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Oct. 15, 2008

IRVING, Texas -- There must be something in the water at the Lloyd Noble Center.

After becoming the first school to sweep the Big 12’s preseason vote for No. 1 team in men’s and women’s basketball, Oklahoma swept the league’s picks for preseason player of the year and freshman of the year.

Wednesday, the Big 12 Conference named Courtney Paris its Preseason Player of the Year for a third consecutive season and Whitney Hand, who tied with Texas A&M’s Tyra White, its Co-Preseason Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

The notice was made following Tuesday’s announcement of the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason honors, which included Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin as player of the year and Willie Warren as freshman of the year, and last week’s release of the Big 12 preseason basketball polls.

“Year in and year out the Big 12 conference is flooded with great players,” OU head coach Sherri Coale said, “so for us to have two off of our roster singled out for preseason honors is truly humbling.

“Courtney's collegiate statistics are mind boggling, so the expectations for her, in this her senior season, are not surprising.”

Paris is a reigning two-time Big 12 Player of the Year who became the conference’s first three-time consensus All-America First Team selection last season. The Piedmont, Calif., native averaged 19 points and led the nation in rebounding with 15 per game. The senior enters the 2008-09 as the owner of 15 NCAA records and nearly 50 Big 12 Conference records.

“The freshman award always feels a bit dicey, as none of us have any way of knowing which of the talented cadre brought into our league each year will actually excel at this level. However, in 13 years of coaching in the Big 12, I have never had a freshman more prepared to make an impact than Whitney Hand.”

Hand finished her prep career as the second-leading scorer in Texas’ history with 3,649 and was named a High School All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The Fort Worth, Texas, native led Liberty Christian (Argyle, Texas) to consecutive state championships in 2007 and 2008. Hand led all divisions in the state by making 108 3-pointers and 85 percent of her free throws.

Paris led the Preseason All-Big 12 team completed by guards Shalee Lehning (Kansas State), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State) and Takia Starks (Texas A&M) and forward Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska). All five were 2008 All-Big 12 First Team members.

The top vote-getter for Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year was Texas A&M junior Tanisha Smith, a 6-0 forward/guard who transferred from Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Oklahoma begins its season with the 1,000th game in the program’s history as its opens the Preseason WNIT hosting UC-Riverside in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.

The Sooners precede the regular season with exhibitions at home on Nov. 6 against Western State College of Colorado and Nov. 11 against Oklahoma Christian. Both games tip at 7 p.m.

The OU women will also hold an exclusive scrimmage for Fast Break Club members and season-ticket holders Thursday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m.

2008-09 Big 12 Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Big 12 Team
(Coaches not allowed to vote for own players.)

Preseason Player of the Year
Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, C, 6-4, Sr, Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont

Preseason Co-Freshmen of the Year
Whitney Hand, Oklahoma, G, 6-1, Fr, Fort Worth, Texas/Liberty Christian School
Tyra White, Texas A&M, G, 6-0, RSFr, Kansas City, Mo./Hickman Mills

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Tanisha Smith, Texas A&M, G/F, 6-0, Jr, Kansas City, Mo./Lincoln Prep/Arkansas/Arkansas-Fort Smith

Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Shalee Lehning, G, Kansas State
Kelsey Griffin, F, Nebraska
Courtney Paris, C, Oklahoma
Andrea Riley, G, Oklahoma State
Takia Starks, G, Texas A&M

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school)
Rachel Allison and Jessica Morrow (Baylor), Alison Lacey (Iowa State), Brittainey Raven (Texas) and Danielle Gant (Texas A&M)