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Lady Lions Ranked 14th in ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Penn State earns highest ranking since the final 2004 poll
NIVERSITY
PARK, PA.; November 1, 2011 — The Penn State Lady Lions are ranked 14th
in the ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches poll that was released today.
It is the highest ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll for the
Lady Lion since they were seventh in the final 2004 poll. Additionally,
it is Penn State’s first appearance in the preseason coaches’ poll
since starting the 2003-04 campaign eighth.
The Lady Lions
are 12th in the Associated Press preseason poll afterbeing selected as
the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten Conference in avote of the
league’s coaches and media. Penn State returns 10 letterwinners,
including four starters from a team that compiled a 25-10 overall
record and an 11-5 conference record a year ago.
Leading
the list of returnees is Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year Alex
Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.). She claimed All-Big Ten first team honors
a year ago after averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Additionally, Bentley was among the Big Ten leaders in field goal
percentage (14th/.446), free throw percentage (11th/.798) and
assist-to-turnover ratio (4th/1.7). She also registered seven 20-point
games, including a pair of 20-point performances in the NCAA
Tournament. The Indianapolis native is on the preseason watch lists for
the Wade Trophy and Wooden Awards for National Player of the Year.
Penn
State also returns 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2011 Big Ten
SixthPlayer of the Year Maggie Lucas (Narberth, Pa.). She etched her
name into the Penn State and Big Ten record books in her outstanding
rookie campaign as she broke the Big Ten and Penn State single-season
record for three-pointers (112). Additionally, Lucas broke Kelly
Mazzante’s Penn State freshman season scoring record with 552 tallies.
Also
back in the fold for the Lady Lions are starters Nikki Greene (Diboll,
Texas), Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va.) and Zhaque Gray (Chicago, Ill.).
Greene became one of the top shot-blocking forces in the conference en
route to Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors. She tallied a career-best
75 rejections, which is sixth on the Penn State single-season list, and
is the seventh player inschool history with 100 blocks. The All-Big Ten
honorable mention choice also accounted for 7.8 rebounds per game to
rank sixth in the Big Ten.
Nickson tallied 10.5 points and
6.7 rebounds per game in 27 starts for the Lions. She was ninth in the
Big Ten in rebounding and 14th in free throw percentage (.795). Gray
made a marked improvement between her sophomore andjunior years as she
improved on her three-point shooting by 11% (.303 to .414) and her
field goal shooting by 8.5% (.338 to .423). With a 9.5 scoring average,
the Chicago native also nearly doubled her scoring output to finish
fourth on the team.
The Lady Lions, who will face
Bloomsburg in an exhibition on Sat., Nov. 5, opentheir season with the
Lady Lion Classic on Fri., Nov. 11 and Sun., Nov. 13 at the Bryce
Jordan Center. Penn State faces Washington State in the tourney opener
at 6 p.m. Friday, while Middle Tennessee State takes on UNC-Wilmington
at 8 p.m.
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