The Tribune

GEORGE Washington senior forward Jonquel Jones was selected as one of 52 All-Region nominees for the 2016 WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced yesterday.

Jones, who earns All-Region honours for the second year in a row, was one of 15 nominees from Region I, joining Duquesne’s April Robinson, as well as three players from Notre Dame and Florida State, two from Louisville and one each from Albany, Army, Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami (Fla.).

Jones is the nation’s leading rebounder (14.6 rpg) and ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (16.2 ppg), making her the only player in the conference averaging a double-double for the third straight season.

The Freeport, Bahamas, native, who was tabbed to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team, registered 18 double-doubles in 23 games played and also ranked second in the A-10 in blocked shots (3.3 bpg).

The 6-6 forward’s 336 rebounds on the year are the third-highest single-season total in programme history after she set the Colonials’ record with 375 last season.

After missing 10 games with an injury, Jones returned for the A-10 Championship and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after averaging 10.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks over the three games as the Colonials won their second straight Atlantic 10 title. She then posted her 54th career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds plus six blocks against Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

A finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, Jones has also been named to the Wade Trophy Watch List, as well as midseason watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, and she was a preseason candidate for the John R Wooden Award.

The 2015- A-10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year and an honourable mention All-American, Jones is a three-time all-conference selection and two-time all-defensive team honouree. She is the third Colonial ever with 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 100 blocks and concludes her outstanding career ranking third all-time at GW in rebounds (961), fourth in scoring (15.4 ppg), fifth in blocks (177) and 23rd in points (1,171).

Including her time at Clemson as a freshman before she transferred, Jones is one of 18 active Division I players with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career (1,249 and 1,041).

The 2016 WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team will be announced on Saturday (April 2) during the NCAA Women’s Final Four Super Saturday festivities at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.