2008 ACC Women's Basketball All-Freshman Team and Rookie of the Year Announced
BC forward Stefanie Murphy tabbed Rookie of the Year.



March 4, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Stefanie Murphy couldn't believe the preseason projection for her freshman year at Boston College: her young team was picked to finish 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

After helping the Eagles claim the No. 7 seed in the league tournament and position them for their 20th win, Murphy was named the ACC Rookie of the Year Tuesday.

"When we first found out that we were picked 11th ... it was like, 'Wow, 11th place?'" Murphy said. "We knew we could be better than that. We really just worked hard and said, 'Hey, we're better than 11th place,' and we'd just figured we'd show everybody what we're made of."

Murphy, a forward, joined North Carolina point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid as unanimous selections to the all-freshman team by the 49 voting members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. They were joined by BC center Carolyn Swords, Georgia Tech forward Alex Montgomery and Virginia Tech guard Andrea Barbour.

Murphy received 20 votes for the rookie award, DeGraffenreid had 13, Swords received 11 and Montgomery had five.

"I came in just expecting to do whatever a regular freshman does, come in, bide my time," Murphy said. "Being the ACC Rookie of the Year is an added perk, showing that my work paid off."

Murphy led all ACC freshmen with averages of 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds, and teamed with Swords to give the Eagles (19-10) - who start three freshmen - a young but promising post presence. They play No. 10 seed Virginia Tech on Thursday in their league tournament opener.

"Going throughout high school, I'm pretty sure that (she and Swords) were in the same situation - both of us were the go-to players for our teams," Murphy said. "Going to college, it's a whole other world of basketball. I think that we really just grew into our positions really well, just taking control on the court and playing basketball the way we've always played."

She led the Eagles in scoring in 12 games, including a dominating early-season stretch in which she was the team's top scorer in seven consecutive games - reaching at least 20 points in five of them.

"I think she shows us leadership - you don't usually see that in freshmen, but she's going to be a great leader for us," coach Cathy Inglese said.

The Atlantic Coast Conference women's all-freshman team, as voted on by 49 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association:

All-Freshman Team
*Stefanie Murphy, Boston College (49)
*Cetera DeGraffenreid, North Carolina (49)
Carolyn Swords, Boston College (46)
Alex Montgomery, Georgia Tech (40)
Andrea Barbour, Virginia Tech (29)


Honorable Mention (15 or more votes)
Marah Strickland, Maryland (16)
Jasmine Thomas, Duke (15)


Rookie of the Year Voting
Stefanie Murphy, Boston College (20)
Cetera DeGraffenreid, North Carolina (13)
Carolyn Swords, Boston College (11)
Alex Montgomery, Georgia Tech (5)