October 12, 2006
Texas A&M?â„¢s Morenike Atunrase (Shreveport, La.) was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference Team in a vote by the league?â„¢s head coaches Thursday.
The 5-foot-10 junior guard/forward is one of the nation?â„¢s and league?â„¢s top returning players heading into the 2006-07 season. An All-American candidate, Aturnase ranks third all-time in blocked shots (115) at A&M and holds the school single-season record in the same category (58). Last season, she averaged a team-leading 14.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game and led the Aggies to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996. She finished fourth in the Big 12 in steals (61), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (38.8) and sixth in blocked shots (58) through all games played in 2005-06.
Atunrase, one of five returning starters for A&M, was joined on the preseason all-conference honors list by Oklahoma?â„¢s Courtney Paris, Iowa State?â„¢s Lyndsey Medders, Nebraska?â„¢s Kiera Hardy and Texas?â„¢ Tiffany Jackson. All five were All-Big 12 First Team selections a year ago.
OU?â„¢s Paris was named Preseason Player of the Year, while Baylor?â„¢s Bernice Mosby was chosen as Preseason Newcomer of the Year and Texas?â„¢ Brittainey Raven was selected as Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Last year, Atunrase was an all-conference first-team selection by the Fort Worth Star Telegram and a second-team pick by the Kansas City Star and Waco Tribune-Herald. She was also the consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a three-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week honoree in 2004-05.
A preseason Street & Smith?â„¢s All-American honorable mention, Atunrase along with 5-foot-3 junior point guard A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas) and 6-foot-3 sophomore center La Toya Micheaux (Missouri City, Texas) will attend Big 12 Basketball Media Day next week in Oklahoma City, site of this year?â„¢s Phillips 66 Big 12 Women?â„¢s Basketball Championship.
The Aggies are currently ranked a program-best No. 9 by Street & Smith?â„¢s, No. 12 by CSTV.com, No. 15 by Lindy?â„¢s Basketball Annual and No. 24 by Athlon Sports in the preseason polls.
2006-07 BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN?â„¢S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
(league coaches not allowed to vote for their own players)
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Courtney Paris (Oklahoma)
PRESEASON NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Bernice Mosby (Baylor)
PRESEASON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Brittainey Raven (Texas)
PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM
Morenike Atunrase (Texas A&M), Kiera Hardy (Nebraska), Tiffany Jackson (Texas), Lyndsey Medders (Iowa State) and Courtney Paris (Oklahoma)
PRESEASON HONORABLE MENTION (listed alphabetically by school)
Claire Coggins (Kansas State), Leah Rush (Oklahoma) and Alesha Robertson (Texas Tech)