Oct. 14, 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nev.--The TCU women's basketball team was picked to finish third in the Mountain West Conference this season in a preseason poll of the league's coaches and media, the conference office announced Tuesday. It marked the fourth straight season that the Lady Frogs have been tabbed to finish among the conference's top-three teams--every season since the program joined the MWC.
The Frogs received two first-place votes and 161 points overall to finish third behind defending conference champion Utah, which collected 206 points (16 first place-votes), and San Diego State, which claimed 184 points (six first-place votes). Rounding out the preseason vote were No. 4 New Mexico (148 points; two first-place votes), No. 5 BYU (117 points), No. 6 Wyoming (113 points), No. 7 UNLV (80 points), No. 8 Colorado State (44 points) and No. 9 Air Force (36 points).
In addition to the team prediction, TCU also had two individual preseason honorees in sophomore guard Helena Sverrisdottir and junior guard Eboni Mangum.
Sverrisdottir, the league's reigning Freshman of the Year Award winner, was one of five players selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team. The native of Harfnarjordur, Iceland, is the Frogs' top returning player in terms of scoring (9.3 points per game), rebounds (5.7 per game) and assists (2.5 per game).
Mangum begins her first season with TCU in 2008-09 after sitting out last season following a transfer from Louisiana Tech. The 5-8 native of Houston, Texas, posted single-game averages of 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists during her two seasons playing at the point for the Lady Techsters. Mangum is one of seven newcomers--and four transfers--who will help TCU transition from the loss of a five-player senior class that amassed the second-most wins in program history for a class over a five-year period.
TCU will hold its first official fall practice this Friday. The Frogs play one exhibition game Nov. 8 against Oklahoma City University at 5 p.m. before tipping off their season at home Nov. 14 against Maryland, which reached the Elite Eight of last season's NCAA Tournament.
2008-09 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll
1. Utah (16) 206
2. San Diego State (6) 184
3. TCU (2) 161
4. New Mexico (2) 148
5. BYU 117
6. Wyoming 113
7. UNLV 80
8. Colorado State 44
9. Air Force 36
2008-09 MWC Preseason All-Conference Team
Paris Johnson, So., C SDSU
Jene Morris, Jr., G SDSU
Helena Sverrisdottir, So., G TCU
Morgan Warburton, Sr., G Utah
Kalee Whipple, Jr., G Utah
Preseason Player of the Year
Morgan Warburton, Sr., G, Utah
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Eboni Mangum, Jr., G, TCU
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Kristen Riley, F, BYU
|
|
 |
