McCowan Honored as Defensive Player of the Year, Wooden Award Finalist
April 03, 2019 | Women's Basketball
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Coordinator/Communications
STARKVILLE – The honors continue to pour in for Teaira McCowan.
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Mississippi State's senior center was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday morning and closed her evening by being chosen as a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and a member of the five-finalist Wooden All-America team.
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McCowan earned the inaugural Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award last year and is a finalist again this season. She has claimed the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two campaigns. She is the first MSU player to ever win the WBCA's defensive award since it was created in 2007 and just the third SEC player to do so.
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The Brenham, Texas, native was second in the nation in rebounding at 13.5 rpg. She blocked 87 shots, which tied for 11th nationally and is third in MSU single-season history. She finished her career second all-time in blocks at MSU (271) and as the Bulldogs' all-time leader on the boards (1,502). She holds four of the top 10 single-season block totals in school history.
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McCowan averaged 18.4 points per game while shooting 66.2 percent from the field. Her percentage ranked fourth in the nation this year and broke MSU's single-season record.
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She posted 31 double-doubles, breaking her own MSU single-season record, which was third nationally. McCowan finished the year with 662 points which was 23rd in the nation and tied for ninth in school history.
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Wooden award voting took place on March 19-26 to allow voters to consider the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award's creation 43 years ago, all players have been certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the Wooden Award.
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McCowan has now been named an All-American by the Associated Press, ESPNW, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Wooden Award committee. She earned three All-American recognitions last year.
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The 43rd annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men's and women's most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy's on ESPN2 on Friday, April 12, 2019.
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STARKVILLE – The honors continue to pour in for Teaira McCowan.
Â
Mississippi State's senior center was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday morning and closed her evening by being chosen as a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and a member of the five-finalist Wooden All-America team.
Â
McCowan earned the inaugural Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award last year and is a finalist again this season. She has claimed the title of SEC Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two campaigns. She is the first MSU player to ever win the WBCA's defensive award since it was created in 2007 and just the third SEC player to do so.
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The Brenham, Texas, native was second in the nation in rebounding at 13.5 rpg. She blocked 87 shots, which tied for 11th nationally and is third in MSU single-season history. She finished her career second all-time in blocks at MSU (271) and as the Bulldogs' all-time leader on the boards (1,502). She holds four of the top 10 single-season block totals in school history.
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McCowan averaged 18.4 points per game while shooting 66.2 percent from the field. Her percentage ranked fourth in the nation this year and broke MSU's single-season record.
Â
She posted 31 double-doubles, breaking her own MSU single-season record, which was third nationally. McCowan finished the year with 662 points which was 23rd in the nation and tied for ninth in school history.
Â
Wooden award voting took place on March 19-26 to allow voters to consider the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award's creation 43 years ago, all players have been certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the Wooden Award.
Â
McCowan has now been named an All-American by the Associated Press, ESPNW, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Wooden Award committee. She earned three All-American recognitions last year.
Â
The 43rd annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men's and women's most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy's on ESPN2 on Friday, April 12, 2019.
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Players Mentioned
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