The Triangle

Issue date: 8/28/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karl Kuchs

Drexel senior forward Gabriela Marginean was named one of the preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award in 2009. The prestigious award is given each year to one of the top individual performers in both men's and women's college basketball.

The award, which is given at the end of the season, considers a player's performance both on and off the court. When the list of potential candidates is cut to 20 at the mid-point of the season, players with a GPA under 2.0 are automatically out of consideration to receive the honor at the end of the year.

Joining Marginean on the list of 31 preseason candidates is the 2008 winner, Maya Moore, of the national champion UConn Huskies. Marginean was truly humbled when asked about how it felt being considered for an award with so many other great players.

"I have to say that it is truly a great honor to be nominated and be on the same list with so many great collegiate players from across the country," Marginean said. "This also reminds me of how close we are to a new season and another year full of opportunities for the women's basketball team."

Last season, Marginean tore the competition apart as she led her team to its first Colonial Athletic Association conference title. She led the Dragons in points, steals, rebounds and free-throw percentage while logging an average of 34.4 minutes per game on the way to the team's first NCAA Tournament berth. When the season ended, Marginean found herself third amongst the nation's leading scorers with 23.3 points per game.

When Marginean hits the floor this season to defend the CAA Championship, she will also be looking to place herself in Drexel's record books in a few different categories. She is just 47 points away from breaking the career scoring mark for a women's basketball player at Drexel.

The 2008 First Team All-CAA player should also break the school's records for free throws made and rebounding average during her 2009 campaign.

After Drexel's most successful season ever in 2008, the team's expectations are the highest they have ever been, especially with the return of Marginean for her final season.

With the bad taste of the team's loss to Kansas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament still in the mouth of Dragons, the CAA should be prepared for an even hungrier Marginean in 2009-2010.

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