Syracuse center Uche Izoje wins 5th ACC Rookie of the Week honor
Uche Izoje averaged 17 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in Syracuse's wins over Cal and Stanford, earning her ACC Rookie of the Week. Tara Deluca | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse freshman center Uche Izoje won her fifth Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week honor, the conference announced Monday. Izoje averaged 17 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in SU’s wins against Cal and Stanford.
The accolade establishes a new program record, which Izoje previously held with her fourth honor. Before Izoje, Kamilla Cardoso owned the record with three in the 2020-21 campaign.
Izoje, a native of Nigeria, started her week with 22 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in SU’s triple-overtime thriller against Cal. Nine of Izoje’s 22 points came across the three overtimes, where she attempted a team-high 10 shots. She helped the Orange close out a 90-87 win after Dominique Darius’ game-winner.
Sunday against Stanford, Izoje cooled down but still controlled the paint. She tallied 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, along with 10 rebounds and two blocks. Even with leading scorer Laila Phelia sidelined, Izoje was one of four SU players in double figures, contributing to an impressive 69-58 win over the Cardinal, who were top-35 in the NET rankings.
The freshman is now averaging 13.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, part of a balanced SU attack that’s helped the program embark on a drastic turnaround. The 16-3 Orange have their sights set on March Madness, and their freshman phenom has been at the forefront of it all.
