The University of Kentucky women?s basketball team received its seventh Top 20 preseason honor as it was ranked No. 16 in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll released Wednesday. It is UK?s first preseason ranking in the coaches poll in school history.
This is the seventh poll to rank the Wildcats in the top 20 of the preseason rankings for the 2006-07 season. Nancy Lieberman from ESPN.com ranked UK at No. 11, Athlon Sports and CSTV.com listed the Wildcats at 14th, Sportspage Magazine and Street & Smith’s College Basketball Preview had them at No. 15 and Lindy?s Basketball Annual ranked UK No. 18.
?It?s great to be recognized for all of the things this team has accomplished,? UK Coach Mickie DeMoss said. ?Now, we just need to continue working hard and doing the things that brought us these preseason rankings. We?ve got a tough schedule ahead of us and we aren?t the underdogs anymore. Everyone will bring their best game against us.?
The Wildcats are one of five SEC teams ranked in the Top 25 along with Tennessee (No. 5), Georgia (No. 9), LSU (No. 10), and Vanderbilt (No. 15).
Kentucky finished 22-9 in 2005-06 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 16/17 Michigan State. It was the Wildcats? best finish in 16 years and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years.
DeMoss, named the 2006 SEC Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, welcomes back nine letter winners and all five starters from last season?s squad, including All-SEC selection Samantha Mahoney (Detroit), junior center Sarah Elliott (McKee, Ky.), and sharp-shooting senior Jenny Pfeiffer (North Vernon, Ind.). Senior forward Jennifer Humphrey (Memphis, Tenn.) also is back after receiving a medical hardship for missing all but six games of her sophomore year with an illness. Humphrey led UK and ranked fourth in the SEC last season in rebounding (8.5 rpg). Carly Ormerod (Louisville, Ky.), an All-SEC second-team selection, returns as the floor general after starting in all 31 games during her rookie campaign and averaging a team-high 31.1 minutes per game. UK welcomes three prep standouts in Brittany Edelen (Springfield, Ky.), Amani Franklin (Decatur, Ga.,) and Lydia Watkins (Hopkinsville, Ky.).
A key loss for Kentucky came on Oct. 17 when junior forward/center Eleia Roddy (Columbus, Ohio) tore a ligament in her right knee during practice. Roddy, who played in all 31 games last season and averaged 7.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, will miss the 2006-07 season.
Kentucky opens exhibition play vs. Northern Kentucky Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. EST. UK will conclude exhibition play Tuesday, Nov. 7, when it plays host to NAIA member Shawnee State (Portsmouth, Ohio) at 7 p.m. EST.
Kentucky Preseason Rankings by Publications
11th by Nancy Lieberman/ESPN.com
14th by Athlon Sports and CSTV.com
15th by Sportspage Magazine and Street & Smith?s
16th by USA Today
18th by Lindy’s
For the complete USA Today Coaches Poll,
