George Washington University Athletics
Women's Basketball Unanimous Preseason Atlantic 10 Favorite
10/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 25, 2007
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The George Washington women's basketball team was selected the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 Conference for the second consecutive year, according to a poll conducted by the league's head coaches and select media and released during the conference's Media Day Thursday.
The six-time defending A-10 regular-season champion Colonials received all 17 first-place votes cast by the panel of coaches and media. GW is coming off a 2006-07 season in which it reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the third time in program history, matched the school record with 28 victories and was ranked No. 11 in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
Senior point guard Kimberly Beck earned preseason first team All-Conference accolades for the third straight season. Beck, a two-time first team All-Atlantic 10 perfomer, was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American and finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award honoring the nation's top point guard last season.
Beck was joined on the preseason first team by junior teammate Jessica Adair, who earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2006-07. Senior Sarah-Jo Lawrence was voted to the preseason second team. Lawrence led GW in scoring for the second straight season to garner second team All-Conference accolades last winter. Beck, the reigning A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, and senior Whitney Allen were selected to the preseason All-Defensive team.
2007 A-10 Tournament champion Xavier and Charlotte tied for second place in the preseason poll, followed by 2007 regular season runner-up Temple, Richmond, Saint Joseph's, Massachusetts and Dayton. Saint Louis, La Salle, St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, Duquesne and Fordham round out the final six spots.
The Colonials host DT-3 All Stars in an exhibition game at Smith Center, Friday, Nov. 2, before tipping-off the 2007-08 season at Maryland-Baltimore County, Friday, Nov. 9. This year's schedule features 13 teams that qualified for postseason play last season, highlighted by 2007 national runner-up and unanimous preseason Top 5 pick Rutgers at Smith Center, Sunday, Nov. 18.
Season tickets can be purchased by contacting the GW Athletics Ticket Office at 202-994-6050 or by email to gwcoltix@gwu.edu. Individual game tickets can be purchased at GW's Marvin Center TicketMaster (located on the lower level), through TicketMaster outlets at 202-397-SEAT (7328), or by visiting TicketMaster.com. For group tickets (10 or more), call 202-994-5778 or email Ed McKee at edmckee@gwu.edu.
2007-08 Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Teams
(as selected by coaches and media)
First Team
Jessica Adair, George Washington
Kimberly Beck, George Washington
Lady Comfort, Temple
Amber Harris, Xavier
Carlene Hightower, La Salle
Second Team
Danielle Burgin, Charlotte
Sabrina Gregory, Charlotte
Sarah-Jo Lawrence, George Washington
Kate Mills, Massachusetts
Safi Mojidi, Rhode Island
Third Team
Christina Campion, Richmond
LaKeisha Eaddy, Temple
Theresa Lisch, Saint Louis
Dana Mitchell, St. Bonaventure
Wendy Stywalt, Charlotte
Defensive Team
Whitney Allen, George Washington
Kimberly Beck, George Washington
Sabrina Gregory, Charlotte
Amber Harris, Xavier
Carlene Hightower, La Salle
2006-07 Atlantic 10 Predicted Order of Finish
(as selected by coaches and media)
1. George Washington (17)
t2. Xavier
t2. Charlotte
4. Temple
5. Richmond
6. Saint Joseph's
7. Massachusetts
8. Dayton
9. Saint Louis
10. La Salle
11. St. Bonaventure
12. Rhode Island
13. Duquesne
14. Fordham
