Women’s Hoops Receives Six AAC Postseason Awards
3/8/2024 10:40:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jason Burton wins Coach of the Year, three players receive conference honors
DENTON, Texas – After winning a share of the regular season conference title, UNT women's basketball head coach Jason Burton and three Mean Green student-athletes were recognized by AAC coaches with postseason awards that were announced by the conference Friday.
The Mean Green collected two All-AAC First Team selections in DesiRay Kernal and Tommisha Lampkin. The frontcourt duo became the first pair of teammates at North Texas to earn first team all-conference honors since the 2002 season. Kernal was also named Co-Newcomer of the Year along with USF's Romi Levy and a unanimous pick on the All-Newcomer team. Dyani Robinson was named the AAC Sixth Player of the Year, and Burton was tabbed the league's Coach of the Year.
UNT's six overall honors including conference awards and all-conference selections are the most of any team in the AAC. It is also the most in a single season for a North Texas team, surpassing the five honors of the 2001-02 team.
Kernal becomes the second Mean Green player all-time to be named a conference Newcomer of the Year in her only season at North Texas after transferring with Burton and Robinson from Texas A&M-Commerce. Her 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game lead the Mean Green this season and she ranks among the top-10 individual players in the American Athletic Conference in eight statistical categories. Kernal's 12 double doubles are the most by a UNT player since the 2008-09 season. She finished the regular season posting double doubles in six consecutive games, while scoring 20 or more points in four of the six performances.
Lampkin joined Kernal on the All-AAC First Team as the pair became the 12th and 13th first team all-conference selections in program history. The senior center averages 15.6 points per game and 7.7 rebounds, while collecting 11 double doubles on the year. She leads the AAC in field goal percentage by a wide margin and ranks No. 5 in the nation with a mark of 63.3%. In conference play, Lampkin posted 13 games scoring 15 or more points, while having double doubles in nine games, which led the league.
After starting four games during the nonconference slate, Robinson moved into the sixth player role for North Texas where she excelled during conference play. Coming off a knee injury that ended her final season at A&M-Commerce, Robinson averaged 7.0 points per game in the first 13 games of the season but improved that number to 13.0 points in the final 17 games of the season coming off the bench.
In his first year at the helm, Burton has led UNT to the third-largest turnaround in the country in terms of win percentage from last season to this season. In addition, he delivered the program's first conference title since 1986 after UNT was picked No. 12 of 14 teams in the AAC preseason poll. Burton's team has broken eight program records already, including single-season wins, conference wins, most wins by a first-year head coach, wins in a regular season, most points in a game and are on pace to top the program's single-season team scoring average and field goal percentage.
It's the second time in his career Burton has won league Coach of the Year after doing so in the 2019-20 season at Texas A&M-Commerce. He is the second North Texas women's basketball coach all-time to be named Coach of the Year joining UNT Hall of Famer Tina Slinker, who received the honor in 1999.
The Mean Green take the No. 2 seed into the American Athletic Conference tournament, which begins Saturday with the first round of action in Fort Worth, Texas. UNT's double bye means it will open play Monday, March 11 in the quarterfinals against the winner of No. 7 UAB and No. 10 Rice.
2024 AAC Awards
Player of the Year: Temira Poindexter, F, Tulsa
Defensive Player of the Year: Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Vittoria Blasigh, G, South Florida
Coach of the Year: Jason Burton, North Texas
Most Improved Player: Delanie Crawford, G, Tulsa
Sixth Player of the Year: Dyani Robinson, G, North Texas
Newcomer of the Year: DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
Ambassador Award: Chantae Embry, F, SMU
All-Conference First Team
Dazia Lawrence, G, Charlotte
Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina*
DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas
Tommisha Lampkin, F, North Texas
Temira Poindexter, F, Tulsa*
All-Conference Second Team
Madison Griggs, G, Memphis
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
Tiara Young, G, SMU
Tiarra East, G, Temple
Delanie Crawford, G, Tulsa
All-Conference Third Team
Denim DeShields, G, UAB
Mia Moore, G, UAB
Malia Fisher, F, Rice
Aleah Nelson, G, Temple
Daniela Abies, F, Wichita State
All-Newcomer Team
Mia Moore, G, UAB
Tatyana Wyche, F, East Carolina
Alasia Smith, F, Memphis
DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas*
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
* denotes unanimous selection
The Mean Green collected two All-AAC First Team selections in DesiRay Kernal and Tommisha Lampkin. The frontcourt duo became the first pair of teammates at North Texas to earn first team all-conference honors since the 2002 season. Kernal was also named Co-Newcomer of the Year along with USF's Romi Levy and a unanimous pick on the All-Newcomer team. Dyani Robinson was named the AAC Sixth Player of the Year, and Burton was tabbed the league's Coach of the Year.
UNT's six overall honors including conference awards and all-conference selections are the most of any team in the AAC. It is also the most in a single season for a North Texas team, surpassing the five honors of the 2001-02 team.
Kernal becomes the second Mean Green player all-time to be named a conference Newcomer of the Year in her only season at North Texas after transferring with Burton and Robinson from Texas A&M-Commerce. Her 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game lead the Mean Green this season and she ranks among the top-10 individual players in the American Athletic Conference in eight statistical categories. Kernal's 12 double doubles are the most by a UNT player since the 2008-09 season. She finished the regular season posting double doubles in six consecutive games, while scoring 20 or more points in four of the six performances.
Lampkin joined Kernal on the All-AAC First Team as the pair became the 12th and 13th first team all-conference selections in program history. The senior center averages 15.6 points per game and 7.7 rebounds, while collecting 11 double doubles on the year. She leads the AAC in field goal percentage by a wide margin and ranks No. 5 in the nation with a mark of 63.3%. In conference play, Lampkin posted 13 games scoring 15 or more points, while having double doubles in nine games, which led the league.
After starting four games during the nonconference slate, Robinson moved into the sixth player role for North Texas where she excelled during conference play. Coming off a knee injury that ended her final season at A&M-Commerce, Robinson averaged 7.0 points per game in the first 13 games of the season but improved that number to 13.0 points in the final 17 games of the season coming off the bench.
In his first year at the helm, Burton has led UNT to the third-largest turnaround in the country in terms of win percentage from last season to this season. In addition, he delivered the program's first conference title since 1986 after UNT was picked No. 12 of 14 teams in the AAC preseason poll. Burton's team has broken eight program records already, including single-season wins, conference wins, most wins by a first-year head coach, wins in a regular season, most points in a game and are on pace to top the program's single-season team scoring average and field goal percentage.
It's the second time in his career Burton has won league Coach of the Year after doing so in the 2019-20 season at Texas A&M-Commerce. He is the second North Texas women's basketball coach all-time to be named Coach of the Year joining UNT Hall of Famer Tina Slinker, who received the honor in 1999.
The Mean Green take the No. 2 seed into the American Athletic Conference tournament, which begins Saturday with the first round of action in Fort Worth, Texas. UNT's double bye means it will open play Monday, March 11 in the quarterfinals against the winner of No. 7 UAB and No. 10 Rice.
2024 AAC Awards
Player of the Year: Temira Poindexter, F, Tulsa
Defensive Player of the Year: Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Vittoria Blasigh, G, South Florida
Coach of the Year: Jason Burton, North Texas
Most Improved Player: Delanie Crawford, G, Tulsa
Sixth Player of the Year: Dyani Robinson, G, North Texas
Newcomer of the Year: DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
Ambassador Award: Chantae Embry, F, SMU
All-Conference First Team
Dazia Lawrence, G, Charlotte
Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina*
DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas
Tommisha Lampkin, F, North Texas
Temira Poindexter, F, Tulsa*
All-Conference Second Team
Madison Griggs, G, Memphis
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
Tiara Young, G, SMU
Tiarra East, G, Temple
Delanie Crawford, G, Tulsa
All-Conference Third Team
Denim DeShields, G, UAB
Mia Moore, G, UAB
Malia Fisher, F, Rice
Aleah Nelson, G, Temple
Daniela Abies, F, Wichita State
All-Newcomer Team
Mia Moore, G, UAB
Tatyana Wyche, F, East Carolina
Alasia Smith, F, Memphis
DesiRay Kernal, F, North Texas*
Romi Levy, F, South Florida
* denotes unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
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