Dallas ? Big 12 Conference officials announced Tuesday that Kansas University junior transfer Shaquina “Shaq” Mosley was named the Preseason Newcomer of the Year in a vote of the Big 12 women’s basketball coaches.
KU senior forward Crystal Kemp was selected as a preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick.
“It’s humbling to be given an honor like this from the Big 12 coaches, especially before I even play my first game,” Mosley said in a released statement. “My teammates and I have been working hard in practice and are excited about the upcoming season.”
Mosley, a 5-6 guard, who transferred to Kansas from Central Arizona Community College, led her team to the NJCAA national championship last year while being named the 2005 WBCA Junior College/Community College Player of the Year.
“This is obviously a great honor for Shaq and we are happy for her,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “She is one of several newcomers on our team who will need to contribute if we’re going to have the type of season we are hoping for.
“I’m also happy for Crystal to be recognized in a preseason poll by the coaches,” Henrickson continued. “She understands that she will have to work hard to earn that same respect when the polls come out at the end of the season.”
Baylor senior foward Sophia Young was selected as the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year, while Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris was tapped Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Young was an All-Big 12 First Team selection last year, as well as Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Final Four and Temple Regional while leading Baylor to the national championship. She was third in the league in scoring (18.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (9.3 rpg) in 2004-05. The 6-1 forward was a 2005 Kodak All-American and is named to numerous preseason All-America teams heading into the 2005-06 campaign.
Paris was selected the 2005 National High School Player of the Year by USA Today and the Naismith Trophy Foundation. The 6-4 freshman center averaged 27.0 points, 19.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game as a senior at Piedmont (Calif.) High School. She earned two gold medals this past summer while playing for the USA FIBA U19 championship team.
In addition to Young, the rest of the members of the Preseason All-Big 12 team, which coaches could not vote for their own players, included Nebraska’s Kiera Hardy, a 5-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., who averaged 19 ppg, and 3.7 rpg; Oklahoma’s Leah Rush (6-1, F, Amarillo, Texas, 15.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Texas’ Tiffany Jackson (6-3, F, Dallas, 18.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg); Texas Tech’s Erin Grant (5-8, G, Arlington, Texas, 8.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg).
Big 12 Honorable Mention members included Baylor’s Abiola Wabara; Iowa State’s Lyndsey Medders; Kansas’ Crystal Kemp; Kansas State’s Claire Coggins; Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris; Texas’ Nina Norman; Texas A&M’s Morenike Atunrase; Texas Tech’s Chesley Dabbs, LaToya Davis, and Alesha Robertson.
