Salukis tabbed to finish 4th in MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
10/25/2016 | 10:18:00 | Women's Basketball
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference's annual preseason poll, the conference office announced Tuesday prior to the league's annual tip-off event.
The Salukis, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Cindy Stein, returns eight letterwinners from a season ago, including leading scorer and preseason All-MVC selection Rishonda Napier. SIU finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 20-13 record and a 12-6 mark in Valley play as Southern posted a 20-win season for the first time in nine years and made its first postseason appearance since 2007.
I think this team has a chance to be something special," said Stein. "We have some really good pieces in place. But that will rely on some of our freshmen and sophomores stepping up and being really consistent performers for us. Out of our five freshmen, we need a couple to play well every game, it can be a different couple each game, but we need them to play well for us to have the type of year that we are capable of."
SIU was one of four teams to earn 300-plus points in the poll, with the Drake Bulldogs and Preseason Player of the Year guard Lizzy Wendell earning top billing. The Bulldogs received 34 out of 38 first-place votes and 392 total points in the annual survey of the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members. Northern Iowa garnered four first place votes and 317 points, while Missouri State was right behind the Panthers with a pair of first place votes and 313 points. The Salukis tallied 306 points, and it marks the first time in 18 years (1996-97, 1997-98) that SIU has been picked in the top-half of the annual poll in back-to-back seasons.
In addition to the rankings, the MVC also announced its annual preseason all-conference team, which Napier was one of five selected to. An All-MVC first-team selection a year ago, Napier finished in the top-10 in the MVC in scoring (15.5, 6th) and assists (3.5, 5th), and joins Rangie Bessard (Wichita State), Caitlyn Ingle (Drake), Madison Weekly (UNI) and Lizzy Wendell (Drake) on the preseason all-conference squad.
The Salukis open the 2016-17 season with a pair of home exhibition contests, beginning with William Woods (Mo.) University on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. SIU opens the regular season on Nov. 13 at Oklahoma. The Sooners were 22-11 last season, losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
To buy tickets for this season call 877-SALUKIS or visit here.
The Salukis, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Cindy Stein, returns eight letterwinners from a season ago, including leading scorer and preseason All-MVC selection Rishonda Napier. SIU finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 20-13 record and a 12-6 mark in Valley play as Southern posted a 20-win season for the first time in nine years and made its first postseason appearance since 2007.
I think this team has a chance to be something special," said Stein. "We have some really good pieces in place. But that will rely on some of our freshmen and sophomores stepping up and being really consistent performers for us. Out of our five freshmen, we need a couple to play well every game, it can be a different couple each game, but we need them to play well for us to have the type of year that we are capable of."
SIU was one of four teams to earn 300-plus points in the poll, with the Drake Bulldogs and Preseason Player of the Year guard Lizzy Wendell earning top billing. The Bulldogs received 34 out of 38 first-place votes and 392 total points in the annual survey of the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members. Northern Iowa garnered four first place votes and 317 points, while Missouri State was right behind the Panthers with a pair of first place votes and 313 points. The Salukis tallied 306 points, and it marks the first time in 18 years (1996-97, 1997-98) that SIU has been picked in the top-half of the annual poll in back-to-back seasons.
In addition to the rankings, the MVC also announced its annual preseason all-conference team, which Napier was one of five selected to. An All-MVC first-team selection a year ago, Napier finished in the top-10 in the MVC in scoring (15.5, 6th) and assists (3.5, 5th), and joins Rangie Bessard (Wichita State), Caitlyn Ingle (Drake), Madison Weekly (UNI) and Lizzy Wendell (Drake) on the preseason all-conference squad.
The Salukis open the 2016-17 season with a pair of home exhibition contests, beginning with William Woods (Mo.) University on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. SIU opens the regular season on Nov. 13 at Oklahoma. The Sooners were 22-11 last season, losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
To buy tickets for this season call 877-SALUKIS or visit here.
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