UW women's basketball: Anderson named Big Ten Player of the Year by media
Coaches and media from the Big Ten Conference have heaped awards upon Jolene Anderson since the standout joined the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team as a rookie during the 2004-05 season.
As the Port Wing native's collegiate career winds down, the accolades keep coming her way.
Anderson, who led the Big Ten in scoring for a second straight season, was selected Big Ten Player of the Year Monday night by a 22-member media panel. She is the first Badgers women's player to earn the honor.
Named preseason Big Ten Player of the Year in October, the UW co-captain also was a unanimous all-Big Ten first-team pick on the lists of both conference media and coaches.
Ohio State center Jantel Lavender was picked Player of the Year by league coaches, the first freshman to earn that award.
Anderson concluded the regular season with a league-best 19.6 points per game and broke the all-time career scoring mark for men's and women's players at Wisconsin.
UW coach Lisa Stone said her star player, who has scored 2,267 points at UW and led the team in scoring for four seasons, is deserving of the recognition.
"It's an awfully nice accomplishment that is nice for Jo, but also nice for the program," Stone said Monday night in a telephone interview.
Anderson was named the league's top freshman in 2004-05; joined the all-Big Ten second team as a sophomore and moved up to the all-Big Ten first team as junior. Last season, Anderson averaged 19.3 points per game and edged Ohio State senior Jessica Davenport for the league scoring title by one point.
Eighth-seeded UW (16-11, 9-9) begins postseason play Thursday with a first-round game against ninth-seeded Illinois (16-13, 8-10) in the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, and Stone said she anticipates Anderson will make an impact for the Badgers.
"Her best is yet to come, that is going to be my line to her when I see her (today)," Stone said. "A bit more greatness in her will help get us through the tournament. No UW team has ever won four games (en route to the title) in the Big Ten tournament, and that's what we're hoping to do."
UW senior guard Janese Banks was picked to the all-Big Ten third team by the media, and received an honorable mention nod from the coaches. A Badgers co-captain along with Anderson, Banks is second in team scoring at 12.5 points per game in league play.
Jefferson native Lin Zastrow, a reserve forward who averaged 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in Big Ten games, was named to the all-Big Ten freshman team.
Meanwhile, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for helping lead the Hawkeyes to a share of the league championship with Ohio State.
Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
Wisconsin's Jolene Anderson was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
