Temple University Athletics
Victoria Macaulay has been tabbed an Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team selection
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Women's Basketball Picked to Finish Fifth in the 2012-13 Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll
10.23.12 | Women's Basketball
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Temple has been picked to finish fifth of 16 teams in the 2012-13 Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. Dayton has been tabbed as the team to beat this season, getting seven first-place votes among the 16 head coaches in the league. The Owls' lone senior, Victoria Macaulay, is an A-10 Preseason First Team pick as well as an A-10 Preseason All-Defensive Team honoree.
Macaulay is the team's leading returner, having averaged 9.7 points per game last year (third on the team) and leading the Owls with 7.5 rebounds per game. She was named the Big 5 Most Improved Player as well as the Most Improved Player by the team, and was a Big 5 Second Team honoree. Macaulay had a strong finish to her junior season, scoring in double figures in 11 of the final 13 games, including a 17-point effort in the WNIT First-Round win vs. Quinnipiac on March 15.
The Owls finished at 23-10 overall last year, and advanced to the WNIT Third Round. With a 13-1 Atlantic 10 record, Temple was second to Dayton in the regular season. The poll result reflects the new look to the Owls this year, as the majority of the team is new and untested. Six true freshmen join the Owls this season, on a roster of 11.
After capturing its first A-10 title and making the program's third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, Dayton has been picked to repeat as champs this season. Richmond and 2009 champion Charlotte rounded out the top three, respectively.
Dayton (23-7/12-2) returns six letterwinners from a team that posted the best winning percentage in head coach Jim Jabir's career and won a program-best 12 Atlantic 10 games (12-2) last season. The Flyers graduated four starters, but retained the services of reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Andrea Hoover (10.0 ppg). Hoover finished her freshman season with exactly 300 points, the first Flyer to score at least 300 in her rookie campaign since Justine Raterman scored 459 in 2008-09. Dayton's incoming freshman class is ranked 31st in the nation and is the top recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 this season.
Richmond (23-9/9-5) returns four starters from last year's 23-9 squad, including two of its top three scorers in redshirt senior Rachael Bilney (14.7 ppg) and junior Genevieve Okoro (7.0 ppg). Bilney sunk a school-record eight threes in a win over George Washington and led the Spiders with 60 long-range shots last season, while Okoro, an All-Conference third team selection, returns to lead the frontcourt after recording a team-best nine double-doubles in 2011-12. The Spiders also add two newcomers to the lineup in guards Bria Powell and Lauren Tolson.
Charlotte (16-14/8-6) welcomes back nine letterwinners and all five starters, including preseason All-Conference first team and All-Defensive team selection Jennifer Hailey. Hailey, a senior forward, led the A-10 in rebounding and blocks a year ago and paced the 49ers to their school-record 10th consecutive postseason appearance. In addition to Hailey, second-year head coach Cara Consuegra will also have the services of senior forward Amanda Dowe, who also pulled down 9.3 rebounds a game.
The 49ers are followed by fellow WNIT participants Duquesne (20-12/7-7), Temple (23-10/13-1) and Saint Joseph's (22-11/9-5). Duquesne welcomes back the league's top returning scorer in preseason All-Conference selection, Wumi Agunbiade (14.7 ppg), while Temple's lone starter from last year, Victoria Macaulay, also collected preseason All-Conference honors. SJU's Ashley Prim collected preseason third-team honors and is among seven letterwinners returning to Hawk Hill this winter.
Defending regular season champion St. Bonaventure (31-4/14-0), which was picked seventh among the coaches, returns seven letterwinners from a team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and tied the A-10 record for wins in a season (31). George Washington (11-18/4-10), under rookie head coach Jonathan Tsipis, was chosen to finish eighth and welcomes back a plethora of talent, including preseason All-Conference third-team honorees Danni Jackson and Tara Booker, along with Sara Mostafa, who missed the majority of last season with a broken hand.
La Salle, (14-17/7-7) voted to finish ninth in the coaches' poll, is led by senior Brittany Wilson (14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), a preseason All-Conference first team and All-Defensive team selection. Wilson is the only returning starter, but the Explorers gain the services of Pitt transfer Leeza Burdgess and Virginia Tech transfer Shanel Harrison. Harrison led Virginia Tech in both scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) in 2010-11, while Burdgess led Pitt in rebounding (7.2 rpg) in 2011-12.
Following La Salle in this year's predicted order of finish is: Xavier (10th; 8-20/5-9) and Fordham (11th; 12-18/3-11); along with A-10 newcomers Butler (12th; 13-17/9-9 Horizon) and VCU (13th; 19-15/9-9 CAA). Saint Louis (14th; 11-20/4-10), Massachusetts (15th; 8-21/3-11) and Rhode Island (16th; 1-28/0-14) round out the 16-team field.
2012-13 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
TEAM (1st-place votes), POINTS
1. Dayton (7), 239
2. Richmond (1), 207
3. Charlotte (1), 206
4. Duquesne (3), 204
5. Temple (1), 201
6. Saint Joseph's, 195
7. St. Bonaventure (3), 172
8. George Washington, 139
9. La Salle, 114
10. Xavier, 111
11. Fordham, 96
12. Butler, 80
13. VCU, 71
14. Saint Louis, 64
15. Massachusetts, 56
16. Rhode Island, 21
Macaulay is the team's leading returner, having averaged 9.7 points per game last year (third on the team) and leading the Owls with 7.5 rebounds per game. She was named the Big 5 Most Improved Player as well as the Most Improved Player by the team, and was a Big 5 Second Team honoree. Macaulay had a strong finish to her junior season, scoring in double figures in 11 of the final 13 games, including a 17-point effort in the WNIT First-Round win vs. Quinnipiac on March 15.
The Owls finished at 23-10 overall last year, and advanced to the WNIT Third Round. With a 13-1 Atlantic 10 record, Temple was second to Dayton in the regular season. The poll result reflects the new look to the Owls this year, as the majority of the team is new and untested. Six true freshmen join the Owls this season, on a roster of 11.
After capturing its first A-10 title and making the program's third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, Dayton has been picked to repeat as champs this season. Richmond and 2009 champion Charlotte rounded out the top three, respectively.
Dayton (23-7/12-2) returns six letterwinners from a team that posted the best winning percentage in head coach Jim Jabir's career and won a program-best 12 Atlantic 10 games (12-2) last season. The Flyers graduated four starters, but retained the services of reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year Andrea Hoover (10.0 ppg). Hoover finished her freshman season with exactly 300 points, the first Flyer to score at least 300 in her rookie campaign since Justine Raterman scored 459 in 2008-09. Dayton's incoming freshman class is ranked 31st in the nation and is the top recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 this season.
Richmond (23-9/9-5) returns four starters from last year's 23-9 squad, including two of its top three scorers in redshirt senior Rachael Bilney (14.7 ppg) and junior Genevieve Okoro (7.0 ppg). Bilney sunk a school-record eight threes in a win over George Washington and led the Spiders with 60 long-range shots last season, while Okoro, an All-Conference third team selection, returns to lead the frontcourt after recording a team-best nine double-doubles in 2011-12. The Spiders also add two newcomers to the lineup in guards Bria Powell and Lauren Tolson.
Charlotte (16-14/8-6) welcomes back nine letterwinners and all five starters, including preseason All-Conference first team and All-Defensive team selection Jennifer Hailey. Hailey, a senior forward, led the A-10 in rebounding and blocks a year ago and paced the 49ers to their school-record 10th consecutive postseason appearance. In addition to Hailey, second-year head coach Cara Consuegra will also have the services of senior forward Amanda Dowe, who also pulled down 9.3 rebounds a game.
The 49ers are followed by fellow WNIT participants Duquesne (20-12/7-7), Temple (23-10/13-1) and Saint Joseph's (22-11/9-5). Duquesne welcomes back the league's top returning scorer in preseason All-Conference selection, Wumi Agunbiade (14.7 ppg), while Temple's lone starter from last year, Victoria Macaulay, also collected preseason All-Conference honors. SJU's Ashley Prim collected preseason third-team honors and is among seven letterwinners returning to Hawk Hill this winter.
Defending regular season champion St. Bonaventure (31-4/14-0), which was picked seventh among the coaches, returns seven letterwinners from a team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and tied the A-10 record for wins in a season (31). George Washington (11-18/4-10), under rookie head coach Jonathan Tsipis, was chosen to finish eighth and welcomes back a plethora of talent, including preseason All-Conference third-team honorees Danni Jackson and Tara Booker, along with Sara Mostafa, who missed the majority of last season with a broken hand.
La Salle, (14-17/7-7) voted to finish ninth in the coaches' poll, is led by senior Brittany Wilson (14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), a preseason All-Conference first team and All-Defensive team selection. Wilson is the only returning starter, but the Explorers gain the services of Pitt transfer Leeza Burdgess and Virginia Tech transfer Shanel Harrison. Harrison led Virginia Tech in both scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg) in 2010-11, while Burdgess led Pitt in rebounding (7.2 rpg) in 2011-12.
Following La Salle in this year's predicted order of finish is: Xavier (10th; 8-20/5-9) and Fordham (11th; 12-18/3-11); along with A-10 newcomers Butler (12th; 13-17/9-9 Horizon) and VCU (13th; 19-15/9-9 CAA). Saint Louis (14th; 11-20/4-10), Massachusetts (15th; 8-21/3-11) and Rhode Island (16th; 1-28/0-14) round out the 16-team field.
2012-13 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
TEAM (1st-place votes), POINTS
1. Dayton (7), 239
2. Richmond (1), 207
3. Charlotte (1), 206
4. Duquesne (3), 204
5. Temple (1), 201
6. Saint Joseph's, 195
7. St. Bonaventure (3), 172
8. George Washington, 139
9. La Salle, 114
10. Xavier, 111
11. Fordham, 96
12. Butler, 80
13. VCU, 71
14. Saint Louis, 64
15. Massachusetts, 56
16. Rhode Island, 21
Ep. 25: Men's Cross Country Athlete Francesco Candiani
Thursday, December 04
Post Game Press Conf. vs. Villanova
Monday, November 24
Ep. 24: Cross Country/Track & Field Coach Elvis Forde
Friday, November 21
Ep. 23: Former Men's Basketball Standout Marc Jackson Speaks on Mental Health
Wednesday, November 19
