University of Pittsburgh Athletics
SHAVONTE ZELLOUS NAMED MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
3/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 2, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. - Shavonte Zellous was named the Big East Women's Basketball Most Improved Player and joined Marcedes Walker on the All-Big East first team Friday night at the tournament banquet. Freshman point guard Jania Sims also earned recognition on the All-Freshman team.
"I am really excited that we had two players named to the first team," Pitt head coach Agnus Berenato said. "It is a great compliment and a reflection of our team. What a tremendous honor for Shavonte Zellous. She has really believed in us and has been teachable. She saw our vision and it is becoming a reality."
Zellous (Orlando, Fla./Jones) is third in scoring in the Big East with a 19.4 points per game average. This season, Zellous has contributed 16 games of 20 points or more and was named the Big East Player of the Week on Nov. 28, Pitt's first POW honor since 2002. Her First Team All-Big East selection is the ninth first-team honor for a Pitt player.
Zellous' Most Improved Player award is the first-ever for a Pitt player as the sophomore improved from 6.9 points to 19.4 points per game in one season. She became Pitt's go-to player with the loss of senior Mallorie Winn to injury at the start of the season. As the leader on the court, Zellous has helped lead Pitt to its most successful season in history with 22 wins and an RPI of No. 20.
Walker (Philadelphia, Pa./University City) is the Panthers' workhorse in the paint, averaging 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game on the year. The junior has recorded 12 double-doubles on the season and 34 in her career including six out of the last seven games. The award is Walker's second first-team honor.
In her third season with the Panthers, Walker is a three-time All-Big East team member including All-Rookie and Honorable Mention team honors as a freshman, and first team recognition last season.
Sims (Newark, N.J./Shabazz) stepped into Winn's place in the lineup as the team's starting point guard and was awarded for her direction of the Panthers on the court. The rookie earned 25 starts on the season, while averaging 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In conference action, Sims is fourth in assist to turnover ratio (1.86) and is fifth in assists, averaging 4.28 per game.
No. 6 seeded Pitt is set to take on first-round opponent and No. 11 seed Cincinnati at 8 p.m. on Saturday night at the Hartford Civic Center. The winner of that game will meet up with third-seeded Marquette Sunday at 8 p.m. All games of the Big East Tournament will be broadcast on www.PittsburghPanthers.com as a part of All Access or locally on the radio at Fox Sports Radio 970 AM with Greg Linnelli, Mike Clark and Jen Tuscano calling the action.
