TCU's Irvin Named to USBWA All-America Team

Sandora Irvin

The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) named TCU's Sandora Irvin to its All-America Team on March 16. Irvin is the first Horned Frog in school history to be honored as a member of the 10-person squad that also included Seimone Augustus (LSU), Monique Currie (Duke), Jessica Davenport (Ohio State), Tiffany Jackson (Texas), Tameka Johnson (LSU), Janel McCarville (Minnesota), Kendra Wecker (Kansas State), Tanisha Wright (Penn State) and Sophia Young (Baylor).

While the USBWA has been naming its All-America Team since 1997, only two other C-USA women's basketball players have been recognized. Houston's Chandi Jones received the honor in 2004 and Memphis' Tamika Whitmore in 1999.

Irvin recently helped the Frogs win their second Conference USA Tournament title in the past three years. She was selected to the All-Tournament Team for a third consecutive year and named Most Valuable Player for the second time in her career. Irvin took home the top honor in 2003 when she posted 26 points and 19 rebounds in the championship game that TCU won 85-76 over Cincinnati in overtime. In the 60-41 win against Louisville this year, she netted 21 points and pulled down nine boards.

Prior to the start of the C-USA Tournament, Irvin was selected as one of 11 members to the league's All-Decade Team. She also took home C-USA First Team praise for the second consecutive year and earned her first Player of the Year award. Irvin snagged Defensive Player of the Year honors as well for the third time in as many years.

Irvin has received numerous other honors this season, being named to the Miami Jam and Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament Teams in November. She was also tabbed the MVP for the Wahine Classic after TCU upset then-No. 3 Georgia and then-No. 13/14 Michigan State to win the title. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native is also one of three players in C-USA history to be named Player of the Week four times in one season.

Irvin was named the WBCA National Player of the Month for her December performance earlier in January. Irvin averaged 22.5 points, 13 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.8 steals in TCU's eight games during the month. She tallied a career-high 32 points versus Oklahoma Dec. 9 in an 81-65 victory. Irvin scored at least 20 points in six of the eight contests and was in double digits in the rebounds category in all but two games as well.

For the 2004-05 season, Irvin is averaging 20.1 points, 12 rebounds, 4.5 blocked shots, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals. She ranks 10th in the nation in scoring, second in rebounding and third in blocks.

Some of Irvin's numbers this season have been of record-setting quality. She broke the NCAA single-game record for blocked shots with 16 versus UAB Jan. 16. The old record of 15 was held by Amy Lundquist from Loyola Marymount. Irvin also had the first triple-double in school history against UAB by adding 20 points and 18 rebounds.

The next record Irvin broke was the NCAA's career standard for blocked shots of 428, doing so versus Memphis Feb. 5. She needed just three going into the game and finished with eight. Her current total stands at 474 heading into the NCAA Championship.