It is fitting Oklahoma City University starts the season at the top of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll. That’s where it ended last season.
OCU is ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll released Tuesday. The Stars won the second national championship in three years this spring and the seventh overall. OCU defeated Freed-Hardeman, 80-76, in the national title game and finished the year at 27-4
Oklahoma City is also the prohibitive favorite to win the Sooner Athletic Conference title for a sixth consecutive year.
The SAC has three representatives in the top 10. Along with OCU, John Brown (Ark.) comes in at No. 7, and Oklahoma Baptist is at the No. 8 spot.
The Lady Bison won the SAC postseason tournament last year to earn an automatic bid to the NAIA national tournament. OBU also split two regular season games with OCU and went 28-6 on the year.
Langston also made it into the preseason top 25 at No. 24. The Lady Lions dealt with injuries at times last season, but closed strong, winning nine of the last 10 regular season games in the Red River Athletic Conference and earning a trip to the NAIA Tournament as well.
LU finished the year at 20-13, losing to OCU in the national tournament, 79-71.
These teams will be no stranger to each other in the regular season this year.
Oklahoma City travels to Langston on Nov. 15. This will be the first regular season game for OCU, after two exhibition games against NCAA Division I opponents (Texas A&M, Texas).
OCU and OBU meet in the SAC regular season in Oklahoma City on Jan. 17, and then in Shawnee on Feb. 14.