March 15, 2012
Atlanta – The Atlanta Tipoff Club has named Georgia Tech head women’s basketball coach MaChelle Joseph as its 2012 State of Georgia Women’s College Coach of the Year and senior center Sasha Goodlett as the 2012 State of Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year.
Chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Georgia Selection Committee, the pair will be recognized along with other award winners at the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Naismith Awards Banquet presented by AT&T and Newell Rubbermaid on March 22 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.
It is only the 16th time that one school has swept both accolades and only the second time Georgia Tech has won both postseason awards.
The Yellow Jackets have tied or eclipsed a number of program records this season. Tech will enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, the highest the program has ever received. A first-round win would set the school record for single-season wins with 25, despite not having any true home games as Tech’s new basketball arena, McCamish Pavilion, is being constructed.
“Coach Joseph did another great job this year focusing her team on the task at hand,” Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “The fact that we did not have a `home’ on campus was not a deterrent to the success of this team. The five senior players will leave Georgia Tech with the most wins of any senior class, but their ability to all graduate this spring might be the best accomplishment of all for this very decorated group. We are fortunate to have MaChelle’s leadership here at Tech.”
Georgia Tech tallied a program-record 12 ACC wins this season and advanced to the ACC Championship Game for only the second time in program history.
“I’m very honored the Atlanta Tipoff Club would recognize me with this award, but this award is a result of all the hard work by my staff and our players,” Joseph said. “All of us have made a commitment to getting this program to the next level this season. We’ve played for a championship, we’ve won the most games in the history of the program, and right now our focus is trying to advance this team and this program to the Sweet 16 and beyond. We couldn’t do that without all the hard work of the staff and the players throughout the course of the season. I’m really appreciative of this award, but it’s really a credit to my staff and players for all the hard work they’ve put in.”
Goodlett becomes the seventh Yellow Jacket to be named the State of Georgia College Player of the Year and the fourth in the last five years. The Bolton, Miss., native shot over 52 percent from the field, averaged 14.8 points per game and led Tech with 7.5 rebounds an outing. She has tallied eight double-doubles this year and led Georgia Tech in scoring and rebounding 16 times each. Goodlett was named All-ACC Second Team following the regular season and ACC All-Tournament First Team after helping Tech to the ACC Championship Game.
“It’s exciting that Sasha has been named the State of Georgia College Player of the Year,” Joseph said. “I don’t think there is any doubt she has been the most dominant player in this state in college basketball this season. Sasha has made such a huge impact on this program, not only this year, but throughout her career.
“For her to end her career as an all-ACC performer and to lead her team to four straight NCAA tournaments, I think she’s very deserving of this award,” Joseph added. “It’s exciting for our program. Any time one of our players is recognized with an award as prestigious as this, it says a lot about the growth of our program and where we are compared to six or seven years ago. It’s a great award and very deserved by Sasha.”
The Yellow Jackets will begin the NCAA Tournament against the Northeast Conference champion Sacred Heart Pioneers at 2:50 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2 at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Fans are encouraged to follow Georgia Tech women’s basketball on Twitter, @GTWBB, and like the Yellow Jackets on Facebook, GTWomensBasketball, for an inside look at the program.
For more information on the banquet or the awards, please visit www.naismithawards.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
–RamblinWreck.com–
