Pondexter Named to AP Preseason All-America Team
Nov 09 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ – Rutgers’ Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) has been named one of five members of the 2005-2006 Associated Press Preseason All-America Team.
Pondexter has been a frequent member of preseason honor lists this fall, earning first-team All-America accolades from the Women’s Basketball News Service, second-team All-America mentions from Gballmag.com, Lindy’s and Athlon Sports, and a spot on the Street & Smith’s “Terrific 10” Preseason All-America Team. Already named a candidate for two 2005-2006 national player-of-the-year awards, the 5-9 fifth-year senior guard is the BIG EAST Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.
Pondexter was joined on the AP Preseason All-America Team by Seimone Augustus (LSU), Monique Currie (Duke), Jessica Davenport (Ohio State) and Sophia Young (Baylor).
Pondexter was a candidate for all three national player-of-the-year awards (Naismith, State Farm Wade Trophy, Women’s Wooden Award), as well as the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) and Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, last season. She also was named to the 2004-2005 Associated Press (honorable mention), Full Court Press (third team) and Kodak/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (honorable mention) All-America Teams, the Kodak/ WBCA All-Region 1 Team, the BIG EAST All-First Team and the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team, and was the NCAA Tournament Philadelphia Region’s Most Outstanding Player. A three-time first-team all-BIG EAST selection, she averaged 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season, posting 19 double-digit scoring efforts (seven 20+ points) in 27 appearances.
During the 2003-2004 campaign, Pondexter was named to the Associated Press and Full Court Press All-America Third Teams, and was an honorable mention Kodak All-American. A finalist for all three major national player-of-the-year awards (Naismith, State Farm Wade Trophy, Wooden Women’s Award), as well as the Nancy Lieberman Award, she earned her second first-team all-BIG EAST certificate in 2004. She was an honorable-mention All-America pick by the Associated Press in 2003.
Rutgers posted a 28-7 overall record and a 14-2 mark in BIG EAST Conference play last season, winning its first outright BIG EAST regular-season title and advancing to its second consecutive BIG EAST Tournament championship game. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. RU, ranked fifth by the Associated Press and tied for fifth by the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today in the preseason polls, returns nine letterwinners and four starters from last season’s Elite Eight team. The Scarlet Knights will officially begin the 2005-2006 campaign on Grand Bahama Island, competing at the Junkanoo Jam Nov. 25-26.
