Jay C. Upchurch
10/12/2007, 11:07 AM
IRVING, Texas — The Oklahoma Sooners were picked to finish second in this season's Big 12 Conference women's basketball standings in a preseason poll voted by the league's coaches announced Friday.
Texas A&M, the 2006-07 Big 12 co-champions with Oklahoma, received seven of 12 first-place votes to edge the Sooners, who received five first-place votes, in a split decision between the two teams. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
Texas A&M totaled 117 points to edge OU by two. Baylor (97) was chosen third followed by Texas (86), Oklahoma State (66) and Iowa State (64). The remainder of the poll included Nebraska (56) in seventh followed by Kansas State and Texas Tech (54) in a tie for eighth, Kansas (43) in 10th, Colorado (29) and Missouri (11).
The preseason selection has won at least a share of the Big 12 title in five of the previous 11 seasons. A preseason poll was not conducted in the first year of the conference.
Last season's co-champions Texas A&M and Oklahoma competed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and were joined by Baylor, Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Kansas State and Missouri made appearances in the WNIT.
Oklahoma has earned the Big 12 Conference title outright on three occasions -- 2001, 2002 and 2006 -- and has earned a share of the title twice - 2000 and 2007. The Sooners have also won four Big 12 Tournament Championships, including the past two. In all, OU has captured nine of the last 14 possible Big 12 titles.
Wednesday, Courtney Paris was announced as the Big 12's Preseason Player of the Year as voted by the league's coaches. Ashley Paris was an honorable mention for the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
OU plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation as it opens with neutral-site contests against the past two national champions, Maryland (Nov. 11 at Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Tennessee (Nov. 15 at Tampa, Fla.) The Sooners then play Arizona State (Nov. 22) and Mississippi State (Nov. 23), leaving OU to start its slate with three teams that ended last year ranked in the top eight.
Oklahoma hosts two exhibition games at the Lloyd Noble Center prior to the start of the regular season. Henderson State visits Thursday, Nov. 1, and OU plays Oklahoma Christian Tuesday, Nov. 6. Both games are a 7 p.m.
Although reserved level tickets have sold out, general admission season tickets remain for the 2007-08 season. Fans interested in purchasing tickets should call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-GoOU or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU. Tickets may also be purchased online by visiting the ticket office link on SoonerSports.com.
OU SID Report
Texas A&M, the 2006-07 Big 12 co-champions with Oklahoma, received seven of 12 first-place votes to edge the Sooners, who received five first-place votes, in a split decision between the two teams. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
Texas A&M totaled 117 points to edge OU by two. Baylor (97) was chosen third followed by Texas (86), Oklahoma State (66) and Iowa State (64). The remainder of the poll included Nebraska (56) in seventh followed by Kansas State and Texas Tech (54) in a tie for eighth, Kansas (43) in 10th, Colorado (29) and Missouri (11).
The preseason selection has won at least a share of the Big 12 title in five of the previous 11 seasons. A preseason poll was not conducted in the first year of the conference.
Last season's co-champions Texas A&M and Oklahoma competed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and were joined by Baylor, Iowa State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Kansas State and Missouri made appearances in the WNIT.
Oklahoma has earned the Big 12 Conference title outright on three occasions -- 2001, 2002 and 2006 -- and has earned a share of the title twice - 2000 and 2007. The Sooners have also won four Big 12 Tournament Championships, including the past two. In all, OU has captured nine of the last 14 possible Big 12 titles.
Wednesday, Courtney Paris was announced as the Big 12's Preseason Player of the Year as voted by the league's coaches. Ashley Paris was an honorable mention for the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
OU plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation as it opens with neutral-site contests against the past two national champions, Maryland (Nov. 11 at Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Tennessee (Nov. 15 at Tampa, Fla.) The Sooners then play Arizona State (Nov. 22) and Mississippi State (Nov. 23), leaving OU to start its slate with three teams that ended last year ranked in the top eight.
Oklahoma hosts two exhibition games at the Lloyd Noble Center prior to the start of the regular season. Henderson State visits Thursday, Nov. 1, and OU plays Oklahoma Christian Tuesday, Nov. 6. Both games are a 7 p.m.
Although reserved level tickets have sold out, general admission season tickets remain for the 2007-08 season. Fans interested in purchasing tickets should call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-GoOU or toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU. Tickets may also be purchased online by visiting the ticket office link on SoonerSports.com.
OU SID Report