Michigan State University Athletics
DeHaan Named To GBallMag.com Young All-America Team
4/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 26, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Freshman Allyssa DeHaan is one of 12 freshmen in the nation named to GBallMag.com's Fourth Annual Young All-America team, the Web site announced on Wednesday night. The award adds to a lengthy list for the freshman, as DeHaan earned the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award along with slots on the All-Big Ten Second Team and the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. She also earned a slot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
As shot-blockers enter Division I in the future, their path to the record book will no doubt be blocked by Allyssa DeHaan, as the MSU freshman etched her name into the NCAA record book with 145 rejections as a freshman. She set the NCAA Division I record for blocked shots by a rookie, as she passed Courtney Paris of Oklahoma, who had 119 blocks in 2005-06, with her first block of the game against Illinois on Feb. 22. She also set the NCAA Division I freshman blocked shot average, as her 4.39 average was well ahead of Kathy Gilbert of Columbia's pace of 4.04 rejections per game in 1988. Xavier's Amber Harris, who was also a member of the Young All-America team, snuck behind DeHaan late in the season, but she finished her season with 136 blocked shots after Xavier was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by West Virginia in the first round.
After, she smashed the school's single-season blocks record in just 12 games. the 6-9 center set her sights on the Big Ten record, passing Trish Andrew of Michigan's mark of 136 in 31 games, breaking the mark against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament on March 4. Her 69 blocks during Big Ten regular season games was the third-best mark in school history, 27 behind Trish Andrew's mark of 96 set in 1991-92.
DeHaan hasn't done it only on defense, however, as she also became just the fourth freshman in school history to reach 300 points and 200 rebounds. She set the Michigan State's freshman record with her 411 points and her 247 rebounds was third. She earned two Big Ten Player of the Week honors, thanks to a 28-point game against Rhode Island on Nov. 29 and a 25-point, eight-rebound game at Ohio State on Feb. 18 against three-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport. She is the Spartans' first Freshman of the Year since Liz Shimek and Lindsay Bowen shared the award for the 2002-03 season.
DeHaan is part of the fourth annual Gballmag.com Young All-America teams made up of freshmen that played significant roles for their respective women's basketball teams in their first collegiate action.
