George Washington University Athletics
Women's Basketball Tabbed A-10 Preseason Favorite
10/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 25, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The George Washington women's basketball team has been named the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10 Conference race, according to a poll of the league's head coaches and select media released by the league office on Wednesday.
GW, the defending A-10 regular season co-champion, received 13 of a possible 18 first place votes cast by coaches and media. The Colonials return four starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that finished 23-9 and advanced to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2005-06. The backcourt duo of juniors Kimberly Beck and Sarah-Jo Lawrence garnered preseason individual accolades as both players were named to the All-Conference First Team and Defensive Team.
Temple received two first-place votes and was projected to finish second in the preseason poll, followed by Xavier, which received the remaining three first-place votes. Saint Joseph's came in fourth and Charlotte, which split last year's regular season title with the Colonials, was chosen to finish fifth.
Beck, who has paced the A-10 in assists in each of her first two seasons, earned preseason first team and defensive team recognition for the second consecutive year. The junior point guard was second on last year's team in scoring average (11.4 ppg), dished out better than five assists per game, and finished seventh in the league in steals (2.0 spg) en route to A-10 First Team and Defensive Team distinction. Lawrence was bestowed her first preseason laurel following a breakout sophomore season in which she led GW in scoring (11.6 ppg) and was named the league's Sixth Player of the Year.
Xavier's Suntana Granderson, Temple's Kamesha Hairston and La Salle's Crista Ricketts rounded out the preseason first team. Hairston, La Salle's Carlene Hightower and Rhode Island's Safi Mojidi completed the preseason defensive team.
The GW program's preseason A-10 billing solidifies some early national attention. The Colonials are ranked No. 21 in Street and Smith's Preseason Top 25 and No. 22 according to ESPN.com's Nancy Lieberman.
GW opens the 2006-07 season against Maryland-Baltimore County at Charles E. Smith Athletic Center on Friday, November 10, at 3:00 pm.
2006-07 Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Teams
(as selected by coaches and media)
FIRST TEAM
Kimberly Beck, GW
Suntana Granderson, Xavier
Kamesha Hairston, Temple
Sarah-Jo Lawrence, GW
Crista Ricketts, La Salle
SECOND TEAM
Ayahna Cornish, Saint Joseph's
Loui Hall, Duquesne
Tyler McIlwraith, Saint Louis
Safi Mojidi, Rhode Island
Jennifer Strong, Dayton
THIRD TEAM
Lisa Carrol, Fordham
Christina Campion, Richmond
Miranda Green, Xavier
Kate Mills, Massachusetts
Pam Rosanio, Massachusetts
DEFENSIVE TEAM
Kimberly Beck, GW
Kamesha Hairston, Temple
Carlene Hightower, La Salle
Sarah-Jo Lawrence, GW
Safi Mojidi, Rhode Island
2006-07 Atlantic 10 Predicted Order of Finish
(as selected by coaches and media)
1. George Washington (13 first place votes)
2. Temple (2)
3. Xavier (3)
4. Saint Joseph's
5. Charlotte
6. Richmond
7. Dayton
8. Massachusetts
9. La Salle
10. Duquesne
11. Rhode Island
12. Saint Louis
13. St. Bonaventure
14. Fordham
