WKU, NMSU Picked to Win Sun Belt Women's Basketbal

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WKU, NMSU Picked to Win Sun Belt Women's Basketball

Aggies' Garrett Named Preseason Player of the Year

October 21, 2003

NEW ORLEANS – After rolling to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship last year, Western Kentucky’s women’s basketball squad has been picked to take another league title this year – according to the Sun Belt Conference head coaches.

The Lady Toppers are picked to win the Sun Belt Conference East Division, while New Mexico State is slated to win the West according to the preseason poll released Tuesday at the annual Sun Belt Conference Basketball Media Days.

Meanwhile, NMSU senior guard Sinnamonn Garrett has been selected as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year. Garrett, a first-team All-Sun Belt pick last year, heads a strong NMSU squad that will be led by first-year head coach Darin Spence.

The rookie coach will certainly turn to Garrett to lead what should be an experienced Aggie roster. Last year, Garrett averaged 16.4 points per game and led the nation with a 49.6 3-point field goal percentage.

It certainly won’t be easy for the Aggies, as the West Division had three different squads receive at least one first-place vote from the league’s coaches. South Alabama, who finished as West Division co-champs with NMSU last year, narrowly finished second while receiving four first-place votes. North Texas has been tabbed third and received one top vote.

Denver was predicted fourth with New Orleans and Louisiana-Lafayette rounding out the list.

In the East Division, Middle Tennessee was picked as a very close second. The Lady Raiders received five first-place votes (like WKU) and finished three points behind the Lady Toppers. Florida International was picked third – followed by Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock.

Joining Garrett on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team are North Texas’ Kim Blanton, USA’s Sara Carter, UNO’s Monique Taylor, FIU’s Ivelina Vrancheva, ASU’s Catriece Webster, Middle Tennessee’s Patrice Holmes and Tia Stovall and Western’s Tiffany Porter-Talbert and Leslie Logsdon.

Sun Belt Conference Basketball Media Days will conclude Wednesday morning.

SUN BELT PRESEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL

(first place votes)

West Division

1. New Mexico State (6) 56

2. South Alabama (4) 54

3. North Texas (1) 43

4. Denver 34

5. New Orleans 33

6. Louisiana-Lafayette 11

East Division

1. Western Kentucky (5) 49

2. Middle Tennessee (5) 46

3. Florida International (1) 36

4. Arkansas State 23

5. Arkansas-Little Rock 11

PRESEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-SUN BELT

** Sinnamonn Garrett, Sr., G, New Mexico State

Kim Blanton, Sr., F, North Texas

Sara Carter, Sr., G, South Alabama

Patrice Holmes, Jr., G, Middle Tennessee

Leslie Logsdon, Sr., G, Western Kentucky

Tiffany Porter-Talbert, So., G, Western Kentucky

Tia Stovall, So., F, Middle Tennessee

Monique Taylor, Sr., G, New Orleans

Ivelina Vrancheva, Sr., G, Florida International

Catriece Webster, Sr., G, Arkansas State

** — Preseason Player of the Year