Ahead of her first college season, Colorado women’s basketball forward Tabitha Betson was named the 2024-25 preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year on Thursday.
Betson, a 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game nominee, was ranked by ESPN as the No. 48 prospect in her class — the highest among Big 12 incoming freshmen.
The 6-foot-2 rookie from Melbourne, Australia becomes the first player in the head coach JR Payne era to earn preseason conference Freshman of the Year honors. Only three other players in program history have earned the distinction: Nikki Weddle (1997-98), Britt Hartshorn (1998-99) and Sabrina Scott (1999-2000).
“The first time we ever saw Tabitha play, we knew she was a must-get for us,” Payne said (h/t CUBuffs.com). “We were thrilled when she signed here, and we knew she would be an impactful player right away. I definitely believe she is the best freshman in the conference, if not the country, as far as what she brings to the table from a basketball and IQ standpoint.”
Coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances, Colorado was picked to finish ninth in the preseason Big 12 women’s basketball poll.
Big things to come for 1️⃣7️⃣#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/1pFVya9koH
— Colorado Women's Basketball 🦬 (@CUBuffsWBB) October 3, 2024
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