BROWNWOOD, Texas - The Howard Payne Lady Jackets were ranked #14 by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pre-season USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll announced today. Last week the Lady Jackets were listed at #13 in the Pre-season D3hoops.com Top 25 Media Poll.
The Lady Jackets will open up the 2008-2009 season in Colorado Springs, CO at Colorado College on November 21, 2008. Howard Payne will also have an exhibition game at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls on November 11, 2008. The first home game will be on November 29, 2008 versus LeTourneau University.
The USA TODAY ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 11 head coaches at Division III institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The 2008-09 board: Nan Carney-DeBord - Non-voting Chair (Ohio Wesleyan University), Aaron Roussell (University of Chicago), Amie Bradley (Trinity University), Brian Niemuth (Simpson College), Doreen Carden (Albion College), G.P. Gromacki (University of Scranton), James Scheible (University of Rochester), Michele Sharp (Kean University), Mike Strong (University of Scranton), Ron Rohn (Muhlenberg College), and Suzy Barcomb (University of Puget Sound).Preseason Poll: November 5, 2008.
USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 women's basketball poll, with first-place votes noted on the right, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.
|
Rank
|
Institution - First Place Votes
|
Last Year's
Final Rank
|
Last Year's
Final Record
|
Points
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.
|
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater - 5
|
3
|
29-4
|
228
|
|
2.
|
Oglethorpe University (Ga.) - 2
|
6
|
27-7
|
212
|
|
3.
|
Kean University (N.J.)
|
7
|
28-4
|
201
|
|
4.
|
Washington University (Mo.) - 2
|
25
|
19-8
|
197
|
|
5.
|
DePauw University (Ind.)
|
5
|
28-4
|
196
|
|
6.
|
Hope College (Mich.)
|
4
|
30-1
|
181
|
|
7.
|
University of Rochester (N.Y.)
|
18
|
26-6
|
178
|
|
8.
|
Baldwin-Wallace College (Ohio)
|
13
|
27-3
|
163
|
|
9.
|
Thomas More College (Ky.)
|
9
|
29-1
|
145
|
|
10.
|
University of Chicago (Ill.)
|
14
|
22-6
|
140
|
|
11.
|
DeSales University (Pa.)
|
20
|
26-4
|
132
|
|
12.
|
Illinois Wesleyan University
|
17
|
26-3
|
119
|
|
13.
|
Messiah College (Pa.)
|
2
|
30-3
|
116
|
|
14.
|
Howard Payne University (Texas)
|
1
|
33-0
|
115
|
|
15.
|
Tufts University (Mass.)
|
8
|
26-4
|
97
|
|
16.
|
Simpson College (Iowa)
|
11
|
27-3
|
94
|
|
17.
|
Saint Norbert College (Wis.)
|
NR
|
22-5
|
69
|
|
18.
|
Amherst College (Mass.)
|
12
|
27-3
|
68
|
|
19.
|
The College of New Jersey
|
NR
|
22-7
|
66
|
|
20.
|
College of St. Benedict (Minn.)
|
NR
|
20-6
|
60
|
|
21.
|
University of Mary Washington (Va.)
|
10
|
28-3
|
49
|
|
22.
|
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
|
23
|
23-7
|
45
|
|
t23.
|
Bowdoin College (Maine)
|
NR
|
19-9
|
44
|
|
t23.
|
Marymount University (Va.)
|
NR
|
23-5
|
44
|
|
25.
|
Hardin-Simmons University (Texas)
|
NR
|
21-6
|
42
|
Others Receiving Votes: Randolph-Macon College (Va.) - 29; University of Southern Maine - 29; William Smith College (N.Y.) - 29; McMurry University (Texas) - 18; New York University - 16; Muhlenberg College (Pa.) - 15; University of Puget Sound (Wash.) - 12; Albion College (Mich.) - 11; George Fox University (Ore.) - 11; University of Scranton (Pa.) - 11; University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point - 10; Chapman University (Calif.) - 9; Eastern Connecticut State University - 8; Maryville University (Mo.) - 8; State University of New York at Cortland - 8; Emmanuel College (Mass.) - 7; Medaille College (N.Y.) - 4; Carthage College (Wisc.) - 3; Franklin & Marshall College (Pa.) - 3; Saint Lawrence University (N.Y.) - 2; William Paterson University (N.J.) - 2; Emory University (Ga.) - 1; Greensboro College (N.C.) - 1; Salem State College (Mass.) - 1; Western Connecticut State University - 1.