If Syracuse women's basketball center Uche Izoje doesn't win the Atlantic Coast Conference's rookie of the year honor for the 2025-26 season, it will be stunning.
The 6-foot-3 Izoje, who hails from Nigeria, has been sensational as a college newbie for the Orange, which is poised to hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. SU is also in the mix for a top-four finish within the Atlantic Coast Conference's regular-season standings.
This past Sunday, the 'Cuse (21-6 overall,11-5 in ACC) fell to N.C. State, 82-69, in Raleigh, N.C., but Izoje was terrific, notching 26 points and 14 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the current campaign.
https://t.co/3YQXIJNc7M
— Syracuse Women's Basketball (@CuseWBB) February 24, 2026
ICYMI: Uche was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the seventh time this afternoon
With two games left in the 2025-26 regular season, Izoje is averaging 27.7 minutes, 14.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per contest while connecting on 55.1 percent from the field.
Izoje leads Syracuse women's basketball in points, rebounds and blocks per encounter. Her 2.6 blocks per game are No. 1 in the ACC and No. 6 nationally. Izoje is also No. 13 within the ACC in points per game, No. 5 in rebounds per affair and No. 3 in field-goal shooting percentage.
Syracuse women's basketball center Uche Izoje should win ACC rookie of the year.
On Monday, the ACC named Izoje its rookie of the week for the seventh time during the 2025-26 term, which is a 'Cuse program record. The ACC has doled out this award on 16 occasions so far in 2025-26, and Izoje has claimed the honor nearly half the time. That's impressive.
Izoje has reached double figures in scoring in 22 games to date this season, which is the most among ACC freshmen and the third most among freshmen in the power conferences, according to SU Athletics.
By extension, Izoje has gotten 20 or more points in six contests, and she has two outings of at least 25 points, which is tied with all other ACC freshmen combined, per cuse.com.
Can we just talk about Syracuse women's basketball (@CuseWBB) for a second? Poised for the NCAA Tournament. 20-5 record to date. Eyeing top-4 ACC finish. Freshman center Uche Izoje is a front-runner for ACC rookie of the year. Hosted two 5-star recruits last weekend. Stellar. 🧡
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) February 13, 2026
Beyond ACC rookie of the year, Izoje should reside on the league's All-Freshman team while contending for other honors such as the defensive player of the year, the All-Defensive team and either the All-ACC first or second team.
In late January, Izoje was named to the 25-person watch list for the Naismith defensive player of the year award in women's hoops for the 2025-26 season.