PISCATAWAY, NJ - Six members of the Rutgers women's basketball program have been honored by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA).
C. Vivian Stringer was named the MBWA Coach of the Year, and Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) was named the MBWA Player of the Year. Pondexter was joined on the All-Met First Team by Matee Ajavon (Newark, NJ) and Chelsea Newton (Monroe, LA). Michelle Campbell (Princeton, NJ) and Essence Carson (Paterson, NJ) were named to the All-Met Second Team.
Stringer served as an assistant coach for the 2004 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team that won a gold medal in Athens, Greece. She was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith National Coach-of-the-Year Award, leading Rutgers to a 28-7 overall record and a 14-2 mark in BIG EAST play as RU won its first outright BIG EAST regular-season title. Rutgers advanced to the final of the BIG EAST Tournament for the second straight year, and the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000, finishing with a final ranking of seventh in the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll. Stringer became the 21st Division I coach overall, the fourth women's Division I coach and the ninth active Division I coach to record her 700th victory with a 68-46 win against Princeton Dec. 8, and moved into third place on the women's Division I victories list (709) with a 71-60 win at No. 14/13 Boston College Jan. 26. She earned her 200th victory in her 10th season at Rutgers, a 64-59 win against Villanova in the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals March 7. This marks Stringer's fourth selection as the MBWA Coach of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000, 2005).
Pondexter, a 5-9 senior guard, earned the MBWA player-of-the-year award for an unprecedented third consecutive season (2003, 2004, 2005). She averaged 14.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 27 games, and was named an All-American by the Associated Press (third team), Full Court Press (third team) and Kodak/WBCA (honorable mention). The NCAA Tournament Philadelphia Regional's Most Outstanding Performer after averaging a tourney-best 24.0 points per game, she was a candidate for three national player-of-the-year awards (Naismith, State Farm Wade Trophy and Wooden Women's Award) as well as the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) and was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team.
Ajavon, a 5-8 freshman guard, averaged 12.4 points and 3.5 assists, starting 20 of 35 games. The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, she was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Philadelphia Regional Team, the All-BIG EAST Second Team, the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team and the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. She was the only freshman to be named to the All-Met First Team.
Newton, a 5-11 senior guard, averaged 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals in 33 contests. The BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, she was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team and was a preseason candidate for the Naismith National Player-of-the-Year Award as well as the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award. Newton was the second-round selection (22nd overall) of the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2005 WNBA Draft April 16.
Campbell, a 6-2 junior forward, averaged 11.0 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds as the only player to start all 35 games. The BIG EAST's Most Improved Player, she was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team.
Carson, a 6-0 freshman guard, started 23 of 35 games, ranking fifth for the Scarlet Knights in scoring (6.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.5 rpg).
Rutgers earned five of the 12 selections to the All-Met First and Second Teams, as well as both of the specialty awards. The winners will be honored at the NIT/MBWA Awards Dinner Wednesday, April 20, at the Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Race Track.
Stringer, Pondexter, Ajavon, Campbell and Carson will return next season to lead No. 9/7 Rutgers (28-7, 14-2 BIG EAST), the 2004-2005 BIG EAST regular-season champion and BIG EAST Tournament runner-up that advanced to the regional final of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
NIT/Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Division I Women's Basketball Awards
Coach of the Year: C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers
Player of the Year: Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
First Team:
Matee Ajavon, Rutgers, Fr. 5-8 G
Ashley Bush, Seton Hall, Sr. 5-10 G/F
Fifi Camara, Marist, Jr. 6-1 F
Cigi McCollin, Hofstra, So. 5-7 G
Chelsea Newton, Rutgers, Sr. 5-11 G
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers, Sr. 5-9 G
Kia Wright, St. John's, So. 5-8 G
Second Team:
Michelle Campbell, Rutgers, Jr. 6-2 F
Essence Carson, Rutgers, Fr. 6-0 G
Angela Clark, St. John's, So. 6-1 F
Kristin Keller, Marist, Sr. 6-3 C
Janelle McManus, Fairfield, Sr. 5-6 G
