Spartans picked ninth in SoCon preseason polls
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG's women's basketball team was picked ninth in the Southern Conference preseason coaches and media polls, the league office announced Tuesday.
The Spartans, who went 10-20 overall and 6-14 in the SoCon to tie for seventh in the league last season, received 36 points in the coaches poll and 54 points in the media poll. UNCG finished ahead of Furman and Wofford in both polls.
Samford was the preseason favorite in both polls, taking the distinction for the first time since joining the league before the 2008-09 season. The Bulldogs tied for second in the league in the regular season last year with a 14-6 SoCon mark and fell to Chattanooga in the SoCon tournament title game. Samford won its first-round WNIT contest before falling in the second round.
Samford's Emily London was named the Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches, who also selected a 10-member preseason all-conference team.
The coaches poll saw Samford in first with 96 points and seven first-place votes, followed by Appalachian State with 91 points and two first-place votes. The Mountaineers are led by reigning SoCon Coach of the Year Darcie Vincent, who directed ASU to a second-place regular-season SoCon finish and the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational title.
Eleven-time defending regular-season champion Chattanooga was third with 85 points and two first-place votes, while College of Charleston edged out Georgia Southern for fourth place with 59 points to the Cougars' 58. Davidson was sixth (55 points), followed by Western Carolina (46), Elon (45), UNCG (36), Furman (20) and Wofford (14).
The media agreed with the coaches on the first six spots in the poll, with Samford notching 10 first-place votes and 168 points. App took second by just a point over Chattanooga, registering 153 points and three first-place votes to the Lady Mocs' 152 points and three first-place votes. College of Charleston was fourth with 115 points, followed by Georgia Southern (105) and Davidson (93).
Elon grabbed the seventh spot in the media poll with 84 points, followed by Western Carolina with 73, UNCG with 54, Wofford with 32 and Furman with 27.
UNCG returns three starters from last season's squad in Amanda Leigh (10.6 points per game in 2009-10), Monique Floyd (8.5) and Kendra Smith (6.6).
The Spartans are led by coach Lynne Agee, who is entering her 30th year at the helm for UNCG. Agee comes into the 2010-11 campaign with a 589-318 career record, and needs 11 wins to become just the 12th active Division I coach and 20th DI coach overall with 600 career wins.
UNCG opens its season on Friday at Clemson in Clemson, S.C. Opening tip is set for 5:30 p.m.
SoCon Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total points
1. Samford (7) 96
2. Appalachian State (2) 91
3. Chattanooga (2) 85
4. College of Charleston 59
5. Georgia Southern 58
6. Davidson 55
7. Western Carolina 46
8. Elon 45
9. UNCG 36
10. Furman 20
11. Wofford 14
SoCon Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Sam Ramirez, Appalachian State
Tonia Gerty, College of Charleston
Sophia Aleksandravicius, Davidson
Ashley Lax, Davidson
Ali Ford, Elon
Savannah Hill, Samford
Emily London, Samford
Kayla Christopher, Chattanooga
Emily Clarke, Western Carolina
SoCon Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Emily London, Samford
SoCon Women's Basketball Media Preseason Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total points
1. Samford (10) 168
2. Appalachian State (3) 153
3. Chattanooga (3) 152
4. College of Charleston 115
5. Georgia Southern 105
6. Davidson 93
7. Elon 84
8. Western Carolina 73
9. UNCG 54
10. Wofford 32
11. Furman 27
- UNCG -