NEW ORLEANS - The UTA Mavericks have been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2017-18 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball title in a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference office announced on Thursday.
The league also announced its Preseason All-Sun Belt first, second and third teams.
The Mavericks received seven of the 12 first-place votes and tallied 136 points. Little Rock was picked to finish second, received two first-place votes, and tallied 125 points. Little Rock went 25-9 last season with a 17-1 conference mark.
Troy was picked third as the Trojans earned two first-place votes and 119 points. The Trojans finished third in the league a season ago and claimed its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title last season, finishing with a 22-11 record to earn a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
UTA's Rebekah VanDijk, a senior, was tabbed as the league's Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. VanDijk, a first-team All-Conference selection last season, averaged 15.5 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game to lead the Mavericks last year. She enters the 2017-18 season tied for the most career double-doubles among NCAA active leaders with 37 and is fifth amongst NCAA active leaders in rebounding with a career average of 9.3.
VanDijk, her teammate Cierra Johnson, Appalachian State's Madi Story, Louisiana's Simone Fields and South Alabama's Chyna Ellis round out the First Team.
The 2017-18 season begins on Nov. 10. This season’s conference schedule will feature an 18-game slate amongst the league’s 12 teams that leads to the conference championship beginning March 6 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. All 12 teams qualify for the tournament in March, with the winner of the championship earning the league’s automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The championship game of the tournament is scheduled for Sunday, March 11 at 6 p.m. (CT).
2017-18 Conference Women's Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
first-place votes in parentheses
1. UTA (7) - 136 pts
2. Little Rock (2) - 125 pts
3. Troy (2) - 119 pts
4. Louisiana (1) - 116 pts
5. Texas State - 89 pts
6. Arkansas State - 71 pts
7. South Alabama - 70 pts
8. Georgia State - 65 pts
9. Appalachian State - 50 pts
10. Georgia Southern - 48 pts
11. Coastal Carolina - 33 pts
12. ULM - 14 pts
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Madi Story (Appalachian State, Guard, Sr.)
Simone Fields (Louisiana, Forward, Sr.)
Chyna Ellis (South Alabama, Center, Sr.)
Cierra Johnson (UTA, Guard, Sr.)
Rebekah VanDijk (UTA, Center, Sr.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Jada Lewis (Georgia State, Guard, So.)
Gabriella Cortez (ULM, Forward, Sr.)
Taeler Deer (Texas State, Guard, Sr.)
Toshua Leavitt (Texas State, Guard, Jr.)
Amanda Mendoza (Troy, Guard, Sr.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Madison Newby (Georgia State, Guard, So.)
Jasmine Thomas (Louisiana, Guard, So.)
Genesis Perrymond (South Alabama, Guard, Sr.)
Crystal Allen (UTA, Guard, Sr.)
Ericka May (Texas State, Forward, Sr.)
Preseason Player of the Year
Rebekah VanDijk (UTA, Center, Sr.)