The NAIA preseason women’s basketball poll was released with three schools from the Sooner state located in the top 15. And all three teams will be lead by a new head coach.
Rogers State is coming off a season that culminated in a trip to the Elite Eight and the Hillcats find themselves in the No. 8 spot in the poll. RSU returns five seniors from that squad and are looking to continue playing deeper in the month of march under Roxanne Long.
Oklahoma City is the defending national champion and begins the year at No. 10. The Stars were 35-1 last season and won the sixth title in school history. Latricia Trammell is now at the helm at OCU.
Rogers State and Oklahoma City were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in the Sooner Atheletic Conference behind Lubbock Christian. The Lady Chaparrals have also garnered the No. 1 spot in the country in the preseason poll.
The Red River Athletic Conference is represented by the Langston Lady Lions, who enter the season at No. 14. Langston was 30-4 last season and graduated eight seniors. David Johnson is now the lead man at LU.
2012-13 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll – (Oct. 23)
RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2011-12 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
1 | 3 | Lubbock Christian (Texas) (9) | 28-6 | 280 |
2 | 6 | Shawnee State (Ohio) | 28-6 | 269 |
3 | 5 | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (2) | 28-6 | 266 |
4 | 13 | Vanguard (Calif.) | 23-7 | 251 |
5 | 15 | Westminster (Utah) | 23-9 | 240 |
6 | 11 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 24-10 | 236 |
7 | 4 | Westmont (Calif.) | 31-4 | 229 |
8 | 21 | Rogers State (Okla.) | 22-12 | 216 |
9 | 10 | Lee (Tenn.) | 30-4 | 209 |
10 | 1 | Oklahoma City | 35-1 | 196 |
11 | 16 | Xavier (La.) | 26-9 | 192 |
12 | 20 | Biola (Calif.) | 23-11 | 174 |
13 | 25 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 20-13 | 171 |
14 | 8 | Langston (Okla.) | 30-4 | 168 |
T15 | 12 | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 29-5 | 154 |
T15 | 22 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 25-9 | 154 |
17 | RV | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 20-13 | 135 |
18 | 8 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 28-4 | 120 |
19 | RV | LSU Shreveport (La.) | 25-9 | 116 |
20 | 24 | Avila (Mo.) | 22-11 | 106 |
21 | RV | Columbia (Mo.) | 24-10 | 101 |
22 | NR | Bethel (Tenn.) | 15-17 | 75 |
23 | RV | William Woods (Mo.) | 23-10 | 73 |
24 | RV | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | 26-8 | 71 |
25 | NR | Faulkner (Ala.) | 20-10 | 51 |
Others receiving votes: Loyola (La.) 37; Robert Morris (Ill.) 37; The Master’s (Calif.) 35; Lyon (Ark.) 32; Cumberland (Tenn.) 26; Talladega (Ala.) 25; Carroll (Mont.) 18; Oklahoma Baptist 14; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 8; Benedictine (Kan.) 5; Cal State San Marcos 3.