University of Minnesota Athletics
Banham Named B1G Preseason Player of the Year
10/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
University of Minnesota senior guard Rachel Banham was selected as the 2014-15 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by both the league's head coaches and media. Additionally, sophomore center Amanda Zahui B. was voted onto the 2014-15 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
Banham is coming off a junior season in which she was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection by both the coaches and media and led the Big Ten in scoring with a 22.1 points-per-game average. She was a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and was an honorable mention selection for both the Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Teams, while setting program single-season records with 750 points and 93 three-point field goals.
The Lakeville, Minn. native enters her senior campaign just seven points away from becoming the fourth Gopher in program history to score 2,000 career points, while she is also on pace to break at least six program career records, including Lindsay Whalen's scoring record of 2,285 career points.
Joining Banham on the Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team, Zahui B. concluded her stellar rookie career as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging a double-double with 15.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Zahui was also voted onto the All-Big Ten First Team by media, the second team by the coaches, the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and was a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. She was one of only two freshmen nationally to be named WBCA All-America Honorable Mention and set the Big Ten single-season and Minnesota single-season records with 394 total rebounds. Zahui B. also posted program single-season records with 105 blocks and 267 defensive rebounds.
The Gophers open the 2014-15 season under first-year head coach Marlene Stollings on Friday, Nov. 14 against Southeastern Louisiana.
Season tickets, single-game tickets and five-game flex packs for the 2014-15 campaign are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling the University of Minnesota Ticket Office at 612.624.8080 or 1.800.UGOPHER.
2014-15 COACHES PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rachel Banham, Sr., G, MINN
2014-15 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Samantha Logic, Sr., G, IOWA
Aerial Powers, So., G, MSU
Rachel Banham, Sr., G, MINN
Rachel Theriot, Jr., G, NEB
Nia Coffey, So., F, NU
2014-15 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Michigan State
3. Iowa
2014-15 MEDIA PRESEASON BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rachel Banham, Sr., G, MINN
2014-15 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM*
Samantha Logic, Sr., G, IOWA
Lexie Brown, So., G, MD
Rachel Banham, Sr., G, MINN
Amanda Zahui B., So., C, MINN
Rachel Theriot, Jr., G, NEB
Ameryst Alston, Jr., G, OSU
*Six players recognized due to a tie
2014-15 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Michigan State
3. Nebraska
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