Arizona women’s basketball player Ify Ibekwe was named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List, it was announced on Wednesday.
The list of players was selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Directors on Dec. 19. To be eligible for the award, the Board of Directors evaluates each player’s performances from the previous season and her expectations for the 2008-09 season.
The early list does not include freshmen, but they will be included when the first round of voting takes place in February 2009.
Ibekwe was tabbed an All-Pacific 10 freshman last season after she averaged 10.4 points and a team-high eight rebounds per game; she also registered a team-leading 30 blocks.
Arizona (7-4) opens conference play Friday night a 7 in McKale Center, against No. 13 California.
Naismith Trophy early season watch list
Last Name, First Name (Class, Position, School)
Allison, Rachel (Sr., Forward, Baylor)
Appel, Jayne (Jr. Forward/Center Stanford)
Barlow, Ashley (Jr., Guard, Notre Dame)
Black, Chante (Sr., Center, Duke)
Bonner, DeWanna (Sr., Guard, Auburn)
Bowman, Heather (Jr., Forward, Gonzaga)
Brown, Arnika (So., Forward, Western Kentucky)
Cann, Jernisha (Sr., Forward, IUPUI)
Cassidy, Carlee (Jr., Guard, Maryland-Baltimore County)
Charles, Tina (Jr., Center, Connecticut)
Cirone, Kristi (Sr., Guard, Illinois State)
Clark, Alysha (Jr., Forward, Middle Tennessee)
Coleman, Marissa (Sr., Guard/Forward, Maryland)
Criner, Dellena (Sr., Guard, Nevada)
DeHaan, Allyssa (Jr., Center Michigan, State)
DeLaHoussaye, Tiera (Sr., Guard, Western Michigan)
Dixon, Erin (Sr., Forward, Texas-Arlington)
Ellis, Krystal (Sr., Guard, Marquette)
Evans, Dawn (So., Guard, James Madison)
Fitz, Rachele (Jr., Forward, Marist)
Guffey, Amber (Sr., Guard, Murray State)
Harris, Amber (Jr., Forward, Xavier)
Houghton, Britni (Jr., Forward, Central Michigan)
Houts, Ashley (Jr., Guard, Georgia)
Ibekwe, Ify (So., Forward, Arizona)
Jackson, Amber (Sr., Forward, North Texas)
Jaeschke, Amy (So., Center, Northwestern)
Lavender, Jantel (So., Center, Ohio State)
Lomax, Judie (So., Forward, Columbia)
Marginean, Gabriela (Jr., Forward, Drexel)
McCants, Rashanda (Sr., Guard/Forward, North Carolina)
McCoughtry, Angel (Sr., Forward, Louisville)
Mitchell, Phyllisha (Sr., Forward, Tennessee-Martin)
Montgomery, Renee (Sr., Guard, Connecticut)
Moore, Maya (So., Forward, Connecticut)
Paris, Courtney (Sr., Center, Oklahoma)
Phillips, Ta’Shia (So., Center, Xavier)
Prince, Epiphanny (Jr., Guard, Rutgers)
Riley, Andrea (Jr., Guard, Oklahoma State)
Smith, Jenna (Jr., Center, Illinois)
Starks, Takia (Sr., Guard, Texas A&M)
Toliver, Kristi (Sr., Guard, Maryland)
Vaughn, Kia (Sr., Center, Rutgers)
Walker, Ashley (Sr., Forward/Center, California)
Waner, Abby (Sr., Guard, Duke)
Warburton, Morgan (Sr., Guard, Utah)
Wirth, Christina (Sr., Forward, Vanderbilt)
Womack, Noteisha (Sr., Forward, Seton Hall)
Wright, Monica (Jr., Guard, Virginia)
Zellous, Shavonte (Sr., Guard, Pittsburgh)
