOR 989 SPORTS® NCAA FINAL FOUR(tm) 2003

Tuesday July 02, 2002

NCAA® FINAL FOUR MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER JUAN DIXON NAMED COVER ATHLETE FOR 989 SPORTS® NCAA FINAL FOUR(tm) 2003

NBA First Round Draft Selection Becomes Newest Member of Prestigious List of 989 Sports Cover Athletes

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. announced today that Juan Dixon, leader of the National Basketball Champion Maryland Terrapins, will grace the cover of NCAA® Final Four(tm) 2003, the newest edition of the college basketball franchise from the 989 Sports® development team.

Recently drafted in the first round (17th overall) by the Washington Wizards, Dixon joins other top professional athletes such as Super Bowl XXXVI MVP, Tom Brady, and single-season MLB® Home Run king, Barry Bonds, as key contributors and honorary members of the 989 Sports team.

NCAA Final Four 2003, available for the PlayStation®2 entertainment system, will hit stores in November of this year.

Dixon received numerous accolades throughout his four-year career at Maryland that was capped off by winning the NCAA National Basketball Championship. He was not only named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player last year but also selected as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and named ACC Player of the Year. Recognized as a tremendous leader on and off the court, Dixon leaves Maryland as the school's all-time leading scorer and winningest Terrapin ever with more than 110 victories.

Although he is best known for his exploits on the offensive side of the ball, Dixon was named to the ACC All-Defensive team last season and leaves college ranked 2nd in ACC history with 333 steals as he becomes the first player in NCAA history to net over 2,000 points, 300 steals, and 200 three-point field goals.

"We are very proud to have Juan Dixon on our cover of NCAA Final Four 2003," said Ami Blaire, director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Dixon's tremendous dedication to his sport, evidenced by his outstanding abilities both offensively and defensively, make him a perfect fit as our cover athlete for NCAA Final Four 2003 and newest member of the 989 Sports team.

Featuring all-new, incredibly detailed player graphics, every game mode imaginable and new play analysis and player evaluations from broadcasters Billy Packer and Eddie Doucette, NCAA Final Four 2003 captures the spirit and pageantry of college hoops. With more than 300 Division I teams from every big and small conference including the Pac-10, Big 12, SEC and ACC, NCAA Final Four 2003 brings to life the exhilaration of college hoops all in remarkably recreated authentic arenas.

Advanced gameplay features allow the performance of more than 30 new dunks including reverses, follow-ups and 360 degree jams, and an all-new "motion blending" technology creates seamless transitions in every animation. With true-to-life details such as the backboard and rim shaking after a crowd-pleasing dunk, NCAA Final Four 2003 epitomizes the adrenaline-pumping action of the college hoops game.