Kodak All American Finalists

[Bball Girl]

Way to go LaToya, LaToya (yeah LTD), Erin, Tiffany, Sophia and yes, last but not least Courtney.

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in cooperation with Eastman Kodak Company, announced the finalists today for the 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. The 48 finalists, who are voted upon by WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member Kodak/WBCA All-America Team.

The finalists are:

Region I

Megan Duffy University of Notre Dame Sr. G 5-7

Candice Dupree Temple University Sr. F 6-2

Cappie Pondexter Rutgers University Sr. G 5-9

Khara Smith DePaul University Sr. F/C 6-2

Ann Strother University of Connecticut Sr. G 6-3

Barbara Turner University of Connecticut Sr. F 6-0

Region 2

Monique Currie Duke University Sr. G 6-0

Lindsey Harding Duke University Jr. G 5-8

Tamara James University of Miami Sr. F 5-9

Crystal Langhorne University of Maryland So. F 6-2

Erlana Larkins University of North Carolina So. F/C 6-1

Ivory Latta University of North Carolina Jr. G 5-6

Region 3

Seimone Augustus Louisiana State University Sr. G 6-1

Sherill Baker University of Georgia Sr. G 5-8

Sylvia Fowles Louisiana State University So. C 6-6

Tasha Humphrey University of Georgia So. F 6-3

Candace Parker University of Tennessee Fr. F 6-4

Armintie Price University of Mississippi Jr. G 5-9

Region 4

Emily Christian Tennessee Tech University Sr. C 6-1

Ryan Coleman Eastern Michigan University Sr. G 5-8

Jillian Robbins University of Tulsa Jr. F 6-1

Casey Rost Western Michigan Univ. Sr. G 5-9

Lindsay Shearer Kent State University Sr. F 6-1

Zane Teilane Western Illinois University Sr. C 6-7

Region 5

LaToya Bond University of Missouri Sr. G 5-7

LaToya Davis Texas Tech University Sr. F 6-1

Erin Grant Texas Tech University Sr. G 5-8

Tiffany Jackson University of Texas Jr. F 6-3

Courtney Paris University of Oklahoma Fr. C 6-4

Sophia Young Baylor University Sr. F 6-1

Region 6

Melanie Boeglin Indiana State University Sr. G 5-6

Jessica Davenport Ohio State University Jr. C 6-5

Katie Gearlds Purdue University Jr. G/F 6-1

Kari Koch Missouri State University Sr. G 5-9

Liz Shimek Michigan State University Sr. F 6-1

Crystal Smith University of Iowa Sr. G 5-6

Region 7

Ambrosia Anderson Brigham Young University Sr. F 6-1

Leilani Mitchell University of Idaho Jr. G 5-5

Mandy Morales University of Montana Fr. G 5-9

Aarica Ray-Boyd Louisiana Tech University Sr. G 6-0

Kim Smith University of Utah Sr. F 6-1

Tasha Williams Louisiana Tech University Sr. G 5-7

Region 8

Nikki Blue UCLA Sr. G 5-8

Eshaya Murphy USC Jr. G 5-11

Noelle Quinn UCLA Jr. G 6-0

Brooke Smith Stanford University Jr. C 6-3

Candice Wiggins Stanford University So. G 5-11

Lisa Willis UCLA Sr. G 5-11

The Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team for NCAA Division I will be announced at the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Press Conference at the Westin Copley Place on April 1, 2006 at 9:45 a.m. (ET) in Boston, Mass. This year the WBCA celebrates its Silver Anniversary, marking 25 years of existence.

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.

[sybarite]

Where is Britney?

[swok34]

Sherri Coale was also recognized today by the WBCA:

Sherri Coale was named the Russell Athletic/WBCA Region 5 Coach of the Year this afternoon. Coale is now a candidate for the WBCA National Coach of the year along with Pat Summitt (Tennessee), C. Vivian Stringer (Rutgers), Sylvia Hatchell (North Carolina), Curt Miller (Bowling Green), Jim Wieldle (Indiana State), Don Flanagan (New Mexico) and Charlie Thorne (Arizona State).

[Bball Girl]

Congrats to Sherri.

Wow.. Don Flanagan (New Mexico), I'm surprised, they didn't end up having that great of a season. But that's nice that's he's getting some recognition.

[Jennifer]

No Lyndsay Medders? I don't know anythng about Crystal Smith of Iowa...is she as good as Medders?

Those so called WBCA geographical regions are pretty interesting looking. I'd like to see a map of how they were divided. :)

[labcoatguy]

I'd be interested in that too. From the looks of it, it goes by conference, as Oklahoma and Missouri are in the same district, but Tulsa is in 4 and <s>SMS</s> MSU is in 6. Its the only way that makes sense, what with LSU being with all the SEC schools in 3 while Louisiana Tech gets with the Idahos and Montanas of the Big Sky and WAC.

But then why, for the academic all-America teams, was the map split geographically, dividing the Big XII into North and South?

[YCN]

No Lyndsay Medders? I don't know anythng about Crystal Smith of Iowa...is she as good as Medders?

Those so called WBCA geographical regions are pretty interesting looking. I'd like to see a map of how they were divided. :)You can find out which region every NCAA school is located in at the NCAA website.

Unfortunately, it appears the server for that info is currently down.

Schools Sponsoring NCAA Sports (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4j3CQXJgFjGpvqRqC KOcAFfj_zcVH1v_QD9gtzQiHJHRUUAc0tpTA!!/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvUUd3QndNQSEvNElVRS82XzBfTFU!?CONTENT_URL=h ttp://www.ncaa.org/sponsorships/)

[Gummy]

The WBCA regions are divided by conference; they have nothing to do with NCAA regions (which incidentally are also divided by conference, but not necessarily the same ones). The CoSIDA Districts for Academic All-America are divided geographically.

[labcoatguy]

Thanks for the clarification, Gummy

[YCN]

The WBCA regions are divided by conference; they have nothing to do with NCAA regions (which incidentally are also divided by conference, but not necessarily the same ones). The CoSIDA Districts for Academic All-America are divided geographically.I can't imagine that everyone having different region definitions provides any possible positve for women's basketball.

Any idea on why they don't use the same divisions? For a sport struggling for an identity, petty boundary battles like these seem absolutely useless to anyone.

[walkaway]

Ah, regardless of boundaries -- GO LTD!