Feb. 27, 2013

Naismith Trophy site

STANFORD, Calif. - For the second time in two days Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike was named to a national player of the year midseason list, being named to the Naismith Trophy Top 30 by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club Wednesday.

Tuesday the Cypress, Texas native was named to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Top 20 List.

She is joined by California's Layshia Clarendon on the Naismith Trophy list as the only representatives from the Pac-12.

Entering this week Ogwumike is the only player to rank in the national top five in scoring (22.7 ppg - third), rebounding (12.7 rpg - fifth), field-goal percentage (58.2 - fourth) and double-doubles (22 - second) in the NCAA's latest national stat rankings (Feb. 25).

Inside those numbers are Ogwumike's dominating performances against Top-25 teams this season. Over 10 matchups with ranked teams, she has averaged 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds and shot 53.5 percent from the field as Stanford has gone 8-2, including 6-0 away from home.

Her play carried Stanford to its first No. 1 ranking since March 2005, a spot the Cardinal took over Nov. 19 and held for six weeks. Entering this weekend's final regular-season action, the Cardinal is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll with an overall record of 26-2 and tied atop the Pac-12 table at 15-1 with No. 6 California.

So far in 2012-13 Ogwumike has earned one national player of the week nod from both the USBWA (Jan. 28) and espnW (Nov. 19), earning espnW's first nod after scoring 18 points, including the eventual game-winning bucket with less than a minute remaining, with eight rebounds in Stanford's 71-69 win over then-No. 1/1 Baylor on Nov. 16 at the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu. Ogwumike would go on to be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as the Cardinal captured the tournament crown.

Ogwumike is also on pace to capture the Pac-12's Triple Crown, leading the loop in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage in addition to double-doubles. Through Feb. 25 she has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week a record-tying five times and her eight career honors leave her one behind former Stanford standouts Candice Wiggins (2004-08) and Jayne Appel (2006-10).

This past Sunday, Ogwumike made yet another compelling case for national player of the year honors as she scored 27 points with a Stanford single-game record 24 rebounds in the Cardinal's 74-50 win over Oregon. While her 24 rebounds eclipsed older sister Nnemkadi Ogwumike's mark of 23 set against the Ducks on Jan. 23, 2010, combined with the 27 points scored it was Chiney's 52nd-career double-double, passing Nnemkadi as Stanford's career leader. Chiney also become just the sixth Stanford player to grab 1,000 rebounds and join the 1,000-1,000 Club for points and rebounds.

Stanford travels to Washington and Washington State this weekend to close out the Pac-12 regular season. Both games will be televised nationally on Pac-12 Network, beginning with Thursday's 7 p.m. PT tip at Washington and concluding with Sunday's noon PT tip at Washington State.