LAFAYETTE, La. ? South Alabama senior women’s basketball player Whitney Woodard was selected by the league coaches to the Sun Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference Second Team Monday.  It was also announced at the opening day of the annual conference basketball media day event that the Lady Jags were picked to come in fourth place in the East Division.

 

Coming off her second straight season-ending knee injury, Woodard returned to her all-conference form as a junior.  After a slow start offensively to the season, Woodard picked up her game and recorded double figures 15 times, including a career-high 26 points twice versus Arkansas State and against Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the 2006 Aeropostale SBC Tournament.  Woodard led USA in scoring nine times during the season and ended up ranking second on the club in that category with 11.7 ppg.  She also led the club in rebounding at 6.9 per game and paced the team on the glass 20 times through out the season.  The Jag forward ranked among the league leaders in scoring (14th), rebounding (10th), free throw percentage (4th - .772), and both offensive (10th) and defensive (11th) rebounds per game. 

 

In Sun Belt Conference play, the Memphis native averaged nearly a double-double per contest with 13.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg, while sinking 81.9 percent (59-of-72) of her opportunities from the charity stripe to rank second in the conference in league games action.  For her efforts, she was selected to the SBC Third Team all-conference team a season ago.

 

Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky and Arkansas-Little Rock each had two players earn all-conference honors to lead all teams.  Chrissy Givens from the Lady Raiders was also selected as the Preseason Player of the Year on Monday.

 

In the East, three-time SBC champion Middle Tennessee (74) received nine first-place votes, followed by Western Kentucky (67) and Florida International (52) who each received three and one first-place votes, respectively, followed by USA (38).  Rounding out the eastern side of the conference was Sun Belt newcomer Florida Atlantic and Troy tied for fifth with 21 votes each.

 

Arkansas State was tabbed as the favorite in the West Division by the coaches.  The Lady Indians received 87 total votes and 10 first-place votes.  Reigning divisional champion North Texas and tournament host Louisiana-Lafayette were picked to come in behind ASU with 65 and 64 votes, respectively.   The Mean Green received one first place vote, while the Ragin’ Cajuns received two.  UALR (55), Denver (48), Louisiana-Monroe (31) and New Orleans (19) rounded out the rest of the division.

 

It was also announced on Monday that the Lady Jags will have one televised game this season.  USA’s road game at Western Kentucky on Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. will be carried on the Hilltopper Satellite Sports Network.

 

South Alabama returns four either full or part-time starters from last season’s squad which finished 15-14 overall and 8-7 in the Sun Belt, tying for second in the West Division.  USA’s season will get underway Sunday Nov. 5 when the Jags take on West Florida in exhibition action at 1 p.m.  The regular season tips off against cross-town rival Spring Hill a week later (Nov. 11) at 4 p.m.

 

Preseason Women's Basketball All-Conference Team

First Team

Jocelyn Love (UALR, Sr., G/F)

Adrianne Davie (Arkansas State, Sr., C)

Chrissy Givens (Middle Tennessee, Sr., G)

Yolanda Jones (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., F)

Crystal Kelly (Western Kentucky, Jr., F)

 

Second Team

Rudy Sims (Arkansas State, Sr., G)

Tyesha Lowery (Denver, Sr., G)

Lasma Jekabsone (Florida International, Sr., C)

Krystle Horton (Middle Tennessee, Sr., F)

Whitney Woodard (South Alabama, Sr., F)

 

Third Team

Renee Renz (UALR, So., F)

Le'Della English (New Orleans, Jr., G)

Talicia Sanders (North Texas, Jr., C)

Laura Lee Holman (Troy, Sr., G)

Tifany Zaragoza (Western Kentucky, Sr., G)

 

Preseason Player of the Year

Chrissy Givens (Middle Tennessee, Sr., G)

 

Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll

First place votes in parenthesis

 

East Division                      Points

 

1. Middle Tennessee (9)      74

2. Western Kentucky (3)      67

3. Florida International (1)    52

4. South Alabama               38

T5. Florida Atlantic               21

T5. Troy                                21

 

West Division                     Points

 

1. Arkansas State (10)         87

2. North Texas (1)                65

3. Louisiana-Lafayette (2)    64

4. UALR                                55

5. Denver                             48

6. Louisiana-Monroe            31

7. New Orleans                    14