More Honors for Gopher Standout Zahui B.

MINNEAPOLIS (Gophersports.com) – University of Minnesota sophomore center Amanda Zahui B. became the first Gopher in program history to be named to the five-member Associated Press (AP) All-America First Team and the third to earn a spot on the 10-member U.S. Basketball Writers Association (WSBWA) Women’s All-America Team as announced by the organizations Tuesday.

Zahui B. joins current Gopher Rachel Banham (2013-HM, 2014-HM) and former Gophers Janel McCarville (2005-2nd team, 2004-HM) and Lindsay Whalen (2004-2nd team, 2003-2nd team, 2002-3rd team) as AP All-Americans, while she also joins McCarville (2005) and Whalen (2004, 2003, 2002) as USBWA All-Americans.

Zahui B. is a finalist for both the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T and the Wade Trophy and was one of 15 student-athletes named to the John R. Wooden Award National Ballot. Last week, she was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Region 6 selection for the second-straight year, and is now one of 52 national candidates for the 10-member WBCA All-America Team.

The center was also named an espnW First Team All-American earlier this month and was the media’s selection for Big Ten Player of the Year. She was the lone unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team by both head coaches and media and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. The sophomore was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after averaging 23.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocks per game in two contests at the event, has twice been named the National Player of the Week by espnW and was a Big Ten Player of the Week selection four times during the regular season.

Zahui B. averaged 18.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game and has proven to be one of the top centers in the nation this season. She posted the top single-game marks in the NCAA this season with 29 rebounds versus Iowa, 12 blocks against Penn State and a 1.000 (11-11) field goal percentage versus Purdue. Zahui B. is also one of only three players in the NCAA to post two triple-doubles on the year.

In just her sophomore season, Zahui B. is the Gophers’ all-time blocks leader with 240 career blocks, while she also broke her own program single-season blocks record of 105 blocks that she set last season as a rookie with 135 on the year. Zahui B. became the 22nd Gopher in program history, and the fourth sophomore, to join the 1,000-point club with 1,135 career points.

Amanda Zahui B. - 2014-15 Accolades