Nov. 7, 2017
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame junior guard Arike Ogunbowale added to her preseason accolades on Tuesday when the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its candidates for the Inaugural Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. The newly minted award will honor the top shooting guard in all of women’s NCAA Division I basketball, as Ogunbowale was recognized on the preseason top-20 watch list.
Ogunbowale spent a couple weeks over the summer with the U23 USA team, traveling to Tokyo where she won the Four Nations Tournament, sweeping Canada, Australia and host Japan. Then in October, Ogunbowale was named a Preseason All-ACC selection for the first time of her career.
Last season, the Milwaukee native started in 36 of all 37 games played and led the Irish in scoring with her 15.9 points per game. Ogunbowale shot 44.9 percent from the field, finished with 588 total points, knocked down 64 three-pointers and recorded three double-doubles.
The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Drysdale and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be announced at an inaugural awards ceremony hosted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and ESPN at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. ESPN broadcast information will be released at a later date.
For more information on the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, visit www.hoophallawards.com.
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Josh Bates joined Fighting Irish Media as associate athletics communications director in July of 2017, serving as the women’s basketball and men’s golf contact. Bates earned both his bachelor’s (2011) and master’s (2014) degree in sports management from the University of Illinois. He also worked as a grad assistant at Illinois from 2012-14 and worked full-time at Tulane University from 2014-17.