University of Minnesota Athletics
Zahui B. on Wooden Award National Ballot
3/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota sophomore center Amanda Zahui B. today was named to the John R. Wooden Award 2015 Women's National Ballot, a list comprised of 15 student-athletes who are the front-runners for college basketball's player of the year award and have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The list is chosen by a poll of national women's college basketball media members.
The media's choice for Big Ten Player of the Year, Zahui B. is averaging 18.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game and has proven to be one of the top centers in the nation this season. She has posted the top single-game marks the NCAA this season with 29 rebounds versus Iowa, 12 blocks against Penn State and a 1.000 (11-11) field goal percentage versus Purdue. Zahui B. is also one of only two players in the NCAA to post two triple-doubles on the year.
In just her sophomore season, Zahui B. is the Gophers' all-time blocks leader with 239 career blocks, while she also broke her own program single-season blocks record of 105 blocks that she set last season as a rookie and has 134 on the year. Zahui B. became the 22nd Gopher in program history to join the 1,000-point club with 1,114 career points, while she is just the fourth Minnesota player to reach the milestone in her second year of play, joining Lindsay Whalen, Laura Coenen and Rachel Banham.
Along with being honored as the Big Ten Player of the Year, Zahui B. was the lone unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team by both head coaches and media, while she also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. Zahui B. has twice been named the National Player of the Week by espnW and was a Big Ten Player of the Week selection four times during the regular season.
Voting begins March 16, and voters, consisting of hundreds of members of the national women's college basketball media, may take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Voting ends March 24. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation's top five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four. The 39th annual Wooden Award ceremony will honor and reveal the Men's and Women's Wooden Award winners, and will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which in 2015 will go to San Diego State Head Men's Basketball Coach Steve Fisher. This announcement of the winners will be televised live on ESPN2 from Club Nokia in Los Angeles at 5 p.m. on Friday April 10 as part of the first ever College Basketball Awards Show Presented by Wendy's.
About the Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Candace Parker ('07 and '08), Kevin Durant ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and `11). Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike won the 2014 Wooden Award.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award' s name. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.
Follow the candidates and get the latest news throughout the season by going to the Wooden Award facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WoodenAward or twitter feed @WoodenAward. For more information on the John R. Wooden Award, please contact the Wooden Award staff at 213-630-5231 or via email at woodenaward@laac.net.
John R. Wooden Award Women's National Ballot
Jillian Alleyne, 6-3, JR, F, Oregon, Pac-12
Brittany Boyd, 5-9, SR, G, California, Pac-12
Nina Davis, 5-11, SO, F, Baylor. Big 12
Reshanda Gray, 6-3, SR, F, California, Pac-12
Moriah Jefferson, 5-7, JR, G, Connecticut, The American
Samantha Logic, 5-9, SR, G, Iowa, Big Ten
Jewell Loyd, 5-10, JR, G, Notre Dame, ACC
Kelsey Mitchell, 5-8, FR, G, Ohio State, Big Ten
Tiffany Mitchell, 5-9, JR, G, South Carolina, SEC
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, 5-11, SR, F, Connecticut, The American
Kelsey Plum, 5-8, SO, G, Washington, Pac-12
Breanna Stewart*, 6-4, JR, F, Connecticut, The American
Elizabeth Williams, 6-3, SR, C/F, Duke, ACC
A'ja Wilson, 6-5, FR, G/F, South Carolina, SEC
Amanda Zahui B., 6-5, SO, C, Minnesota, Big Ten
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