CONWAY, S.C. – Francesca Pan earned one of the highest postseason honors Wednesday morning as the Georgia Tech freshman was named the ACC Freshman of the Year by the Blue Ribbon Panel, announced by the league office. Pan is just the second Yellow Jacket in program history to be named the ACC Freshman of the Year.
Also named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, as announced yesterday, Pan has earned the ACC Rookie of the Week honor five times this season. She is the first Jacket since the 2010-11 season to receive five rookie of the week honors in the same season. She leads all freshmen in the league in scoring, averaging 11.0 points per game, has notched 15 games scoring in double-figures, including five 20-plus point outings, and has started 27 of the 28 games in which she has appeared.
“Francesca is only the second player to ever win ACC Freshman of the Year from Georgia Tech,” commented head coach MaChelle Joseph. “This is a tremendous honor for her and our Georgia Tech women’s basketball program! My staff has done an outstanding job helping guide her throughout her freshman season. Her toughness and skill set is what separates her. I have been impressed with her consistency and competitiveness in the toughest women’s basketball conference in the country.”
The Italian native posted a career-high 25 points in Tech’s win over Dayton in the Junkanoo Jam and was subsequently named Tournament MVP prior to her first Rookie of the Week award. Pan is second on the team in scoring this season.
The Blue Ribbon Panel consists of media and school representatives. Yesterday, Pan was one of eight freshmen to be named to the ACC All-Freshman Team by the Blue Ribbon Panel.
Pan is just the second Yellow Jacket since 1974-75, the inaugural season of women’s basketball at Georgia Tech, to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. Niesha Butler was the first Jacket to earn the honor in 1999.
Pan and the Yellow Jackets are back in action opening the 2017 ACC Tournament this afternoon, March 1, facing Boston College at 3:30 p.m. The tournament will take place in Conway, S.C. at the HTC Center.
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