AP honors for Ricketts, Watkins

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas women’s basketball players C’eira Ricketts and Sarah Watkins earned 2011 Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference honors it was announced today.

Ricketts, a junior from Louisville, Ky., earned second-team honors and Watkins, a sophomore from Germantown, Tenn., was an honorable mention pick.

"We are excited for both Sarah and C’eira," Arkansas head coach Tom Collen said. "Both of these young women continue to grow and develop as players and leaders and it’s great to see those efforts rewarded."

Ricketts is no stranger to SEC honors. She was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year in 2009 and to the SEC Second-Team after tying a league record with five player of the week honors. Ricketts was named to the preseason SEC Second-Team by the league’s media and to the preseason first-team by the coaches in 2010 and 2011. She finished this season as a member of the SEC’s Second-Team.

Ricketts became the 25th player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point career milestone. She enters postseason with 1,060 career points, 474 rebounds, 336 assists and a .402 shooting percentage. She is ranked second in the SEC in conference-only games averaging 14.8 points-per-game and is fourth in scoring in all games with a 13.7 ppg mark.

Watkins was solid for Arkansas last year but has become a focal point for the opposition in their scouting reports. Watkins earned SEC Player of the Week honors Jan. 10, this year and has more than doubled her scoring from a year ago earning SEC Second-Team honors from the coaches.

As a sophomore, Watkins averages 13.0 ppg ranking seventh in the SEC in scoring for all games. She betters her numbers to 13.8 ppg and is fifth in SEC-only games. In conference games, Watkins is 15th with 5.8 rpg, sixth in free throw shooting percentage at 70.8 percent and tied for third in the league in blocks-per-game with 1.7 per game.

Watkins enters the week with 89 career blocked shots ranking eighth all-time in program history.

The duo lead the Razorbacks into the postseason as the Razorbacks host Lamar in the first round of the WNIT Thursday at 7 p.m.