Basallo, Whitehead both preseason award nominees

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By Jarra Gojolo — Senior Content Editor

San Jose State women’s basketball players Ayzhiana Basallo and Tyra Whitehead were nominated for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year preseason watch list on Wednesday, Her Hoop State announced today.

The award is given to the nation’s best mid-major women’s basketball player.

In 2019-20 Basallo scored 18.5 points a game on her way to winning the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year award. Her first season at San Jose also saw her break school records from the free throw line and three-point line. The junior was a semifinalist for the award last season.

Whitehead’s 2019-20 saw her put up a 20 point, 20 rebound game for the first time since Lora Alexander did it in 1989. The senior averaged a double-double last season — only accomplished by one other player in the Mountain West — on the way to an all-Mountain West Honorable Mention.

The duo will be the focal point of Jamie Craighead’s team, which looks to build on a successful 2019-20 campaign that tripled the previous season’s win total.

Follow Jarra on Twitter @JarraGojolo

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