University of Minnesota Athletics
Bell Earns Spot on Naismith Trophy Watch List
11/13/2018 11:16:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota senior Kenisha Bell has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday.
Bell was one of 50 student-athletes, including one of four from the Big Ten, to be added to the watch list for the award that is given annually to the nation's top player.
Last season, Bell was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press, was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection and earned All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors. Before the 2018-19 started, she was chosen as a consensus preseason All-Big Ten selection by the league's coaches and media, named to the watch list for the Lieberman Award and was ranked No. 17 by ESPNW on its Top 25 Players countdown.
Bell set single-season school records for both made free throws (187) and free throw attempts (255) during last season, while her assist total (223) and assist rate were both the second most in the last 37 years at Minnesota. Bell led the Gophers by averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 assists per game and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest. Nationally, she finished sixth in free throw attempts, seventh in free throws made, ninth in assists per game and 10th in total assists.
In the 2018-19 season opener against New Hampshire, Bell poured in 17 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
The midseason 30 team will be announced on Feb. 11, 2019, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 4, 2019. The four finalists will be named on March 22, 2019, and the winner of the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year will be announced on April 6, 2019.
Bell was one of 50 student-athletes, including one of four from the Big Ten, to be added to the watch list for the award that is given annually to the nation's top player.
Last season, Bell was named an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press, was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection and earned All-Big Ten Defensive Team honors. Before the 2018-19 started, she was chosen as a consensus preseason All-Big Ten selection by the league's coaches and media, named to the watch list for the Lieberman Award and was ranked No. 17 by ESPNW on its Top 25 Players countdown.
Bell set single-season school records for both made free throws (187) and free throw attempts (255) during last season, while her assist total (223) and assist rate were both the second most in the last 37 years at Minnesota. Bell led the Gophers by averaging 20.0 points and 6.8 assists per game and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per contest. Nationally, she finished sixth in free throw attempts, seventh in free throws made, ninth in assists per game and 10th in total assists.
In the 2018-19 season opener against New Hampshire, Bell poured in 17 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
The midseason 30 team will be announced on Feb. 11, 2019, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 4, 2019. The four finalists will be named on March 22, 2019, and the winner of the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year will be announced on April 6, 2019.
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