Feb. 28, 2006
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- Big Ten Talk
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PARK RIDGE, IL – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2006 All-Big Ten women’s basketball teams Tuesday, and it included Iowa senior Crystal Smith, sophomore Krista VandeVenter and freshman Megan Skouby.
Skouby was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by both the media and coaches, earned all-freshman team recognition and was named to the all-Big Ten second team by the media and third team by the coaches. Smith earned all-conference first team accolades by both the media and coaches and was also named to the all-defensive team. VandeVenter earned honorable mention laurels by the media and is Iowa’s women’s basketball nominee for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Skouby becomes the third Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, joining Franthea Price (1987) and Tiffany Gooden (1995). The 6-6 center is also the sixth Big Ten post-player to earn the award since 1983 and the first since Ohio State’s Jessoca Davenport in 2004. Skouby was honored by both the coaches and the media after finishing fourth in scoring with 16.8 points per game in conference play. She ranked fourth with 1.69 blocks per game, sixth with a field-goal percentage of .523, and placed near the top 15 in rebounding with 5.8 boards per game. In all games this year, she ranks fourth in the league with a .553 field goal percentage.
Skouby shined during conference play, starting all 16 contests after teammate Stacy Schlapkohl suffered a season-ending injury in late December. The tallest player in Iowa women’s basketball history netted double figures 21 times, including the last 14 contests. She currently ranks second in Iowa’s single-season freshman scoring (382) and blocks (45) chart. The native of Mentor, OH, becomes Iowa’s third honoree to the all-Big Ten Freshman team in four years (Johanna Solverson, 2003; Krista VandeVenter, 2005).
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Crystal Smith |
Smith ranks third in league scoring (17.5), second in steals (2.44), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.42), seventh in free throw percentage (.849) and 11th in assists (3.37). The native of Haughton, LA, earned third team recognition by the coaches and was an honorable mention honoree by the media last season.
Smith, who was named to the Odwalla Classic and Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament teams, has led the Hawkeyes in scoring 15 times this season. She has scored double figures in all but two games this year, including netting 20 points or more nine times. The 5-6 guard scored a 2005-06 NCAA single-game high 46 points at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 22. Smith was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 28, after establishing school single-game records in points (46) and free throws attempted (19) and matching records in free throws made (15) and field goal percentage (9-9, 1.000) in two road games over Thanksgiving break.
VandeVenter, who has started every game as a Hawkeye (60), ranks third in Big Ten rebounding (8.4), second in defensive rebounds (6.04), fifth in steals (2.19), ninth in offensive rebounds (2.33) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.17). The 6-2 forward posted a team-best three double-doubles this season and led the team in rebounding 20 times. She was named to the all-Big Ten Freshman team last season.
VandeVenter, who was named to the Hawkeye Challenge all-Tournament team, is Iowa’s single-season sophomore steals leader (59) and ranks fourth in rebounding (226). She currently ranks 18th in Iowa’s career rebounding annals (478). VandeVenter had double digit rebounds nine times this season.
The native of Osseo, MN, joins 10 other honorees from each of the league’s 11 women’s basketball squads for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, the student-athletes must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
Davenport was named the Big Ten Player of the Year by both the media and coaches for the second consecutive year. Davenport’s coach, Jim Foster, was recognized as Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. The coaches also named Buckeye senior Kim Wilburn as the Defensive Player of the Year. Both the coaches and media had identical first team selections.
Fifth-seeded Iowa (17-10, 10-6) opens Big Ten Tournament competition when it plays fourth-seeded Michigan State (21-8, 11-5) Friday at approximately 1:10 p.m. (CST) at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
2005-06 All-Big Ten Women’s Basketball Team
As Selected by the Coaches
First Team
Cyndi Valentin, Indiana
Crystal Smith, Iowa
Liz Shimek, Michigan State, Ohio State
JESSICA DAVENPORT, Ohio State
Katie Gearlds, Purdue
Second Team*
Jenny DeMuth, Indiana
Lindsay Bowen, Michigan State
Jamie Broback, Minnesota
Amanda Brown, Penn State
Aya Traore, Purdue
Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin
Third Team
Megan Skouby, Iowa
Debbie Merrill, Ohio State
Marscilla Packer, Ohio State
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue
HONORABLE MENTION: Janelle Hughes, ILLINOIS; Victoria Lucas-Perry, MICHIGAN STATE; Ifeoma Okonkwo, NORTHWESTERN; Brandie Hoskins, OHIO STATE; Kamela Gissendanner, PENN STATE
COACHES’ ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM: Lori Bjork, ILLINOIS; Megan Skouby, IOWA; Whitney Thomas, INDIANA; Aisha Jefferson, MICHIGAN STATE; Brianne O’Rourke, PENN STATE
COACHES’ ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM: Crystal Smith, IOWA; Shannon Bolden, MINNESOTA; Kim Wilburn, Jessica Davenport, OHIO STATE; Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, PURDUE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Davenport, Ohio State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Megan Skouby, Iowa
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kim Wilburn, Ohio State
SIXTH PLAYER: Cherelle George, Purdue
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Foster, Ohio State
* – six players named due to tie
2005-06 All-Big Ten Women’s Basketball Team
As Selected by the Media
First Team
Cyndi Valentin, Indiana
Crystal Smith, Iowa
Liz Shimek, Michigan State, Ohio State
JESSICA DAVENPORT, Ohio State
Katie Gearlds, Purdue
Second Team*
Megan Skouby, Iowa
Lindsay Bowen, Michigan State
Jamie Broback, Minnesota
Aya Traore, Purdue
Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin
Third Team
Debbie Merrill, Ohio State
Marscilla Packer, Ohio State
Amanda Brown, Penn State
Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, Purdue
HONORABLE MENTION: Janelle Hughes, Erin Wigley, ILLINOIS; Krista VandeVenter, IOWA; Victoria Lucas-Perry, MICHIGAN STATE; Ifeoma Okonkwo, NORTHWESTERN; Debbie Merrill, OHIO STATE; Kamela Gissendanner, Brianne O’Rourke, PENN STATE; Erin Lawless, PURDUE; Janese Banks; WISCONSIN
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JESSICA DAVENPORT, Ohio State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Megan Skouby, Iowa
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Foster, Ohio State
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