TCU's Irvin Named to AP All-America First Team; Smith Earns Third Team Honors

Sandora Irvin

TCU women's basketball star Sandora Irvin was selected to the Associated Press All-America First Team on March 23. She is the first player in school history to be recognized on any of the AP's three All-America teams. Irvin was already named to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Team earlier in March.

Joining Irvin on the honor roll is DePaul junior forward Khara Smith, who was named a third team All-American for the second consecutive season after leading DePaul to a 26-5 record with 23 double-doubles.

Irvin helped the Horned Frogs win their second Conference USA Tournament title in the past three years this season. 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 in 2005, she netted 21 points and pulled down nine boards.

Prior to the start of the C-USA Tournament, Irvin was chosen 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 nod. Irvin snagged Defensive Player of the Year honors as well for the third year in a row.

Irvin finished the 2004-05 season averaging 19.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.5 blocked shots, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals. She currently ranks 10th in the nation in scoring, second in rebounding and third in blocked shots. Her 150 blocks fell two shy of tying the NCAA's single-season record.

Some of Irvin's numbers this season were of record-setting quality. She broke the NCAA single-game record for blocked shots with 16 versus UAB Jan. 16. Irvin also had the first triple-double in school history also against the Blazers by adding 20 points and 18 rebounds.

Smith led the Blue Demons with 18.6 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting .601 from the field. Her 364 total rebounds this season is the second-highest single-season total in the program’s 31-year history. Smith was the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year and earned first team All-Conference USA honors after the Blue Demons won the league’s regular-season championship.

The Blue Demons finished the 2004-05 season with a 26-5 record with their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Below is the 2004-05 AP women's All-America basketball team with school, height, class and key statistics, followed in parentheses by first-team votes and points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis by a national media panel:

FIRST TEAM
Seimone Augustus, LSU, 6-1, junior, 20.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, .554 fg pct (45 first-team votes, 225 total points).

Kendra Wecker, Kansas State, 5-11, senior, 20.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, .839 ft pct (36, 192).

Monique Currie, Duke, 6-0, junior, 17.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 69 steals (29, 180).

Jessica Davenport, Ohio State, 6-4, sophomore, 19.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 109 blocks, .594 fg pct (22, 163).

Sandora Irvin, TCU, 6-3, senior, 20.1 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 144 blocks, 81 steals (20, 153).

SECOND TEAM
Janel McCarville, Minnesota, 6-2, senior, 16.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.8 apg (17, 148).

Candice Wiggins, Stanford, 5-11, freshman, 17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 79 steals (9, 104).

Sophia Young, Baylor, 6-1, junior, 17.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 56 steals (8, 99).

Temeka Johnson, LSU, 5-3, senior, 10.0 ppg, 7.5 apg, 56 steals (8, 95).

Tan White, Mississippi State, 5-7, senior, 23.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 61 3-pointers (6, 82).

THIRD TEAM
Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame, 6-2, senior, 17.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg (5, 79).

Ivory Latta, North Carolina, 5-6, sophomore, 16.9 ppg, 4.5 apg, 80 3-pointers, 52 steals (4, 70).

Tiffany Jackson, Texas, 6-3, sophomore, 18.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, .563 fg pct, 57 blocks (1, 68).

Khara Smith, DePaul, 6-2, junior, 18.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg, .619 fg pct, 64 steals (3, 49).

Steffanie Blackmon, Baylor, 6-2, senior, 15.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 35 steals (4, 46).

Tanisha Wright, Penn State, 5-11, senior, 19.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 54 steals (1, 46).

HONORABLE MENTION
(In alphabetical order)

Nikita Bell, North Carolina; Nikki Blue, UCLA; Lindsay Bowen, Michigan State; Jessalyn Deveny, Boston College; Megan Duffy, Notre Dame; Candice Dupree, Temple.