Orange Picked Sixth in ACC Preseason Poll
10/16/2019 3:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Greensboro, N.C. – The Syracuse University women's basketball team is projected to finish sixth in the uber competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by both the league's 15 head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel. The Orange finished fifth in 2018-19 with an 11-5 ACC record and reached the ACC Tournament semifinals for the second time in four years, losing to eventual tournament champion Notre Dame.
Louisville is the 2019-20 preseason favorite after receiving 34-of-49 first-place votes from the Blue Ribbon Panel and a total of 13-of-15 first-place votes from the head coaches. It marks the first time the Cardinals are the favorite since joining the ACC prior to the 2013-14 season.
NC State and Florida State were picked second and third, respectively, in both polls. Miami and Notre Dame round out the projected top-5 according to the head coaches with Miami finishing fourth and the Irish fifth. In the Blue Ribbon Panel ND is picked fourth while the Hurricanes are projected to finish fifth.
Miami's Beatrice Mompremier was named the Preseason Player of the Year by both the head coaches and Blue Ribbon Panel.
Despite not having a single player named to the Preseason All-ACC Team or Newcomer Watch List for the first time since 'Cuse joined the league, the depth and experience of Syracuse's roster will be a threat to the ACC.
The Orange return three starters from last season's squad and added six newcomers, including a trio of graduate transfers. Syracuse will be without Associated Press (AP) Honorable Mention All-American Tiana Mangakahia as she battles Stage 2 Breast Cancer but will rely on redshirt junior Kiara Lewis at the point guard position.
Basketball season tips off Nov. 5 when Syracuse hosts Ohio at 8 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. New for this year, the ACC will play an 18-game conference slate, which includes a pair of matchups in early December to open the league schedule. All 18 of Syracuse's ACC regular-season conference games will be available through the ESPN family of networks, including the new ACC Network and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), or the conference's Regional Sports Networks (RSN).
Syracuse season tickets start at $75 and are available for sale by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or at The Box Office at the Ensley Athletic Center, which will operate extended hours on Mondays, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, and will be open Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, for purchasing tickets to all Dome events. Limited Premium Courtside seats are still available and can be purchased by contacting a sales representative at 1-888-DOME-TIX.
To stay updated on the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Head Coaches & Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
Head Coaches Preseason All-ACC Team
Kobi Thornton, Clemson
Haley Gorecki, Duke
Nicki Ekhomu, Florida State
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Elizabeth Balogun, Louisville
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Aislinn Konig, NC State
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
Head Coaches Newcomer Watch List
River Baldwin, Florida State
Nyah Green, Louisville
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State
Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame
Anaya Peoples, Notre Dame
Head Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
Louisville (13, first-place votes) - 223
NC State (2, first-place votes) - 201
Florida State - 190
Miami - 185
Notre Dame - 159
Syracuse - 150
Duke - 143
Clemson - 105
North Carolina – 92
Virginia Tech - 91
Georgia Tech - 70
Virginia - 67
Boston College - 58
Pittsburgh - 41
Wake Forest - 25
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team
Kobi Thornton, Clemson
Haley Gorecki, Duke
Nicki Ekhomu, Florida State
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Dana Evans, Louisville
Elizabeth Balogun, Louisville
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami (FL)
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
River Baldwin, Florida State
Nyah Green, Louisville
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State
Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame
Anaya Peoples, Notre Dame
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (49 voters)
Louisville (34, first-place votes) – 713 points
NC State (8, first-place votes) – 637 points
Florida State (3, first-place votes) – 623 points
Notre Dame (4, first-place votes) - 580
Miami - 578
Syracuse - 497
Duke - 432
Clemson - 353
North Carolina - 343
Virginia Tech – 291
Virginia – 229
Georgia Tech - 225
Boston College - 168
Pittsburgh - 122
Wake Forest - 89
Louisville is the 2019-20 preseason favorite after receiving 34-of-49 first-place votes from the Blue Ribbon Panel and a total of 13-of-15 first-place votes from the head coaches. It marks the first time the Cardinals are the favorite since joining the ACC prior to the 2013-14 season.
NC State and Florida State were picked second and third, respectively, in both polls. Miami and Notre Dame round out the projected top-5 according to the head coaches with Miami finishing fourth and the Irish fifth. In the Blue Ribbon Panel ND is picked fourth while the Hurricanes are projected to finish fifth.
Miami's Beatrice Mompremier was named the Preseason Player of the Year by both the head coaches and Blue Ribbon Panel.
Despite not having a single player named to the Preseason All-ACC Team or Newcomer Watch List for the first time since 'Cuse joined the league, the depth and experience of Syracuse's roster will be a threat to the ACC.
The Orange return three starters from last season's squad and added six newcomers, including a trio of graduate transfers. Syracuse will be without Associated Press (AP) Honorable Mention All-American Tiana Mangakahia as she battles Stage 2 Breast Cancer but will rely on redshirt junior Kiara Lewis at the point guard position.
Basketball season tips off Nov. 5 when Syracuse hosts Ohio at 8 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. New for this year, the ACC will play an 18-game conference slate, which includes a pair of matchups in early December to open the league schedule. All 18 of Syracuse's ACC regular-season conference games will be available through the ESPN family of networks, including the new ACC Network and ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), or the conference's Regional Sports Networks (RSN).
Syracuse season tickets start at $75 and are available for sale by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or at The Box Office at the Ensley Athletic Center, which will operate extended hours on Mondays, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm, and will be open Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, for purchasing tickets to all Dome events. Limited Premium Courtside seats are still available and can be purchased by contacting a sales representative at 1-888-DOME-TIX.
To stay updated on the Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Head Coaches & Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
Head Coaches Preseason All-ACC Team
Kobi Thornton, Clemson
Haley Gorecki, Duke
Nicki Ekhomu, Florida State
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Elizabeth Balogun, Louisville
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Aislinn Konig, NC State
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
Head Coaches Newcomer Watch List
River Baldwin, Florida State
Nyah Green, Louisville
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State
Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame
Anaya Peoples, Notre Dame
Head Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
Louisville (13, first-place votes) - 223
NC State (2, first-place votes) - 201
Florida State - 190
Miami - 185
Notre Dame - 159
Syracuse - 150
Duke - 143
Clemson - 105
North Carolina – 92
Virginia Tech - 91
Georgia Tech - 70
Virginia - 67
Boston College - 58
Pittsburgh - 41
Wake Forest - 25
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team
Kobi Thornton, Clemson
Haley Gorecki, Duke
Nicki Ekhomu, Florida State
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Dana Evans, Louisville
Elizabeth Balogun, Louisville
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami (FL)
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
River Baldwin, Florida State
Nyah Green, Louisville
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State
Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame
Anaya Peoples, Notre Dame
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (49 voters)
Louisville (34, first-place votes) – 713 points
NC State (8, first-place votes) – 637 points
Florida State (3, first-place votes) – 623 points
Notre Dame (4, first-place votes) - 580
Miami - 578
Syracuse - 497
Duke - 432
Clemson - 353
North Carolina - 343
Virginia Tech – 291
Virginia – 229
Georgia Tech - 225
Boston College - 168
Pittsburgh - 122
Wake Forest - 89
Players Mentioned
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