SoCon Coaches and Media Preseason polls are out:
http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle.d...=211813592
Furman is the runaway number 1 for the Coaches. Mercer is a bit ahead in the Media, with Furman a fairly close second. ETSU finished middle of the pack last year, tied for 3rd in the 8 team conference at 8-6, 10-21 overall with a brutally tough out of conference schedule. We lost in the first round of the tournament to 5th place Wofford, who finished the regular season at 7-7. This year the Bucs are picked a slightly lower middle of the pack, 4th place in both polls. The bottom tier of SoCon teams have been historically pretty weak. Erica Haynes-Overton is the only ETSU player picked for the All-Conference team. I haven't taken a close look at the women's teams for a while and can't offer an opinion, except to note that we aren't predicted to be making progress. But then again, we were predicted tied for 1st in the Coaches Poll last year, and 2nd in the Media Poll. So maybe they've got it wrong about the Bucs this year, too - just in a different direction.
Anyone else got thoughts?
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Furman (6) 48
2. Wofford (1) 39
3. Mercer (1) 38
4. ETSU 31
5. UNCG 23
6. Chattanooga 21
7. Samford 17
8. Western Carolina 7
2019-20 Preseason Player of the Year
Chloe Wanink, R-Sr., G, Wofford
2019-20 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team
Erica Haynes-Overton, Jr., G, ETSU
Le'Jzae Davidson, Sr., G, Furman
Celena Taborn, Jr., C, Furman
Shannon Titus, Jr., G/F, Mercer
Nadine Soliman, Sr., G, UNCG
Te'Ja Twitty, Sr., G/F, UNCG
Lakelyn Bouldin, Sr., G, Chattanooga
Eboni Williams, So., F, Chattanooga
Da'Ja Green, Jr., G, Wofford
Chloe Wanink, R-Sr., G, Wofford
2019-20 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Mercer (8) 99
2. Furman (5) 90
3. Chattanooga (1) 85
4. ETSU 78
5. Wofford 58
6. UNCG 46
7. Samford 29
8. Western Carolina 19
ETSU has 6 newcomers, 3 of them transfers and 3 from the JUCO ranks. No new freshmen listed this year. I don't know how many of the transfers are eligible this year. They are:
3 Arielle Harvey G 6'0" Sr. Atlanta, Ga. (transfer: St. Bonaventure); DNP last year; 2017-2018 29.1 minutes, 9.7 ppg, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks
http://www.etsubucs.com/wbasketball/rost...le-harvey/
4 Tijuana Kimbro C 6'4" Jr. Memphis, Tenn. (Hutchinson CC); 13.9 minutes; 5.7 ppg on 51% FG%, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks,
https://www.kjccc.org/sports/wbkb/2018-1...r=0&pos=sh
12 Gabby Brown G 5'8" Jr. Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Pearl River CC); 19.9 minutes, 7.2 ppg, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists; selected a Mississippi JUCO all-star;
http://www.etsubucs.com/wbasketball/rost...bby-brown/
22 Cierrah Perdue F 6'1" Jr. Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia Highlands College, a Junior College); 5.5 ppg, 7.2 rebounds in 16 games, made JUCO Top 40 all-star game
http://www.etsubucs.com/wbasketball/rost...ah-perdue/
23 Jasmine Sanders G 6'0" Jr. Charlotte, N.C. (transfer: Troy); career stats; 12.9 minutes, 5.8 ppg, 2.9 rebounds in 55 games;
https://troytrojans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6663
34 Mykia Dowdell F 5'9" So. Oak Ridge, Tenn. (transfer: MTSU); limited action as a freshman
Graduates are Lexus Spears, Raven Dean, Brittany Snowden and Sadasia Tipps. Carley Lytton, Rs-Sr, has apparently left the team.
Returnees include 3 solid guards: Haynes-Overton with 16.8 ppg, 4.8 rebounds, 3.13 steals (11th in D1), 3.4 assists and 3.4 t.o.s'; Micah Sheetz with 11.2 ppg on .392 from 3 with 3.5 rebounds; and Kaiah Upton with 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 t.o.'s and 1.3 steals. But we need help in the front court where the best returning player is Anajae Stephney with 2.8 ppg and 1.6 rebounds in 11 minutes of play in only 15 games due to injury. Returnees are:
Guards:
20 Erica Haynes-Overton G 5'5" Jr. Nashville, Tenn. (East Nashville Magnet HS); 31.5 min., 16.8 ppg, .264 from 3 (0.6 makes), 4.8 rebounds, 3.13 steals, 3.4 assists, 3.4 t.o.'s
2 Micah Scheetz G 5'8" Rs-Jr. Knoxville, Tenn. (UAB); 27.2 minutes, 11.2 ppg on . 392 from 3 (1.5 makes), 3.5 rebounds
14 Kaia Upton G 5'6" So. Nashville, Tenn. (East Nashville Magnet HS); 29.8 minutes, 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 t.o.'s, 1.3 steals,
10 Jada Craig G 5'4" Sr. Winston-Salem, N.C. (Winston-Salem Prep Academy); 7 games, 20.9 minutes, 1.9 ppg, 1.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.6 t.o.'s
11 Taisha Murphy G 5'10" Sr. Clayton, N.C. (University of Richmond); 20 games, 3.6 minutes, 1.3 ppg, 0.3 rebounds
21 Amaya Adams G 5'10" So. Kansas City, Mo. (Notre Dame de Sion HS); 8.5 minutes, 0.6 ppg, 1.6 rebounds
Forwards:
24 Anajae Stephney F 6'2" Sr. Knoxville, Tenn. (Bearden HS); 15 games due to injury, 11.0 minutes, 2.8 ppg, 1.6 rebounds
13 Shynia Jackson F 6'1" So. Warner Robins, Ga. (Warner Robins HS); 18 games, 4.6 minutes, 1.1 ppg, 1.1 rebounds
44 E'Lease Stafford F/G 6'0" So. Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence HS); 27 games, 5.0 minutes, 0.7 ppg, 0.4 rebounds