BRISTOL, Conn. -- University of Texas All-America candidate and 6-3 senior forward Tiffany Jackson along with 6-0 freshman guard Brittainey Raven have been recognized with ESPN.com preseason honors.
Jackson (Dallas, Texas/Duncanville HS), a National Player of the Year candidate and a First Team All-Big 12 standout, was chosen as one of the nation's top five forwards by women's basketball experts polled for the ESPN website.
Raven (Fort Worth, Texas), was selected to the ESPN.com Preseason National All-Freshmen First Team.
This is the fourth year that Jackson has been recognized by ESPN. She was the ESPN.com National Freshman of the Year in 2004, has been an ESPN.com All-American and also has been picked the last three years as one of the nation's top forwards. Jackson has been UT's leading scorer and steals leader the last three years while also leading head coach Jody Conradt's Longhorns in rebounding as a sophomore and junior. Last season she averaged 14.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 2.6 steals/game.
The 6-3 senior has already claimed consensus preseason All-America honors and is a candidate for State Farm/Margaret Wade Trophy National Player of the Year and the Wooden Award as National Player of the Year honors.
Joining Jackson in ESPN's "top five forwards" were Tennessee 6-4 sophomore Candace Parker, the overall favorite at the position; Maryland 6-4 junior Laura Harper; 6-3 junior Tasha Humphrey from Gerogia; and 6-1 junior Erlana Larkins from North Carolina.
Versatile and explosive from the perimeter, Raven was consensus All-America last year while starring at North Crowley High School with 27.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. Last month, she was chosen the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Ranked as the nation's No. 3 recruit (by All-Star Girls Report), Brittainey also played in the McDonald's All-America Game and the WBCA/Nike All-America Game and was the Gatorade State of Texas Player of the Year. This past summer, Raven earned a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championships for USA Basketball's U18 National Team.
Last season, current UT sophomore shooting guard Erika Arriaran (Norco, Calif.) was one of five named to the ESPN.com Preseason All-Freshman First Team. Arriaran went on to score 11.3 ppg for the Longhorns and was named to the five-member Big 12 All-Freshman Team at season's end.
This year, the other four freshmen singled out by ESPN.com included three frontcourt players and another guard: 6-4 forward/center Jayne Appel (Stanford), 6-4 center Tina Charles (Connecticut), 6-5 forward Amber Harris (Xavier) and 5-11 guard Delaquese "Dee Dee" Jernigan from Rutgers.
The analysts and columnists polled for these preseason awards and recognition included ESPN.com columnists Mechelle Voepel and Graham Hays, ESPN.com contributor Melanie Jackson and ESPN TV analysts Nancy Lieberman and Beth Mowins.
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