American Conference/ Ben Solomon

Women's Basketball

UConn Picked to Win 2016-17 American Women’s Basketball Title



MEDIA DAY CENTRAL
PHILADELPHIA – UConn was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference women's basketball title in voting by the league’s head coaches, the conference announced on Monday.

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The Huskies tallied 100 points and 10 of 11 first-place votes. UConn enters the season returning seven letterwinners and two starters from last year’s squad that went an unblemished 38-0 (18-0 in the American) and won its fourth consecutive national championship.

Temple picked to finish second with 87 points. The Owls, who reached the WNIT quarterfinals last season, return nine from last year’s squad and welcome three newcomers in 2016-17.
 
Just one point separated the second and third spots in the preseason poll. USF garnered one first place-vote and was picked third with 86 points. The Bulls return eight student-athletes, including three starters, from last year’s 24-win team.
 
Tulane was chosen fourth in the preseason poll with 73 points. The Green Wave returns three starters and nine letterwinners from last season’s 23-win squad.
 
SMU (50 pts.), East Carolina (49 pts.) and Memphis (47 pts.) were picked fifth, sixth and seventh in the preseason poll, respectively. UCF (41 pts.), Tulsa (33 pts.), Cincinnati (23 pts.) and Houston (16 pts.) were tabbed eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th to round out the tallies.

UConn junior Kia Nurse was the preseason choice for American Player of the Year. Nurse, who was the only Husky to start every game last season, is a preseason all-conference first team selection along with teammate Katie Lou Samuelson, USF’s Kitija Laska, Temple’s Alliya Butts and Feyonda Fitzgerald, and Tulane’s Kolby Morgan. Butts was unanimously chosen to the team.

The 2016-17 campaign begins November 11, with conference play set to begin December 31. The 2017 American Women’s Basketball Championship is slated for March 3-6 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

2016-17 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
 
Team Points
1. UConn (10)* 100
2. Temple 87
3. USF (1) 86
4. Tulane 73
5. SMU 50
6. East Carolina 49
7. Memphis 47
8. UCF 41
9. Tulsa 33
10. Cincinnati 23
11. Houston 16

[*] denotes unanimous selection

Preseason Player of the Year
Kia Nurse, Jr., G, UConn
 
Preseason All-Conference First Team
Katie Lou Samuelson, So., G/F, UConn
Kia Nurse, Jr., G, UConn
Kitija Laska, So., F, USF
Alliya Butts, Jr., G, Temple*
Feyonda Fitzgerald, Sr., G, Temple
Kolby Morgan, Jr., G, Tulane
 
Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Zykira Lewis, Sr., G, UCF
Napheesa Collier, So., F, UConn
Gabby Williams, Jr., G, UConn
Alicia Froling, Jr., F, SMU
Leslie Vorpahl, Sr., G, Tulane
 
[*] denotes unanimous selection
 
Ties are not broken; a tie in voting resulted in six players receiving first team honors