Women's Basketball: Two Make Preseason Team
October 21, 2010 11:12 AM | General
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – University of Connecticut senior all-American Maya Moore has been selected by the league’s head coaches as the unanimous 2010-11 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year for the third straight season. Connecticut guard Bria Hartley, from North Babylon, N.Y., was chosen as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year. The votes are tallied from the 16 head coaches in the conference, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.
Moore, the 2009 Wooden Award winner and a 2008 and 2010 Wooden All American, averaged 18.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a year ago for the undefeated Huskies. The senior forward ranks fourth among UConn’s career scoring leaders with 2,168 points and fourth among career rebounding leaders with 963. She was the only amateur player to be selected to the USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team and has been named the 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, 2010 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and is a three-time WBCA/State Farm All-America selection. Moore was also named Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 Final Four.
Hartley was named New York’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010. She finished her high school career with 1,978 points after averaging 30.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 5.9 spg and 5.0 blocks per game during her senior season. A member of the 2010 U18 National Team, Hartley was honored as a McDonald’s All-American and finalist for the Naismith and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year awards.
Notre Dame sophomore guard Skylar Diggins is one of three unanimous selections to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Diggins was named to the Wooden Award Watch List as well as the Wade Watch list. In her rookie campaign, Diggins became the first freshman in 17 seasons to lead the Fighting Irish in scoring. She was also the first freshman in 16 years to dish out 100 assists. She finished the season as the third player in program history to record 400 points, 100 assists and 75 steals in a single season. Diggins led the squad with 13.9 ppg, 2.6 ppg and 3.2 apg, adding a team-high 24 double-digit scoring games.
Connecticut junior guard Tiffany Hayes, another unanimous selection, earned a spot on the list after averaging 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 2009-10. She registered double-figure scoring 21 times and scored at least 20 points three times. Hayes earned a spot on the 2009 WBCA Classic All-Tournament Team. In her first season, she was named Freshman of the Week three times and earned a place on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Last year she earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
Georgetown sophomore guard Sugar Rodgers was unanimously selected to the team after a freshman year that saw her lead the Hoyas to the most successful season in program history. Rodgers, on the Wooden Women’s Preseason Top 30 and Wade Watch List, was an AP Honorable Mention AP All-American and All-BIG EAST First Team, marking the first time in program history that a freshman won both honors. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year after earning five BIG EAST Rookie of the Week awards. Her 17.6 points per game were fifth in the conference and she led the league in 3-pointers with 2.5 per game.
DePaul junior forward Keisha Hampton was named All-BIG EAST Second Team last season after leading the Blue Demons with 13.8 points per game, which ranked 13th in the league. Hampton scored in double-figures in 24 games and ranked seventh in the league with 15.3 ppg in BIG EAST games. Her 1.1 blocks per game ranked 11th in the BIG EAST.
West Virginia senior guard Sarah Miles was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, while earning spots on the All-BIG EAST Second Team and BIG EAST Championship all-tournament team. She was also a nominee for the WBCA All-Region I State Farm Coaches’ All-America team. Miles led the Mountaineers with 90 steals and 200 assists.
Junior guard Monique Reid, from Louisville, led the Cardinals in scoring with 18.4 points per game last season. She led the BIG EAST in conference scoring with 19.7 points per game. Reid earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team and was named the league’s Most Improved Player. Her 9.2 rebounds per game were a team-high, as was her 80.7 free throw percentage and 21 blocks. She scored in double figures in 17 games and had 11 double-doubles on the year.
West Virginia senior guard Liz Repella was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team last year. She also earned spots on the All-BIG EAST and Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Teams. She had a team-leading seven 20-point games and four double-doubles, to go along with 29 double-figure scoring games. Her 13.9 points per game led the team, as did her 70 3-pointers and 33.5 3-point shooting.
Marquette senior guard Angel Robinson was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection in 2009-10, her second-straight nod. She led the team with 11.9 points per game last season, registering 17 double-figure scoring games. She was fourth in the league with 4.67 assists per game and seventh with 2.12 steals per game.
St. John’s sophomore guard Shenneika Smith was second on the team with 12.9 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. Smith was honored as a Full Court Press Freshman All-America second team selection. A unanimous BIG EAST Freshman Team honoree and three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the week, Smith broke the school’s rookie scoring record with 412 points. She ranked third among all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring and was second in the team with 25 blocks.
St. John’s junior forward Da’Shena Stevens led the Red Storm with 14.3 ppg last season, which ranked seventh in the league. She also grabbed a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game, good for ninth in the league. Stevens was selected as a finalist for the 2009 State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team. She also earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team and posted a team-high 25 double-digit scoring games, including six 20-point performances and six double-doubles.
The Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention list includes Syracuse senior guard Erica Morrow, DePaul senior guard Deirdre Naughton, DePaul senior guard Sam Quigley and Rutgers redshirt-junior guard Khadijah Rushdan. Morrow led the team last season with 80 steals and was second on the team with 11.7 points per game and 118 assists. Naughton, a 2009-10 Preseason Wooden and Wade Watch candidate, was named MVP of the Maggie Dixon before an injury in November. Quigley played 38.15 minutes per game, first in the conference and third in the nation, ranking eighth in the BIG EAST with a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio and posting 33 career games with five or more assists. Rushdan led the Scarlet Knights with 116 assists last season, eighth in the BIG EAST, and 56 steals, 13th in the league.
2010-11 Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
*Maya Moore, Connecticut, Sr., F
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Bria Hartley, Connecticut, G (North Babylon, N.Y.)
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
*Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, So., G
Keisha Hampton, DePaul, Jr., F
*Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut, Jr., G
Sarah Miles, West Virginia, Sr., G
Monique Reid, Louisville, Jr., F
Liz Repella, West Virginia, Sr., G
Angel Robinson, Marquette, Sr., G
*Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown, So., G
Shenneika Smith, St. John’s, So., G
Da’Shena Stevens, St. John’s, Jr., F
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Erica Morrow, Syracuse, Sr., G
Deirdre Naughton, DePaul, Sr., G
Sam Quigley, DePaul, Sr., G
Khadijah Rushdan, Rutgers, R-Jr., G
* - unanimous selections
Moore, the 2009 Wooden Award winner and a 2008 and 2010 Wooden All American, averaged 18.9 points and 8.3 rebounds a year ago for the undefeated Huskies. The senior forward ranks fourth among UConn’s career scoring leaders with 2,168 points and fourth among career rebounding leaders with 963. She was the only amateur player to be selected to the USA Basketball Women’s World Championship Team and has been named the 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, 2010 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and is a three-time WBCA/State Farm All-America selection. Moore was also named Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 Final Four.
Hartley was named New York’s Gatorade Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010. She finished her high school career with 1,978 points after averaging 30.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 5.9 spg and 5.0 blocks per game during her senior season. A member of the 2010 U18 National Team, Hartley was honored as a McDonald’s All-American and finalist for the Naismith and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year awards.
Notre Dame sophomore guard Skylar Diggins is one of three unanimous selections to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Diggins was named to the Wooden Award Watch List as well as the Wade Watch list. In her rookie campaign, Diggins became the first freshman in 17 seasons to lead the Fighting Irish in scoring. She was also the first freshman in 16 years to dish out 100 assists. She finished the season as the third player in program history to record 400 points, 100 assists and 75 steals in a single season. Diggins led the squad with 13.9 ppg, 2.6 ppg and 3.2 apg, adding a team-high 24 double-digit scoring games.
Connecticut junior guard Tiffany Hayes, another unanimous selection, earned a spot on the list after averaging 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 2009-10. She registered double-figure scoring 21 times and scored at least 20 points three times. Hayes earned a spot on the 2009 WBCA Classic All-Tournament Team. In her first season, she was named Freshman of the Week three times and earned a place on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Last year she earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
Georgetown sophomore guard Sugar Rodgers was unanimously selected to the team after a freshman year that saw her lead the Hoyas to the most successful season in program history. Rodgers, on the Wooden Women’s Preseason Top 30 and Wade Watch List, was an AP Honorable Mention AP All-American and All-BIG EAST First Team, marking the first time in program history that a freshman won both honors. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year after earning five BIG EAST Rookie of the Week awards. Her 17.6 points per game were fifth in the conference and she led the league in 3-pointers with 2.5 per game.
DePaul junior forward Keisha Hampton was named All-BIG EAST Second Team last season after leading the Blue Demons with 13.8 points per game, which ranked 13th in the league. Hampton scored in double-figures in 24 games and ranked seventh in the league with 15.3 ppg in BIG EAST games. Her 1.1 blocks per game ranked 11th in the BIG EAST.
West Virginia senior guard Sarah Miles was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, while earning spots on the All-BIG EAST Second Team and BIG EAST Championship all-tournament team. She was also a nominee for the WBCA All-Region I State Farm Coaches’ All-America team. Miles led the Mountaineers with 90 steals and 200 assists.
Junior guard Monique Reid, from Louisville, led the Cardinals in scoring with 18.4 points per game last season. She led the BIG EAST in conference scoring with 19.7 points per game. Reid earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team and was named the league’s Most Improved Player. Her 9.2 rebounds per game were a team-high, as was her 80.7 free throw percentage and 21 blocks. She scored in double figures in 17 games and had 11 double-doubles on the year.
West Virginia senior guard Liz Repella was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team last year. She also earned spots on the All-BIG EAST and Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Teams. She had a team-leading seven 20-point games and four double-doubles, to go along with 29 double-figure scoring games. Her 13.9 points per game led the team, as did her 70 3-pointers and 33.5 3-point shooting.
Marquette senior guard Angel Robinson was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection in 2009-10, her second-straight nod. She led the team with 11.9 points per game last season, registering 17 double-figure scoring games. She was fourth in the league with 4.67 assists per game and seventh with 2.12 steals per game.
St. John’s sophomore guard Shenneika Smith was second on the team with 12.9 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. Smith was honored as a Full Court Press Freshman All-America second team selection. A unanimous BIG EAST Freshman Team honoree and three-time BIG EAST Freshman of the week, Smith broke the school’s rookie scoring record with 412 points. She ranked third among all BIG EAST freshmen in scoring and was second in the team with 25 blocks.
St. John’s junior forward Da’Shena Stevens led the Red Storm with 14.3 ppg last season, which ranked seventh in the league. She also grabbed a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game, good for ninth in the league. Stevens was selected as a finalist for the 2009 State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team. She also earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team and posted a team-high 25 double-digit scoring games, including six 20-point performances and six double-doubles.
The Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention list includes Syracuse senior guard Erica Morrow, DePaul senior guard Deirdre Naughton, DePaul senior guard Sam Quigley and Rutgers redshirt-junior guard Khadijah Rushdan. Morrow led the team last season with 80 steals and was second on the team with 11.7 points per game and 118 assists. Naughton, a 2009-10 Preseason Wooden and Wade Watch candidate, was named MVP of the Maggie Dixon before an injury in November. Quigley played 38.15 minutes per game, first in the conference and third in the nation, ranking eighth in the BIG EAST with a 1.3 assist to turnover ratio and posting 33 career games with five or more assists. Rushdan led the Scarlet Knights with 116 assists last season, eighth in the BIG EAST, and 56 steals, 13th in the league.
2010-11 Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
*Maya Moore, Connecticut, Sr., F
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Bria Hartley, Connecticut, G (North Babylon, N.Y.)
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
*Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, So., G
Keisha Hampton, DePaul, Jr., F
*Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut, Jr., G
Sarah Miles, West Virginia, Sr., G
Monique Reid, Louisville, Jr., F
Liz Repella, West Virginia, Sr., G
Angel Robinson, Marquette, Sr., G
*Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown, So., G
Shenneika Smith, St. John’s, So., G
Da’Shena Stevens, St. John’s, Jr., F
Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Erica Morrow, Syracuse, Sr., G
Deirdre Naughton, DePaul, Sr., G
Sam Quigley, DePaul, Sr., G
Khadijah Rushdan, Rutgers, R-Jr., G
* - unanimous selections
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