VanDerveer, Wilson pick up top Pac-12 awards for Stanford
Six individuals from Stanford’s women’s team earned all-conference recognition from the league’s coaches, as the Pac-12 Conference announced its All-Pac-12, All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams Monday.
Highlighting the awards for the Cardinal were Anna Wilson, named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year and on the All-Defensive team; Lacie Hull, named the Sixth Player of the Year, and Tara VanDerveer, named the Coach of the Year. Lexie Hull, Haley Jones and Kiana Williams were each named to the 15-player All-Pac-12 list, while Cameron Brink was one of five named to the All-Freshman team.
Wilson is the third player in Stanford history to win Defensive Player of the Year, joining Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (2010) and Chiney Ogwumike (2012, 2013, 2014).
Named the Coach of the Year for the 16th time, VanDerveer led her team through unfathomable circumstances en route to Stanford’s 24th all-time Pac12 regular season championship, but first since 2014. The 2020-21 season will undoubtedly be one to remember for VanDerveer, not only for having to maneuver through the challenges of the season including nine weeks on the road and constant discipline and vigilance to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols, but also for a monumental record-breaking accomplishment, becoming the all-time winningest coach in women’s college basketball history. VanDerveer now boasts an all-time record of 1,116-255, including 964-204 at Stanford.
WOMEN’S POLL >> Texas A&M moved up to No. 2, its highest ranking ever in The AP women’s poll, a day after winning its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title.
The Aggies (22-1) beat then-No. 5 South Carolina on Sunday to win the conference title and then moved up a spot in the Top 25. Texas A&M received two first-place votes Monday from a 30-member national media panel.
UConn remained the top choice in the poll, getting 27 first-place votes.
North Carolina State fell to No. 3, with Stanford and Louisville rounding out the first five teams in the poll. MEN’S POLL >> Michigan broke the stranglehold of Gonzaga and Baylor atop The AP men’s poll, taking advantage of the Bears’ loss at Kansas to leap into the No. 2 spot behind the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga continued to hold down the top spot in the Top 25, just as it has all season, receiving 59 of 63 first-place votes among national media members. But the Wolverines picked up the other four to climb into second while the Bears, whose unbeaten season was foiled by the Jayhawks on Saturday night, dropped back to third place.
Illinois climbed one spot to fourth and Iowa gave the Big Ten three teams in the top five.
West Virginia continued its steady climb, up four spots to No. 6 after its third consecutive win. Ohio State fell three spots to seventh after its loss to the Hawkeyes. Alabama, Houston and Villanova rounded out the top 10.
IN THE TOP 25>> NO. 21 VIRGINIA 62, MIAMI 51>>
Sam Hauser scored 18 points and the Cavaliers (166, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended a three-game skid by handing the visiting Hurricanes (7-16, 3-15) their sixth loss in a row.
IN THE PAC-12 >> The game between Washington State and Arizona State scheduled for Monday was not played due to COVID-19 issues in the Cougars program.
When Justinian Jessup canned a 3-pointer from the left wing during his 26-point effort last week, he held the shooting form of his outstretched left arm and soaked in the moment as he was well on his way to scoring a career high.
Jessup, the 22-year-old, 6-foot-7 shooter who the Warriors selected with the 51st pick in November’s draft, is playing this season overseas in the NBL. His scoring outburst didn’t lead to a victory by his Illawarra Hawks, but it did garner attention stateside, and from former Warriors center Andrew Bogut.
“Hey Warriors fans! Justinian Jessup is COOKING right now,” Bogut said in a tweet. An hour later, Bogut typed, “He can SHOOT it.”
Even as Jessup impresses fans and inspires tweets by averaging 15.7 points on 53.6% shooting from 3-point range, sources say the Warriors have no plans to bring him over stateside this season.
But as he proved in Thursday’s performance, Jessup can do much more than just shoot it. As he tallied 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting (including 4-for-7 from 3-point range), seven rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes, he drove for a left-handed layup, ran the floor for a one-handed dunk and used a spin move to get to a midrange pullup jumper.
The Warriors, of course, know this. Head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Bob Myers are kept up to date on Jessup’s development, receiving daily briefs and tuning into recordings of his games when time allows.
The fact is Jessup has long been on the Warriors’ radar. Jessup played four years at Boise State, where he was a 40% 3-point shooter and was among the players Golden State had targeted
for their second-round pick.
However, the Warriors faced a numbers crunch on the 15-man roster with three total draft picks, 13 players already under contract and plans to sign free agents.
So by the draft on Nov. 18, the Warriors had surveyed several players who could be in range for their second-round pick to see who would be willing to play overseas for a season, where they could maintain his rights without using a valuable roster spot.
Jessup, who signed with Illawarra in August, agreed to spend a year in
the NBL, where he could develop with ample playing time.
The Warriors could add him to the roster next season. Klay Thompson is expected to return from an Achilles tear, but the Warriors will need to identify his backup as guards Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee and Mychal Mulder will all hit free agency.
Chances are Golden State will bring back at least a few of them, but Jessup could very well be in the mix next season. For now, Warriors fans will have to enjoy the highlights.