CHARLOTTE, NC—The Big South Conference held its annual Basketball Media Day at the Renaissance Suites Hotel as the preseason poll and all-conference teams were announced as Winthrop women's basketball was voted to finish seventh.
Radford received six first-place votes as the favorite to capture the Big South Conference for a third straight season. Hampton was second (three first-place votes), UNC Asheville third, followed by Campbell (one first-place vote), Gardner-Webb, High Point, Winthrop, Presbyterian College, Charleston Southern, Longwood, and USC Upstate.
The Eagles were much improved in 2018-19 and look to continue their upward trend as head coach
Lynette Woodard welcomes back the team's top two scorers, four starters and eight players total with significant experience. Woodard's talented recruiting class along with the experience returning should help the program continue its path back toward top in the Big South once again.
The team's returning starters are sophomores
Kem Nwabudu (9.8 ppg),
Jah'Che Whitfield (8.5 ppg) and
Maleeah Langstaff (3.1 ppg) as well as senior
Miquela Santoro (5.7 ppg).
The Eagles open the regular season at home on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. when they host Iona College in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
2019-20 Big South Conference Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
First-Team
Ashley Bates, Hampton (Preseason Player of the Year)
Carley Plentovich, Gardner-Webb
Sonora Dengokl, UNC Asheville
Sydney Nunley, Radford
Dayna Rouse, Longwood
Second-Team
Khiana Johnson, Radford
Laren VanArsdale, Hampton
Kacie Hall, Presbyterian
ShyAnne Tuelle, Campbell
Hayley Barber, Campbell
2019-20 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rk - Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 – Radford (6) |
113 |
| 2 – Hampton (3) |
104 |
| 3 – UNC Asheville |
94 |
| 4 – Campbell (1) |
91 |
| 5 – Gardner-Webb |
86 |
| 6 – High Point |
66 |
| 7 – Winthrop |
47 |
| 8 – Presbyterian College |
43 |
| 9 – Charleston Southern |
32 |
| 10 – Longwood |
26 |
| 11 – USC Upstate |
24 |
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