Caldwell named Pac-10 Coach of the Year

UCLA women’s basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell was named Pac-10 coach of the year today after leading the No. 25 Bruins to a 22-7 record and a school record-tying 15-3 record in conference play.

Jasmine Dixon and Markel Walker were named to the All-Pac-10 team, while Walker was also an all-freshman team selection.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.– A panel of Pac-10 women’s basketball media members who cover the league voted STANFORD SO F Nnemkadi Ogwumike Pac-10 Player of the Year; ARIZONA G Davellyn Whyte Pac-10 Freshman of the Year; ARIZONA JR F Ify Ibekwe Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year; and UCLA head coach Nikki Caldwell Pac-10 Coach of the Year, the Conference office announced today.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Cypress, Texas) leads the Pac-10 in scoring (18.2 ppg) and ranks third in rebounding (9.4 rpg). Helping the second-ranked Cardinal run the table during the regular-season league action (18-0) and earn the top seed in the upcoming State Farm Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament, she is shooting 63.8 percent from the field, the fourth-best shooting percentage in the nation.

Ify Ibekwe (Carson, Calif.) is the only player in the Pac-10 to average a double-double, grabbing 11.3 rpg to lead the Conference and also ranking 12th with 13.9 ppg. With Ibekwe’s presence on the court and in the paint, the Wildcats rank third in the Pac-10 in field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot just 37.8 percent.

Ibekwe’s teammate Davellyn Whyte (Phoenix, Ariz.) leads the Wildcats in scoring, netting 16.0 ppg while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor. She is the highest-scoring freshman in the league, turning in a school-record 39-point performance on Jan. 16 in the 119-112 win over Oregon.

Nikki Caldwell is in her second season at the UCLA helm, leading the Bruins to their best-ever seeding in the nine years of the Pac-10 Tournament. The 25th-ranked Bruins are 22-7 heading into the tournament, including a 15-3 mark in Pac-10 play, tying a school record for most league victories.

The media also selected a 15-member All-Pac-10 team, a five-member All-Defensive team and a five-member All-Freshman team.

It is the first time the media has voted on Conference honors and are in addition to the Pac-10 awards voted on by the league coaches, which will be announced on Wednesday and Thursday. The panel included local and national media members.

The State Farm Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Thursday, March 11 with two first-round games at Galen Center in Los Angeles. The action continues on Friday, March 12 with the quarterfinals. The first six games of the tournament will be streamed live at www.pac-10.org and www.10teams1trophy.com.

The quarterfinal winners move on to the semifinals on Saturday, March 13, with the champion being crowned on Sunday, March 14. The final three games of the tournament will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Net.

2010 Pac-10 Media All-Pac-10 (Points):
Nnemkadi Ogwumike, STANFORD (218); Jayne Appel, STANFORD (203); Alexis Gray-Lawson, CALIFORNIA (185); Kayla Pedersen, STANFORD (176); Ify Ibekwe, ARIZONA (153); Jasmine Dixon, UCLA (117); Ashley Corral, USC (106); Taylor Lilley, OREGON (106); Danielle Orsillo, ARIZONA STATE (85); Davellyn Whyte, ARIZONA (69); Jeanette Pohlen, STANFORD (58); Markel Walker, UCLA (56); Talisa Rhea, OREGON STATE (47); Sami Whitcomb, WASHINGTON (41); Briana Gilbreath, USC (32).

2010 Pac-10 Media All-Freshman Team (Points):
Davellyn Whyte, ARIZONA (62); Markel Walker, UCLA (53); KiKi Moore, WASHINGTON STATE (40); DeNesha Stallworth, CALIFORNIA (27); Gennifer Brandon, CALIFORNIA (7).

2010 Media All-Defensive Team (Points):
Ify Ibekwe, ARIZONA (50); KiKi Moore, WASHINGTON STATE (35); Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, STANFORD (33); Briana Gilbreath, USC (20); Carly Noyes, WASHINGTON STATE (12).