Boston College Athletics
Deveny Named BIG EAST'S Most Improved Player
March 07, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 7, 2003
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Boston College sophomore guard Jessalyn Deveny (Westford, Mass.) was named the 2003 BIG EAST Most Improved Player while three of her teammates joined her in being honored by the BIG EAST Conference Office. The awards were announced Friday at the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Championship Presented by State Farm awards banquet.
Deveny takes the Most Improved Player Award in just her sophomore season. She is the third Eagle to win the honor. She nearly tripled her scoring average from 6.0 last season to a team-leading 17.0 this year. Deveny is BC's second-leading rebounder (5.7) after averaging just 3.0 a year ago.
Deveny's scoring average ranks fourth among all league players and she is third in field goal percentage and free throw percentage. As a rookie reserve, she saw action in just 12 BIG EAST games last season averaging 11.9 minutes. As a starter this year, she has scored in double figures in 24 of 16 games and has been the Eagles' high scorer 11 times. She has nine 20+ scoring games and a career-high 36-point performance.
Senior forward Becky Gottstein (Albany, N.Y.) earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST first team while Deveny was a second team member. Both Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, Mass.) and Amber Jacobs (Clarks Summit, Pa.) were honorable mention All-BIG EAST selections.
2002-03 BIG EAST AWARDS PLAYER OF THE YEAR - *Diana Taurasi, Connecticut ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers COACH OF THE YEAR - Geno Auriemma, Connecticut (18th season) DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Ashley Battle, Connecticut MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - Jessalyn Deveny, Boston College SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD - Leslie Ardon, Seton Hall SCHOLAR-ATHLETE - Alicia Ratay, Notre DameALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM Rebekkah Brunson, Georgetown Becky Gottstein, Boston College Trish Juhline, Villanova Ieva Kublina, Virginia Tech Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers *Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame Katie Davis, Villanova Jessalyn Deveny, Boston College Tamara James, Miami Julie McBride, Syracuse
ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM Kate Bulger, West Virginia Mauri Horton, Rutgers Shannon Perry, Syracuse Laine Selwyn, Pittsburgh Ann Strother, Connecticut
HONORABLE MENTION Amber Jacobs, Boston College Courtney Mix, Villanova Alicia Ratay, Notre Dame Brianne Stepherson, Boston College
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM *Tamara James, Miami Courtney LaVere, Notre Dame Carrie Mason, Virginia Tech *Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers Ann Strother, Connecticut Barbara Turner, Connecticut
* - unanimous selection Note: due to a tie in the voting there are six members of the All-Rookie Team
