|
Texas Tech Picked By Coaches To Win 2003 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship
Oct. 23, 2002 DALLAS - Texas Tech was picked to win its fourth Big 12 Conference women's basketball title in a preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches and released by the conference office Wednesday. The Lady Raiders nabbed six first-place votes and totaled 114 points, narrowly edging out second place Kansas State which had four first-place votes and 113 points. Texas was not far behind in third place with the other two first-place votes and 105 points. Oklahoma and Colorado rounded out the top five with 88 and 79 points, respectively. Iowa State was sixth with 70 points, followed by seventh place Baylor, 59 points; eighth place Missouri, 55 points; ninth place Oklahoma State, 38 points; 10th place Texas A&M, 32 points; 11th place Kansas, 24 points; and 12th place Nebraska, 15 points. Texas Tech won outright Big 12 championships in 1998 and 1999, and shared the 2000 title with Iowa State and Oklahoma. OU then captured outright crowns in 2001 and 2002. Kansas was the first Big 12 champion in 1997. Tech returns six letterwinners and two starters from last year's 20-12 NCAA Sweet 16 squad. In addition, the team brings back Plenette Pierson, who was a second team All-Big 12 selection in 2000-01 and a preseason pick last year prior to serving a season suspension after the first four games. Kansas State lost only one starter off its 26-8 Sweet 16 team last year and has five other returning letterwinners. Texas was also an NCAA Regional semifinalist last season and has three returning starters and five other returning letterwinners from its 22-10 team. Oklahoma and Colorado made Elite Eight appearances in 2001-02. Unfortunately, they played each other for the Big 12's first berth into the Final Four. OU has six returning letterwinners, including one starter from its NCAA runnerup squad. Colorado has nine returning letterwinners, including one starter back from its 24-10 team. Missouri brings back four starters this season while Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M have three back. Baylor, Kansas and Nebraska return one starter. Kansas State's Nicole Ohlde was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. The 6-4 junior forward/center is the only returning member of the 2001-02 All-Big 12 First Team. She was fourth in scoring in Big 12 all-game statistics last year with 17.9 points per game, which ranked 47th nationally. In other conference stats, Ohlde was second in field goal percentage (.579/15th nationally), seventh in rebounding (7.7), second in blocked shots (2.03/33rd nationally), and third in defensive rebounds (5.76). Ohlde is joined on the Preseason All-Big 12 team by Texas' Stacy Stephens, Texas Tech's Jia Perkins and Pierson, Iowa State's Lindsey Wilson, and Oklahoma's Caton Hill. Pierson and Hill tied for the fifth position. Perkins, Stephens and Wilson were named to the 2001-02 All-Big 12 Second Team while Hill was a third team member. Stephens narrowly missed averaging a double-double last season with 14.0 ppg and 9.8 rpg. She ranked 14th in the league in scoring and second (23rd nationally) in rebounding. She was also second with 15 double-doubles, led the league in offensive rebounds (3.71), was second in defensive rebounds (6.06), and 10th in blocked shots (1.03). Perkins was 10th in the Big 12 in scoring last year with 16.0 ppg, third in steals (2.72/45th nationally), 13th in assists (3.78), and 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.15). Wilson is the Big 12's leading returning scorer after averaging 19.1 ppg in 2001-02 to rank 30th nationally. She was third in assists (6.27/18th nationally), 10th in three-point field goal percentage (.385/49th nationally), second in three-pointers made per game (2.33), seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.43), and 14th in steals (1.79). Hill was 19th in the conference in scoring last season with 12.6 ppg, ninth in rebounding (6.9), eighth in free throw percentage (.812), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.398), and eighth in defensive rebounds (4.94). As a sophomore in 2000-01, Pierson was 10th in the league in scoring with 14.7 ppg, ninth in rebounding (7.4), 13th in field goal percentage (.496), fifth in defensive rebounds (5.56), and fifth in blocked shots (1.31). Oklahoma's Maria Villarroel was named Preseason Newcomer of the Year. The 5-8 junior guard averaged 24 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.2 steals as a sophomore at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M last season. She is a two-time junior college Kodak All-America selection as well as Bi-State Athletic Conference and Region II Player of the Year. The Margarita,Venezuela, native played her freshman season at Independence (Kan.) Junior College and was a second team NJCAA All-America and conference player of the year. Texas Tech's Erin Grant was named Preseason Freshman of the Year. The 5-7 guard from Arlington, Texas, led Mansfield High School to an unprecedented four consecutive Texas state championships and is the only player in Texas High School history to win four consecutive Class 5A state championships. As a senior she averaged 12.3 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 steals while being named a Street & Smith's, USA Today, McDonald's and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America. She was also selected Gatorade Player of the Year. The Big 12 kicks off its season with the annual Basketball Media Days Oct. 30-31 in Dallas. Women's Media Day will be on Oct. 30 followed by the men on Oct. 31. Oklahoma and Texas Tech open the regular season at the State Farm Tip-Off Classic Nov. 10 in Knoxville, Tenn. 2002-03 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
|
 |
 |
