University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Women’s Basketball Selected Seventh In AAC Preseason Poll
Oct 16, 2017 | Women's Basketball
Memphis finished 2017 season tied for fifth
PHILADELPHIA – The University of Memphis women's basketball team has been selected seventh in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll as announced by the conference Monday morning at the AAC Media Day.
UConn was selected as the preseason favorite after receiving 11 first-place votes by the league coaches. USF was picked to finish second and Temple came in third.
Memphis was selected seventh in the 2016 preseason poll and finished the 2016-17 season with a 14-16 overall record and 7-9 mark in AAC play including a victory at home over No. 20 USF.
Senior forward Cheyenne Creighton and senior guard Brea Elmore return this season after being named AAC Third-Team All-Conference picks last year. It was the first time in their careers either player had earned a postseason accolade.
Creighton finished the season averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. She scored six, 20+-point games for the Tigers including a career-high 26 in the victory over Vanderbilt on Dec. 28. Creighton also accounted for eight double-doubles last season, becoming the 26th person in school history to have at least eight in their career.
Elmore scored a career-high 13.0 points per game in 2016-17, a mark that ranked second on the Tiger squad. She accounted for four 20+-point games including a career-high 25 points in victory over UCF on Jan. 28.
Memphis is also led by redshirt senior guard Breigha Wilder-Cochran. Wilder-Cochran returned in 2016-17 and averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.
The Tigers begin play with an exhibition game against Christian Brothers on Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. The AAC season starts on the road at UConn on Dec. 31. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the Tigers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisWBB. For season ticket information, call the ticket office at 901-678-2331.
2017-18 American Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. UConn (11)* - 121
2. USF (1) - 110
3. Temple - 98
4. UCF - 91
5. SMU - 79
6. Tulane - 73
7. Memphis - 53
8. Cincinnati - 50
9. Tulsa - 43
10. Wichita State- 31
11. Houston - 27
12. ECU – 16
* unanimous selection
2017-18 American Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year
Napheesa Collier, Jr., F, UConn
Preseason All-Conference Teams
First Team
Aliyah Gregory, Sr., G, UCF
Napheesa Collier, Jr., F, UConn *
Katie Lou Samuelson, Jr., G/F, UConn
Gabby Williams, Sr., F, UConn *
Kitija Laksa, Jr., G, USF
Second Team
Kia Nurse, Sr., G, UConn
Maria Jespersen, Sr., F, USF
Alicia Froling, Sr., F, SMU
Alliya Butts, Sr., G, Temple
Kolby Morgan, Sr., G, Tulane
* unanimous selection
UConn was selected as the preseason favorite after receiving 11 first-place votes by the league coaches. USF was picked to finish second and Temple came in third.
Memphis was selected seventh in the 2016 preseason poll and finished the 2016-17 season with a 14-16 overall record and 7-9 mark in AAC play including a victory at home over No. 20 USF.
Senior forward Cheyenne Creighton and senior guard Brea Elmore return this season after being named AAC Third-Team All-Conference picks last year. It was the first time in their careers either player had earned a postseason accolade.
Creighton finished the season averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. She scored six, 20+-point games for the Tigers including a career-high 26 in the victory over Vanderbilt on Dec. 28. Creighton also accounted for eight double-doubles last season, becoming the 26th person in school history to have at least eight in their career.
Elmore scored a career-high 13.0 points per game in 2016-17, a mark that ranked second on the Tiger squad. She accounted for four 20+-point games including a career-high 25 points in victory over UCF on Jan. 28.
Memphis is also led by redshirt senior guard Breigha Wilder-Cochran. Wilder-Cochran returned in 2016-17 and averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.
The Tigers begin play with an exhibition game against Christian Brothers on Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. The AAC season starts on the road at UConn on Dec. 31. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow the Tigers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @MemphisWBB. For season ticket information, call the ticket office at 901-678-2331.
2017-18 American Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. UConn (11)* - 121
2. USF (1) - 110
3. Temple - 98
4. UCF - 91
5. SMU - 79
6. Tulane - 73
7. Memphis - 53
8. Cincinnati - 50
9. Tulsa - 43
10. Wichita State- 31
11. Houston - 27
12. ECU – 16
* unanimous selection
2017-18 American Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year
Napheesa Collier, Jr., F, UConn
Preseason All-Conference Teams
First Team
Aliyah Gregory, Sr., G, UCF
Napheesa Collier, Jr., F, UConn *
Katie Lou Samuelson, Jr., G/F, UConn
Gabby Williams, Sr., F, UConn *
Kitija Laksa, Jr., G, USF
Second Team
Kia Nurse, Sr., G, UConn
Maria Jespersen, Sr., F, USF
Alicia Froling, Sr., F, SMU
Alliya Butts, Sr., G, Temple
Kolby Morgan, Sr., G, Tulane
* unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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