Senior All-American Maya Moore was been named the Academic All-America of the Year in the University Division for the second straight season today. She is the first player in the University Division to twice win the award.
Moore, an Individualized major with a 3.70 GPA, was named to the Academic All-America Women’s Basketball University Division team for the third time. She was also a first-team twice last season, while being earning second-team honors as a sophomore in 2008-09.
“It’s something we don’t talk about as much,’’ Moore said. “So whenever I find out from (the media) that it happened, it’s kind of like, `Wow.’ It’s been something that just makes me think back to just high school and taking AP classes and always having a challenging schedule. Just really getting a positive educational experience growing up so that when I got to college I wanted to be a good student. I wanted to learn. I wanted to engage with my professor and fellow students in class and really just try to soak up as much of the academic environment as I could being a Connecticut women’s basketball player. So it makes me proud. I know it makes my family proud and my teammates and any of my fellow students that I worked on projects with or anybody who has helped, professors who helped me along the way. Academically, I know it’s cool to know people feel a sense of pride with it, as well.’’
Moore, an Individualized major with a 3.70 GPA, was named to the Academic All-America Women’s Basketball University Division team for the third time. She was also a first-team pick the last two seasons, while earning second-team honors as a sophomore in 2008-09.
Leigh Curl (1984, ’85) Wendy Davis (1992), Rebecca Lobo (1994, ’95), Jen Rizzotti (1995, ’96), Ann Strother (2006) have also earned Academic All-America honors for the Huskies.
“I think it’s just an extension of what Maya is,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Maya’s a lot like Jen Rizzotti in that respect. The same intensity level and the same passion and the same kind of attention to detail and focus that you see on the court every time you watch them play. If you were to talk to any of their professors they would tell you that’s the same exact approach they bring to class. That’s probably the closest one that I can remember, those two. And I think Maya … Some kids get awards because they’re just naturally gifted, and that might be the case in Maya’s career. She’s naturally gifted. But you don’t get to where she is right now without taking those gifts and then working extremely hard, harder than anybody, to make sure that you get the most out of it. And that’s what she’s done. She’s done it every day, 365 days a year ever since she’s gotten here.’’
Heather Buck injured her left ankle and missed part of practice today. She was wearing a boot and using crutches afterward. However, she said it was only a precaution.
Rich
I wouldn’t be surprised since I think TN goes looking for UConn violations. I think after so many years of being the mecca of women’s basketball, the relatively quick rise of UConn to the summit (yes, pun intended) of the women’s BB, they are just a tad upset. I’m living down south now, and they don’t get Geno’s sarcastic humor. I think that adds to why they would love to catch UConn doing something wrong
For any Tennessee Lady Vols fans still accusing UConn of recruiting violations with Maya Moore, with respect to Kathryn Moore’s handbag business:
NCAA rules allow parents of a prospective or current student-athlete to enter a business relationship with a school if no special arrangements are made and the business is legitimate, NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson wrote in an e-mail to the AP. Such arrangements, however, could raise concerns and possible scrutiny, he wrote.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/12/30/nebraska.taylor.martinez.father.ap/index.html?xid=si_ncaaf
I wonder if Tennessee or the SEC will file another recruiting violation allegation after Maya Moore plays her last game at UConn. You never know. Stranger things have happened.