How News-Gazette staff writer Tony Bleill voted in the Big Ten women's basketball postseason honors:

FIRST TEAM

Tyra Grant, Penn State; Jantel Lavender, Ohio State; Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State; Jenna Smith, Illinois; Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern.

COMMENT: The first four listed are no-brainers, but the final choice was a brain-buster. It came down to Jaeschke and Iowa's Kachine Alexander, and I labored over that decision. Finally went with Jaeschke because she's a slightly better scorer.

SECOND TEAM

Jori Davis, Indiana; Jaime Printy, Iowa; Kachine Alexander, Iowa; Alyssa Karel, Wisconsin; Brittany Rayburn, Purdue

COMMENT: Pretty clear-cut decisions. Had Lacey Simpson been a consistent scorer (she averaged 9.5 points through 17 conference games) she might have had a shot at second team.

THIRD TEAM

Carmen Reynolds, Michigan; Alex Bentley, Penn State; Jamie Braun, Indiana; Kalisha Keane, Michigan State; Lacey Simpson, Illinois

COMMENT: I did not put Michgan State's Allyssa DeHaan -- named a second-teamer by both the coaches and media -- on there because her play simply did not warrant it. She averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in league games. At least a half-dozen other players in consideration for third team have numbers that are just as good. You can make a case for her for the third team, but putting her on the second team is beyond absurd. That was a choice the voters made by reputation, not by what actually happened on the court.

Player of the Year (we're asked to vote for top 3:) 1. Prahalis; 2. Lavender; 3. Smith

COMMENT: Prahalis was the best player -- consistently -- on the best team. She outplayed her teammate during the conference season and deserved this award, though she didn't get it. You'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise.

Freshman of the Year (we're asked to vote for top 3:) 1. Printy; 2. Bentley; 3. Dayeesha Hollins, Michigan.

COMMENT: Illinois' Karisma Penn was fourth on my list, followed by Northwestern's Kendall Hackney. Those five players were named to the coaches' All-Freshman team.

Coach of the Year (we're asked to vote for top 3): 1. Lisa Bluder, Iowa; 2. Lisa Stone, Wisconsin; 3. Jim Foster, Ohio State

COMMENT: Not only did Bluder do the best coaching job in the Big Ten this season, it's the best coaching job I've seen by anyone in my 12 years on the beat. What she did with a roster decimated by injuries, through a 1-6 Big Ten start, and with a freshman-laden lineup that isn't exactly bursting with high school All-Americans is downright amazing.