Ionescu Named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
02/28/17 | Women's Basketball
Ionescu, Hebard and Bando all earn Pac-12 postseason accolades
EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon women's basketball guard Sabrina Ionescu has been named the Pac-12 freshman of the year, the conference announced on Tuesday.
The Pac-12 also announced it's all-league and all-freshman teams, with Ionescu and forward Ruthy Hebard being named to both. Junior guard Lexi Bando was an honorable mention all-Pac-12 choice.Â
Ionescu is the first Oregon player since Shaquala Williams in 1998-99 to earn freshman of the year honors from the coaches vote. Forward Jillian Alleyne was named Pac-12 freshman of the year by the media in 2012-13.Â
In addition to her freshman of the year honor, Ionescu was named to the all-Pac-12 team and the Pac-12 all-freshman team. Hebard was also named to both the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman teams. The duo are just the 17th and 18th freshmen in Pac-12 history to be named all-conference. Oregon is the first school in league history to place two freshmen on the all-Pac-12 team. Ionescu is averaging 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, ranking her in the top-15 in the conference in all three categories. She is the first freshman in NCAA history to post four triple-doubles in a season. Hebard is averaging a team-high 14.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and has nine double-double this season. Heading into the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday, Hebard is shooting 63.2 percent from the field, good for first in the Pac-12 and eighth in the NCAA. She is on pace to break the Ducks' single-season shooting record of 61.4 percent, set by Debbie Adams in 1980-81.Â
Bando received her first career conference honor since being named to the all-freshman team in 2015. The Eugene native is shooting 50 percent from three-point range, the best in the NCAA this season. Her career three-point percentage of 46.3 is the best among all active players in the country as well. Bando currently is tied for second in UO career history with 189 made three-pointers.Â
The media vote, announced Wednesday, selected Ionescu as the freshman of the year and named her to the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman teams. The media also named Hebard to the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman squads.Â
The Pac-12 also announced it's all-league and all-freshman teams, with Ionescu and forward Ruthy Hebard being named to both. Junior guard Lexi Bando was an honorable mention all-Pac-12 choice.Â
Ionescu is the first Oregon player since Shaquala Williams in 1998-99 to earn freshman of the year honors from the coaches vote. Forward Jillian Alleyne was named Pac-12 freshman of the year by the media in 2012-13.Â
In addition to her freshman of the year honor, Ionescu was named to the all-Pac-12 team and the Pac-12 all-freshman team. Hebard was also named to both the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman teams. The duo are just the 17th and 18th freshmen in Pac-12 history to be named all-conference. Oregon is the first school in league history to place two freshmen on the all-Pac-12 team. Ionescu is averaging 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, ranking her in the top-15 in the conference in all three categories. She is the first freshman in NCAA history to post four triple-doubles in a season. Hebard is averaging a team-high 14.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and has nine double-double this season. Heading into the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday, Hebard is shooting 63.2 percent from the field, good for first in the Pac-12 and eighth in the NCAA. She is on pace to break the Ducks' single-season shooting record of 61.4 percent, set by Debbie Adams in 1980-81.Â
Bando received her first career conference honor since being named to the all-freshman team in 2015. The Eugene native is shooting 50 percent from three-point range, the best in the NCAA this season. Her career three-point percentage of 46.3 is the best among all active players in the country as well. Bando currently is tied for second in UO career history with 189 made three-pointers.Â
The media vote, announced Wednesday, selected Ionescu as the freshman of the year and named her to the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman teams. The media also named Hebard to the all-Pac-12 and all-freshman squads.Â
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