Oklahoma's Paris Named Big 12 Preseason Player Of Year

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Oklahoma junior center Courtney Paris has been named as the Big 12 Conference's preseason women's basketball player of the year, the league said Wednesday. <br/><br/>It's

Wednesday, October 10th 2007, 2:08 pm

By: News On 6

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Oklahoma junior center Courtney Paris has been named as the Big 12 Conference's preseason women's basketball player of the year, the league said Wednesday.

It's the second straight year that Paris has received the honor, which is voted on by the league's head coaches. She has received first-team All-America honors from The Associated Press after both her seasons with the Sooners and was the AP's national player of the year as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-4 Paris averaged 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds per game last season while leading Oklahoma to a 28-5 record and the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. She will enter this season having recorded a double double in 61 straight games, an ongoing NCAA record.

Texas Tech's Dominic Seals and Texas A&M's Tyra White received preseason newcomer and freshman of the year honors, respectively. Joining Paris on the preseason all-conference team were forwards Jackie McFarland of Colorado and Kelsey Griffin of Nebraska and guards A'Quonesia Franklin and Takia Starks, both from Texas A&M.

Oklahoma will open its season on Nov. 11 against national power Maryland in Chapel Hill, N.C.