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By DOUG FEINBERG, AP Basketball Author
Rhyne Howard is rewriting the report books at Kentucky and he or she is simply a junior.
Now the Wildcats star is the primary participant from the varsity to be honored as a preseason All-American by The Related Press. Howard was a unanimous alternative by the 30-member nationwide media panel on the staff launched Thursday.
She was joined on the five-player staff by sophomore Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, who was additionally a unanimous decide. Seniors Dana Evans of Louisville, Aari McDonald of Arizona and Michaela Onyenwere of UCLA spherical out the squad.
Howard averaged 23.Four factors final season and have become the primary participant at school historical past to attain 25 or extra factors in 5 straight video games .
“Rhyne Howard was among the best gamers within the nation final season and after seeing how arduous she has labored this offseason and preseason, I’ve little doubt she’ll be in those self same conversations this 12 months,” Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell stated. “What makes Rhyne so particular is how she lifts everybody round her up. She is an distinctive individual and participant and really deserving to be Kentucky’s first AP Preseason All-American. I can not wait to see what she has in retailer this season.”
As a freshman, Boston helped the Gamecocks win the SEC and earn their first No. 1 rating within the closing ballot of the season. Expectations are excessive this 12 months as nicely for South Carolina, which this week earned its first No. 1 preseason rating within the AP Prime 25.
Boston, who averaged 12.5 factors and 9.Four rebounds final season, spent loads of her time throughout the pandemic engaged on her shot.
“I used to be skeptical originally, however we bought right here and he or she’s been making them ever since,” South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley stated. “Aliyah’s an ideal participant. I can say that I can see it daily. You see nice gamers get higher and the way they did it. It’s unbelievable to me. Unbelievable how significantly better she’s gotten.”
Like Boston, Evans spent her downtime this offseason engaged on her shot. She turned down an opportunity to go professional and enter the WNBA draft to return to Louisville.
“Dana is an especially gifted participant, however she put the time within the gymnasium to get to the place she is. She actually labored to enhance her 3-point shot, however most of all she went from being an elite scorer to a real level guard,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz stated.
Onyenwere is the second participant ever from UCLA to be honored as a preseason All-America, becoming a member of Maylana Martin (1999-00). Onyenwere averaged 19.1 factors and eight.6 rebounds final season.
“Aggressive, constant, athletic, nonetheless rising and completely selfless,” UCLA coach Cori Shut stated of her star. “I consider she is an All-American and an apparent prime three draft decide. However even higher than that, she couldn’t care much less. She simply desires to play her butt off and assist our staff win.”
McDonald is the primary preseason All-American for her program, although Arizona coach Adia Barnes did earn honorable point out honors in 1997-98 when she performed for the Wildcats. McDonald averaged 20.5 factors and seven.Eight rebounds final season and has Arizona ranked a program-best seventh within the preseason ballot.
“The primary time I noticed Aari she was in seventh grade and I knew she had the potential to be nice, however I wasn’t positive if she understood that. I’ve watched her enhance yearly on and off the courtroom and it has been wonderful to be part of her journey,” Barnes stated. “She has put this program on her again, has began a legacy right here, and we might not be the place we’re with out her. Aari is a frontrunner in each sense of the phrase on and off the courtroom and he or she has developed into among the best gamers within the nation.”
All 5 gamers had been honored final spring on the AP All-America groups. Howard was first staff whereas Boston, McDonald and Evans made second staff. Onyenwere was on the third staff. None was on the preseason All-America staff, marking the primary time because the 2006-07 season that there have been no returning gamers on the squad.
The AP began selecting a preseason All-America staff earlier than the 1994-95 season. For the second consecutive season, the staff doesn’t have a participant from UConn, Tennessee or Notre Dame. That has solely occurred as soon as earlier than (2005-06).
The Related Press’ 2020-21 preseason All-America ladies’s basketball staff, with faculty, top, 12 months and votes from a 30-member nationwide media panel (key 2019-20 statistics in parentheses):
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky, 6-2, junior, 30 of 30 votes (23.Four ppg, 6.5 rpg, 38.2 3-point pct)
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina, 6-5, sophomore, 30 of 30 votes (12.5 ppg, 9.Four rpg, 60.9 fg pct)
Aari McDonald Arizona, 5-6, senior, 27 of 30 votes (20.5 ppg, 5.Eight rpg, 79.1 ft pct)
Dana Evans, Louisville, 5-6, senior, 23 of 30 votes (18.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 89.Zero ft pct)
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA, 6-0, senior, 16 of 30 votes (19.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 46.9 fg pct)
Others receiving votes: Elissa Cunane, N.C. State; NaLyssa Smith, Baylor; Ashley Joens, Iowa State; Tiana Mangakahia, Syracuse; Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn; Christyn Williams, UConn; Kiana Williams, Stanford.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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