A Look Back on the 2015-16 Season
2015-16 ARKANSAS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON REVIEW
HONORS AND AWARDS
• Recruiting class ranked No. 20 by ESPNW HoopGurlz.com (2015)
• Arkansas selected eighth by vote of the SEC Media and SEC Coaches (Preseason)
• Jessica Jackson selected to SEC Coaches All-Conference Second Team
• Kelsey Brooks selected to the CollegeSportsMadness.com All-SEC Second-Team
• Jessica Jackson selected to the CSM.com All-SEC Third-Team
• Arkansas opens the year receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25
• Melissa Wolff named WBAC Good Works nominee
• Melissa Wolff named University of Arkansas Senior of Distinction
• Melissa Wolff named #D1WBB HERO of the Week (Jan. 12, 2016)
• Jessica Jackson CollegeSportsMadness.com POW (Jan. 18)
• Melissa Wolff named to the SEC Community Service Team
• Jessica Jackson, All-SEC First Team
• Jessica Jackson, Associated Press All-SEC Second-Team
JACKSON EARNS FIRST-TEAM HONORS
University of Arkansas junior Jessica Jackson earned All-Southeastern Conference First-Team honors the league office announced. Jackson is just the fourth player in Razorback program history to be named to the league’s first-team in a vote by the conference coaches. She joins C’eira Ricketts (2012), Shameka Christon (2004) and current Razorback assistant coach Christ Smith (1998) in the elite class. The honor is the third consecutive All-SEC award for the Jacksonville, Arkansas, native. She was selected to both the All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Freshman Team in 2014 and was a second-team honoree in 2015. Jackson has been the go-to player for Arkansas this season. The lone Razorback averaging in double figures, Jackson ranks near the top in several statistical categories in both all games and conference-only games.
ACTION JACKSON
Jessica Jackson was the second fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She was the 19th player in program history to score at least 1,000 career points and grab at least 500 career rebounds reaching that milestone at LSU. Jackson became just the seventh player to score at least 1,000 career points, grab at least 500 rebounds and have at least 100 career blocks at Auburn.
√ Jessica Jackson has scored in double figures in 26 games as a junior
√ Jackson has 77 career double figure scoring games
√ Jackson has three double-doubles in 2015-16 and 13 for her career
√ Jackson has scored 20+ points eight times in 2015-16
√ Jackson has scored 20+ points 21 times in her career
√ She has been Arkansas’ leading scorer (or tied for the lead) in 22 games
√ She has been among Arkansas’ leading rebounders in nine games
JACKSON EARNS ASSOCIATED PRESS HONOR
Jessica Jackson was selected to the Associated Press All-SEC Second Team. It is the third AP award for Jackson who was an honorable mention selection as a freshman and a second-team pick last year. The honor comes on the heels of Jackson’s selection by the league’s coaches to the All-SEC First Team. The lone Razorback averaging in double figures, Jackson ranks near the top in several statistical categories in both all games and conference-only games. She is fourth in scoring averaging 1.64 ppg, 14th with 6.3 rpg, fifth in field goal percentage with a .407 mark and seventh in free throw percentage with a .736 average in all games. Jackson, a Jacksonville, Arkansas, native, ranks seventh in the SEC with 14 career double-doubles including four as a junior. She is fifth in career points with 1,439, 11th with 564 rebounds, fourth with 111 blocks, sixth with 494 field goals made and fifth with 152 three-pointers made.
700-700 FOR MELISSA WOLFF
Lone senior Melissa Wolff should entered rare air in the game against Ole Miss. The Cabot, Arkansas, native entered the game with 704 career rebounds and 699 career points. She became just the fifth Razorback women’s basketball player to record 700+ points and 700+ rebounds in her career. The Razorbacks have had several players who reach the 700-point plateau but only five who have surpassed the 700-rebounding mark.
20-20 FOR MELISSA WOLFF
University of Arkansas senior Melissa Wolff scored a career-best 20 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds becoming the first player in modern Razorback women’s basketball history to achieve that accomplishment in a 73-41 win over New Orleans Dec. 30. Wolff, a Cabot, Arkansas, native, had a double-double in the first half and finished hitting 10-of-14 from the floor with 11 offensive and nine defensive rebounds. She added three assists, one block and five steals in 29 minutes of play. She is the first Razorback women’s basketball player since 1988 to get at least 20 rebounds and was the only player in the Southeastern Conference to reach that mark in 2015-16. Wolff had a season-best 12 points in the first period as the pace favored the Razorbacks, allowing Arkansas to score, rebound and stay out of foul trouble in the opening stanza. The Razorbacks set or tied seven team records and five individual records – all by Wolff – in the first 10 minutes. The blinding pace continued in the second period and Wolff finished the half with a career-best 18 points and had 12 rebounds – just four boards shy of her career high. Arkansas shot 50 percent on 19-for-38 from the floor and out-rebounded New Orleans 29-11 at that point.
WOLFF A SENIOR OF SIGNIFICANCE
Razorback Melissa Wolff was recognized recently as a Senior of Significance by the College of Education and Health Professions and the University of Arkansas. The Alumni Association has been recognizing the outstanding graduate for more than 50 years. Expansion of the awards program took place in 2014 when the committee selected 71 outstanding Seniors of Significance in honor of the University of Arkansas founding year of 1871. Razorback student-athletes represented nearly 13 percent of the entire Seniors of Significance class this year. Hundreds of students were nominated by the faculty and staff on campus. Completed applications were then reviewed by more than 100 alumni and university employees to select the top 71. The Seniors of Significance honored represent the top 2% from the Class of 2016.
A WOLFF IN THE COMMUNITY
Senior Melissa Wolff was named to the Southeastern Conference Community Service Team for Women’s Basketball the league office announced. This marks the 18th year for the SEC Community Service Team for women’s basketball as well as for men’s basketball. All league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men’s and women’s sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994. One of the team’s leaders on the court, Wolff has also taken a leadership role in the community participating in numerous events during her career.
ALSO MOVING UP IN THE CAREER NUMBERS
• Kelsey Brooks finishes her junior season with 806 points and ranks 35th all-time at Arkansas
• Melissa Wolff ranks 42nd in career scoring with 710 career points
• Melissa Wolff is third for career rebounds with 729
• Jessica Jackson ranks 20th with 564 career rebounds
• Jessica Jackson (111) and Melissa Wolff (89) rank eighth and 10th, respectively, for career blocked shots.
20+ POINT GAMES
The Razorbacks played 30 games last year and had three players score 20 or more points in 10 of those contests. Junior Jessica Jackson had eight 20+ point games while sophomore Devin Cosper and senior Melissa Wolff had one each.
Jackson’s eight 20+ point games include
• 20 vs. Sam Houston State; 24 at South Dakota State; 29 vs. Tulsa; 22 versus Louisiana; 22 vs. Mississippi Valley State; 20 at No. 5 Mississippi State; 25 vs. No. 13 Tennessee; 20 vs. Alabama
• A run of four consecutive 20+ point games (SHSU, SDSU, Tulsa and Louisiana)
• Season-best and team-best 29 points versus Tulsa
• The eight games this season bring her career total to 21 games with 20+ points
• Arkansas was 3-5 when Jackson scored 20+ in 2015-16
Cosper scored a career-best 20 points in the SEC Tournament in one of her best games as a Razorback
• Arkansas is 0-1 when Cosper scores 20+ points
Wolff scored 20 points and had 20 rebounds in a non-conference win over New Orleans in December
• Arkansas is 1-0 when Wolff scores 20+ points
DOUBLE DIGIT SCORING IN THE FIRST HALF
• Arkansas has had six players score in double figures in the first half 13 times this year
• One game, at Auburn, two players were in double figures in the first half
• The list includes Jessica Jackson in six games (at Auburn-10, at LSU-11, at Mississippi State-13, vs. Sam Houston State-13, Vanderbilt-11, Alabama-12)
• Devin Cosper in two games (at Auburn-10, vs. Texas-11)
• Melissa Wolff (vs. Missouri-11, vs. New Orleans-18)
• Alecia Cooley (vs. Mississippi Valley State-12)
• Jordan Danberry (vs. Oregon State-11)
• Kelsey Brooks (Florida-12)
ACADEMIC HONOR ROLLS
Fall 2015
• Devin Cosper and Tatiyana Smith were selected to the Athletic Department’s Academic Honor Roll (3.00-3.49 GPA)
• Joey Bailey, Melissa Wolff and Bailey Zimmerman were selected to the Athletic Department’s Athletic Director’s List (3.50-3.99 GPA)
• Kelsey Brooks and Keiryn Swenson were selected to the Athletic Department’s Academic Champions List (4.00 GPA)
Spring 2016
Coming Soon!
SEC Academic Honor Roll
Coming Soon!
TOUGH SCHEDULE
• Arkansas opened SEC play facing five consecutive opponents who started conference play ranked in the AP Top-25 (Dec. 28)
• The Razorbacks are the only team in the SEC to open with five teams who were ranked as of Dec. 28, and they faced six ranked teams in the month of January
• Arkansas also faced two other league teams who were getting votes in the poll
• In addition to being the only team in the SEC to start with that schedule, Arkansas was the only team in the power five conferences to begin with such a tough league start
TOUGH PLAYERS
The Wade Trophy is awarded to the top player in Division I women’s basketball each year. Each year a watch list is produced and this season Arkansas found itself playing against some of the nation’s best players. The Razorbacks faced Imani Boyette (Texas), Alaina Coates (South Carolina), Diamond DeShields (Tennessee), Makayla Epps (Kentucky), Tiffany Mitchell (South Carolina), Victoria Vivians (Mississippi State), Courtney Walker (Texas A&M), Jamie Weisner (Oregon State) and A’ja Wilson (South Carolina)
WINS OVER RANKED TEAMS
• This is the first time since 2011-12 that Arkansas has had seven or more SEC wins in the regular season
• Arkansas is 3-0 versus ranked teams at home this year
• The last time Arkansas defeated three ranked teams in a season was 2011-12 (Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Tennessee [not all at home])
• It is the first time since 2001-02 that Arkansas has won back-to-back games over ranked opponents (2001-02 vs. No. 7 South Carolina, No. 8 Mississippi State)
