Women's Basketball Selected Seventh In Preseason Poll

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women's basketball team has been selected seventh overall in the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the conference Monday morning.

With 47 total points, Memphis was just three points shy of being chosen in the top half of the poll. UConn, the reigning national champions, was selected the top team with 10 first-place votes.

Temple was chosen second overall and USF, with one first-place vote, rounded out the top three. Last season, the Tigers played in a five-overtime contest with Temple and pulled away with a 100-97 victory at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Memphis also earned an 88-87 victory over then-No. 19/20 USF at home last year.

Memphis finished last season with an 18-13 overall record, fourth place finish in the AAC and a berth into the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The Tigers host 16 contests at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse with 13 contests on the road. Memphis' non-conference schedule features several Power Five conference opponents in Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Illinois is the only true road trip among those opponents, as Memphis hosts Kansas and Vanderbilt and faces Arkansas in the Nugget Classic over Thanksgiving break.

The 2016-17 conference season is Memphis' first 16-game league schedule since 2012-13, the program's last season in Conference USA. Memphis played a 16-game conference schedule from 2005-06 through 2012-13 in C-USA.

This year, Memphis will have 12 games broadcasted including one on ESPN2, two on ESPNU and four on ESPN3. The Tigers had 12 games broadcasted last season; all but two of those games were on ESPN3 or the American Digital Network. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @MemphisWBKB.

Memphis begins the season with an exhibition game against Lee University on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. For more information on the women's basketball team, go online to www.gotigersgo.com. Season tickets for are available at www.gotigersgo.com/tix.

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

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

University of Memphis Athletics

Women's Basketball Selected Seventh In Preseason Poll

Related News

Related Videos