Nov. 9, 2004

TCU women's basketball senior forward Sandora Irvin has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the 2005 Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Tuesday. The Naismith Trophy is one of the most prestigious national awards presented annually to the top men's and women's basketball players. Irvin is a preseason candidate for the State Farm Wade Trophy and the Wooden Award as well.

The top 50 list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season. In January, the Board of Selectors will narrow its preseason list to the top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

Irvin was one of three players from Conference USA to make the list. Khara Smith of DePaul and Houston's Sancho Lyttle, both candidates for the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award, were also selected.

Irvin established new single season school records in 2003-04 year for points (504), rebounds (366), and field goals made (195). Her 16.8 points per game was the third highest in TCU history and her 12.2 rebounds per game was the best ever by a Lady Frog. She ended the season with 15 consecutive double-doubles. Her 117 blocked shots was also the second most in one season, 11 less than what she recorded her sophomore year. Irvin was the best rebounder and shot blocker in the league and she ranked third nationally in both categories.

Irvin became TCU's all-time leading rebounder in the men's or women's programs at different points last season. She broke Janice Dziuk's 778 Jan. 25 against Cincinnati when she pulled down 15. The men's record of 966 by Reggie Smith was surpassed in the Lady Frogs' NCAA First Round match-up with Temple.

Already the all-time leading rebounder (980) and shot blocker (330) for TCU women's basketball, Irvin figures to become the Lady Frogs' top scorer this season. She has 1,235 points for her career, which is 213 away from tying Dziuk's record 1,448 set from 1986-90. Irvin is one of only seven Lady Frogs to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau and one of three to score at least 1,200.

This season, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native will have a chance to break the NCAA's career blocks record of 428, which is held by Genia Miller (1987-91) from Cal State Fullerton. Her current 330 is tied for 14th all-time with DeMya Walker (1995-99) of Virginia. Irvin's career average of 3.51 blocks per game is the sixth best in NCAA history.

Irvin was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight year in March. She also nabbed a spot on the C-USA First Team and appeared on the Preseason All-C-USA Team for the third consecutive year in October. She is also the only player in school history to earn All-America honors, landing on the Honorable Mention Associated Press and Kodak/WBCA Teams last season.

A complete, alphabetical list of the 50 candidates can be found below.

2005 NAISMITH TROPHY PRESEASON CANDIDATES

Seimone Augustus, G, 6-1, Jr. (LSU)
Sherrill Baker, G, 5-8, Jr. (Georgia)
Jacqueline Batteast, F, 6-2, Sr. (Notre Dame)
Steffanie Blackmon, F, 6-2, Sr. (Baylor)
Nikki Blue, G, 5-8, Jr. (UCLA)
Natasha Brackett, G, 5-9, Sr. (Auburn)
Jamie Carey, G, 5-6, Sr. (Texas)
Monique Currie, G, 6-0, Jr. (Duke)
Jessica Deveney, G, 5-9, Sr. (Boston College)
Shay Doron, G, 5-9, So. (Maryland)
Shyra Ely, F, 6-2, Sr. (Tennessee)
Emily Faurholt, F, 5-11, Jr. (Idaho)
Katie Feenstra, C, 6-8, Sr. (Liberty)
Katie Gearlds, G, 6-1, So. (Purdue)
Erin Grant, G, 5-8, Jr. (Texas Tech)
Sandora Irvin, F, 6-3, Sr. (TCU)
Dionnah Jackson, G, 5-9, Sr. (Oklahoma)
Tiffany Jackson, F, 6-3, So. (Texas)
Tamara James, F/G, 5-10, Jr. (Miami [Fla.])
Temeka Johnson, G, 5-3, Sr. (LSU)
Alexis Kendrick, G, 5-7, Jr. (Georgia)
Laurie Koehn, G, 5-8, Sr. (Kansas State)
Cathrine Kraayeveld, F, 6-4, Sr. (Oregon)
Ivory Latta, G, 5-6, So. (North Carolina)
Camille Little, F/G, 6-1, So. (North Carolina)
Sancho Lyttle, C/F, 6-4, Sr. (Houston)
Kristen Mann, F, 6-2, Sr. (UC Santa Barbara)
Janel McCarville, C, 6-2, Sr. (Minnesota)
Jessica Moore, C/F, 6-3, Sr. (Connecticut)
Loree Moore, G, 5-9, Sr. (Tennessee)
Bernice Mosby, F, 6-1, Jr. (Florida)
Chelsea Newton, G, 5-11, Sr. (Rutgers)
Shawntinice Polk, C, 6-5, Jr. (Arizona)
Cappie Pondexter, G, 5-9, Sr. (Rutgers)
Noelle Quinn, G, 6-0, So. (UCLA)
Kathrin Ress, F, 6-4, So. (Boston College)
Alesha Robertson, F, 6-0, So. (Texas Tech)
Heather Schreiber, F, 6-2, Sr. (Texas)
Khara Smith, F, 6-2, Jr. (DePaul)
Kim Smith, F, 6-1, Jr. (Utah)
Ann Strother, G, 6-2, Jr. (Connecticut)
Kelley Suminski, G, 5-9, Sr. (Stanford)
Carla Thomas, F, 6-3, So. (Vanderbilt)
Barbara Turner, F/G, 6-0, Jr. (Connecticut)
Kendra Wecker, F, 5-11, Sr. (Kansas State)
Dee-Dee Wheeler, G, 5-6, Sr. (Arizona)
Tan White, G, 5-7, Sr. (Mississippi State)
Tanisha Wright, G, 5-11, Sr. (Penn State)
Sophia Young, F, 6-1, Jr. (Baylor)
Shanna Zolman, G, 5-10, Jr. (Tennessee)