St. John's University Athletics
Nadirah McKenith Final Nominee For Nancy Lieberman Award
2/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2010
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's women's basketball player Nadirah McKenith has been selected as one of eight final nominees for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the nation's top point guard in Division I women's basketball and is sponsored by the Detroit Rotary Club.
The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country have determined this final nominee list. They will select three finalists from this list and one winner at the beginning of April 2010. The announcement of the three finalists and one winner will be made during the Final Four Weekend (April 4-6, 2010).
McKenith is the only freshman among the eight finalists and she is one of two BIG EAST players (DePaul's Sam Quigley) to make the list. McKenith has made an immediate impact at the point position for St. John's, winning the starting job after the fifth game of the season.
The Newark, N.J., native is leading the team in assists, averaging 4.6 per game, and she is ranked fourth among all BIG EAST players. Through 26 games, she is averaging 28.1 minutes, 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Her steals per game average is the fourth best among all players in the conference. In BIG EAST games, she is second among all players in the league with 2.7 thefts per game.
McKenith has posted seven double-digit scoring games this season. She tallied a career-high nine assists against Seton Hall on Jan. 12. Against No. 1/1 UConn on Feb. 13, she posted her first-career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds en route to BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors. On the season, McKenith has dished out five or more assists in 16 games.
Her stellar play has helped the Red Storm record one of its best seasons in history with a 21-5, 9-4 BIG EAST mark. The 20-win campaign is the 11th all-time. St. John's also earned Top 25 rankings in both polls this year for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.
Nancy Lieberman Award Final Nominees: Alison Lacey (Iowa State), Nadirah McKenith (St. John's), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), Sam Quigley (DePaul), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma), Jasmine Thomas (Duke), Courtney Vandersloot (Gonzaga).
