TxState Women’s Basketball Picked Sixth in Sun Belt Preseason Poll

NEW ORLEANS. La. – The 2016-17 Texas State women’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in a polling of the league’s head coaches, it was announced Tuesday. In addition, redshirt senior guard Erin Peoples and junior guard Kaitlin Walla were named to the league’s preseason third team.

Troy was selected as the preseason favorite, garnering three first-place votes and tallying 125 points. The Trojans finished second in the league last season with a 20-13 record but claimed the Sun Belt Tournament title to earn its second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Little Rock was picked to finish second with 121 total points and five first-place votes. UT Arlington placed third in the polling with 118 points and three first-place votes. South Alabama (109 points), UL Lafayette (101 points) and Texas State (81 points) finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. Arkansas State (80 points) took seventh place, followed by Appalachian State (64 points), who claimed the final first-place vote. Georgia State (52 points), Georgia Southern (39 points), Coastal Carolina (26 points) and UL Monroe (20 points) rounded out the poll.

UTA’s Rebekah VanDijk, a junior center, was tabbed the league’s Preseason Player of the Year. A second team all-conference selection in each of the previous two seasons, VanDijk averaged 12.2 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game to lead the Mavericks last year. During league play, those averages went up to 14.0 and 9.7 per game, respectively.

Peoples, a 2012-13 Western Athletic Conference All-Newcomer Team and 2014-15 second team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, is set to make her return to the court this season after missing all of the 2015-16 campaign with an injury sustained during preseason practice. As a junior in 2014-15, Peoples led the Bobcats with 13.5 points per game and 404 total points en route to second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors. She shot 42.6 percent from the field, making a team-high 158 field goals, while also averaging 7.0 rebounds per game. Peoples enters the 2016-17 season currently 95 points off of the all-time top-10 list at Texas State, ninth all-time in rebounds, and seventh in steals.

Walla started 25 of 27 games played a year ago after missing all but eight games in 2014-15 due to injury. Walla led Texas State with 10.3 points per game and was second on the team with 53 made 3-pointers. Her 55 made triples tied for eighth all-time in a single season at Texas State. She finished the season 16 double-digit scoring performances, including a career-high 23 points against Texas A&M Commerce on Dec. 13. She led the Bobcats in scoring seven times and notched ten games with at least ten made 3-pointers.

The Zenarae Antoine coached Bobcats return three starters from last season’s team that set the program’s all-time mark with 232 made 3-pointers. Joining Walla in the starting lineup for another season is junior forward Ericka May (5.2 points/6.8 rebounds in 2015-16). Texas State also returns six additional letter winners from last season’s team – four of whom saw action in at least 29 contests. Moreover, in addition to Peoples, Amber Jones also returns to the court from a season-ending injury that cost her all by two games last season.

2016-17 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
first-place votes in parentheses

1. Troy (3) – 125 pts
2. Little Rock (5) – 121 pts
3. UT Arlington (3) – 118 pts
4. South Alabama – 109 pts
5. UL Lafayette – 101 pts
6. Texas State – 81 pts
7. Arkansas State – 80 pts
8. Appalachian State (1) – 64 pts
9. Georgia State – 52 pts
10. Georgia Southern – 39 pts
11. Coastal Carolina – 26 pts
12. UL Monroe – 20 pts

Preseason First Team All-Conference
Kaitlyn Pratt (Little Rock, Senior, Forward)
Angel McGowan (Georgia Southern, Senior, Guard)
Marquita Daniels (South Alabama, Junior, Guard)
Rebekah VanDijk (UT Arlington, Junior, Center)
Caitlyn Ramirez (Troy, Senior, Forward)

Preseason Second Team All-Conference
Madi Story (Appalachian State, Junior, Guard)
Sharde’ Collins (Little Rock, Senior, Guard)
Makeba Ponder (Georgia State, Junior, Guard)
Chyna Ellis (South Alabama, Junior, Center)
Cierra Johnson (UT Arlington, Junior, Guard)

Preseason Third Team All-Conference
Patrice Butler (Georgia Southern, Senior, Center)
Simone Fields (UL Lafayette, Junior, Forward)
Erin Peoples (Texas State, Senior, Guard)
Kaitlin Walla (Texas State, Junior, Guard)
ArJae’ Saunders (Troy, Senior, Guard)

Preseason Player of the Year
Rebekah VanDijk (UT Arlington, Junior, Center)