Michigan State University Athletics
Four Spartans Garner All-Big Ten Honors
3/4/2019 12:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Allen, Clouden, Colley and McCutcheon capture postseason accolades.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's basketball had four players named to the All-Big Ten teams Monday, as voted on by both the B1G Coaches and the media, and announced Monday by the conference office. Redshirt-junior guard Shay Colley, senior center Jenna Allen, freshman guard Nia Clouden and junior guard Taryn McCutcheon were honored by the Big Ten coaches and media.
Colley, a guard from Brampton, Ontario, earned first-team All-B1G honors by the coaches for the first time in her career. She also took second-team honors from the media. Last season, Colley captured honorable mention honors in her first season as a Spartan. The guard leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. She has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including the last seven games. Colley is also fifth in the B1G in free throw percent, shooting 80.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Clouden, a freshman guard from Owings Mills, Maryland was named to the All-Freshman team, as well as being named to the honorable mention squad by both the coaches and the media. She is the first Spartan to be named to the All-Freshman team since Aerial Powers during the 2013-14 season. Clouden has been involved in much of the MSU offense, averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Among freshman, Clouden is fourth in scoring and second in assists.
Allen, a center from Bedford, Indiana, earned her second career all-conference honor. Allen was voted to the second team both the coaches and the media after taking honorable mention honors a year ago. She has improved in point production every season, currently standing second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 ppg. Allen is sixth in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
McCutcheon, a guard from East Lansing, Michigan, captured honorable mention honors for the third-consecutive season when she was honored by the media. McCutcheon is tied for third in the league in steals with 2.0 spg. She also stands second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 39.0 percent from behind the arc. The junior is one of only three Spartans to have started all 29 games.
For the first time in her career, Allen was also Michigan State's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
In head coach Suzy Merchant's 12 seasons, Michigan State has now earned 43 All-Big Ten selections. MSU has had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors in all of those 12 seasons.
Iowa's Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the both coaches and the media. Michigan's Naz Hillmon captured the Freshman of the Year by the media and Sixth Player of the Year honors, while Maryland's Taylor Mikesell earned Freshman of the Year honors by the coaches. Purdue's Ae'Rianna Harris was the Defensive Player of the Year. Maryland's Brenda Frese earned Coach of the Year honors by both the media and the coaches.
The No. 9-seeded Spartans (19-10, 9-9 B1G) will face No. 8-seeded Northwestern (16-13, 9-9 B1G) in the second round on Thursday, March 7 at 12 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana.
MSU is the No. 9 seed in the B1G Tournament for the fourth time. The last time Michigan State was the No. 9 seed was in 2015 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, when the Spartans defeated Michigan in the second round before falling to Maryland in the quarterfinals. Overall, MSU is 1-3 as the No. 9 seed.
Colley, a guard from Brampton, Ontario, earned first-team All-B1G honors by the coaches for the first time in her career. She also took second-team honors from the media. Last season, Colley captured honorable mention honors in her first season as a Spartan. The guard leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. She has scored in double figures 19 times this season, including the last seven games. Colley is also fifth in the B1G in free throw percent, shooting 80.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Clouden, a freshman guard from Owings Mills, Maryland was named to the All-Freshman team, as well as being named to the honorable mention squad by both the coaches and the media. She is the first Spartan to be named to the All-Freshman team since Aerial Powers during the 2013-14 season. Clouden has been involved in much of the MSU offense, averaging 12.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Among freshman, Clouden is fourth in scoring and second in assists.
Allen, a center from Bedford, Indiana, earned her second career all-conference honor. Allen was voted to the second team both the coaches and the media after taking honorable mention honors a year ago. She has improved in point production every season, currently standing second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 ppg. Allen is sixth in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
McCutcheon, a guard from East Lansing, Michigan, captured honorable mention honors for the third-consecutive season when she was honored by the media. McCutcheon is tied for third in the league in steals with 2.0 spg. She also stands second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 39.0 percent from behind the arc. The junior is one of only three Spartans to have started all 29 games.
For the first time in her career, Allen was also Michigan State's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
In head coach Suzy Merchant's 12 seasons, Michigan State has now earned 43 All-Big Ten selections. MSU has had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors in all of those 12 seasons.
Iowa's Megan Gustafson was named Big Ten Player of the Year by the both coaches and the media. Michigan's Naz Hillmon captured the Freshman of the Year by the media and Sixth Player of the Year honors, while Maryland's Taylor Mikesell earned Freshman of the Year honors by the coaches. Purdue's Ae'Rianna Harris was the Defensive Player of the Year. Maryland's Brenda Frese earned Coach of the Year honors by both the media and the coaches.
The No. 9-seeded Spartans (19-10, 9-9 B1G) will face No. 8-seeded Northwestern (16-13, 9-9 B1G) in the second round on Thursday, March 7 at 12 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana.
MSU is the No. 9 seed in the B1G Tournament for the fourth time. The last time Michigan State was the No. 9 seed was in 2015 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, when the Spartans defeated Michigan in the second round before falling to Maryland in the quarterfinals. Overall, MSU is 1-3 as the No. 9 seed.
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