COLLEGE STATION -- Top 10 billing continues for preseason Big 12 Conference women’s basketball favorite Texas A&M.
The Aggies are ranked No. 7 in Women’s Basketball Magazine’s preseason top 25 preview and No. 10 in both the CSTV and CBSSports.com Preseason Top 25 polls. This is not the first top 10 preseason ranking for A&M leading up to the 2007-08 season. Last month, the Aggies received a program-best No. 6 preseason national ranking by SLAM Magazine.
Two additional preseason publications tabbed the Aggies among the nation’s top 25 including a No. 14 ranking by Street & Smith’s College Basketball Yearbook and No. 14 ranking by The Sporting News. USA TODAY listed A&M among its preseason “Sweet 16” along with defending national champion Tennessee, Baylor, Cal, Connecticut, Duke, George Washington, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stanford and Wisconsin.
The Aggies open exhibition play against the Chinese National Team on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Reed Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets by calling The 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at: (979) 845-2311 or 1-888-99-AGGIE.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE AGGIES
“The Aggies are aiming to begin this season in the same manner they ended last season: Red-hot. The Big 12 Conference team won 12 of its 15 final games last year. Back for Coach Gary Blair are 5-8 junior guard Takia Starks and 5-10 senior forward Morenike Atunrase. Incoming freshman point guard Sydney Colson, a 5-8 athlete from Houston’s Westside High, has NBA three-point range.” – Jacob Messer, Women’s Basketball Magazine
“Ever since coach Gary Blair took over the program four years ago, the Aggies have been on a steady upward climb. Last season’s campaign yielded a 25-7 record and a regular-season Big 12 co-championship. The Aggies could sweeten their position significantly with the return of their top six players – the top four of whom are perimeter players. Guard Takia Starks paced the team with a 14.2-point scoring average. Meanwhile, guards Danielle Gant, Morenike Atunrase and A’Quonesia Franklin all averaged about 10 points. Gant also led the team in steals and Franklin dished out a team-high 4.7 assists per game and ranked No. 1 in made three-pointers with 48. Also back is top rebounder La Toya Micheaux and forward Patrice Reado.” – Patricia Babcock McGraw, CBSSports.com
“The Aggies completed their most successful season in the program’s 33-year history, capturing a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and a school-record final national ranking of 16th. To no one’s surprise, Gary Blair was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. Blair will enter his fifth season in College Station with a lineup that includes his top four scorers from last year in 5-8 junior Takia Starks, 5-11 junior Danielle Gant, 5-10 senior Morenike Atunrase and 5-3 senior A’Quonesia Franklin. Junior center La Toya Micheaux and 6-0 senior forward Patrice Reado will provide an inside punch.” – Mike Flynn, The Sporting News
“The Aggies return all five starters from a team that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They also return their top reserve, junior G-F Danielle Gant, who averaged 10.1 points. Texas A&M was the seventh-toughest team to score on last year, and Micheaux and Gant were all-Big 12 defensive team selections. Franklin is an excellent floor general; her assists-to-turnovers ratio was tops in the conference for the third consecutive year…The defense will be there, but can the Aggies make the shots when it counts, especially on the road?” – Dick Patrick, USA TODAY
2007-08 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MAGAZINE PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut
2. Tennessee
3. LSU
4. Maryland
5. Rutgers
6. Georgia
7. Texas A&M
8. Stanford
9. North Carolina
10. Duke
11. California
12. West Virginia
13. Arizona State
14. Oklahoma
15. Baylor
16. Texas
17. Auburn
18. DePaul
19. Ohio State
20. Wisconsin
21. Pittsburgh
22. Florida State
23. Michigan State
24. Louisville
25. George Washington
2007-08 CBSSPORTS.com PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee
2. Connecticut
3. Rutgers
4. Maryland
5. Oklahoma
6. LSU
7. Stanford
8. Georgia
9. North Carolina
10. Texas A&M
11. Cal
12. Duke
13. Michigan State
14. Louisville
15. Baylor
16. DePaul
17. Texas
18. George Washington
19. Arizona State
20. Notre Dame
21. Illinois
22. Florida State
23. Ohio State
24. Pittsburgh
25. West Virginia
2007-08 CSTV PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee
2. Maryland
3. Rutgers
4. Connecticut
5. LSU
6. Stanford
7. Cal
8. Oklahoma
9. Georgia
10. Texas A&M
11. Duke
12. Arizona State
13. North Carolina
14. Pittsburgh
15. West Virginia
16. Michigan State
17. George Washington
18. Florida State
19. Louisville
20. Georgia Tech
21. Ohio State
22. Wisconsin
23. Baylor
24. Notre Dame
25. Auburn
2007-08 STREET & SMITH’S PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee
2. Connecticut
3. Maryland
4. Rutgers
5. Oklahoma
6. North Carolina
7. Duke
8. Georgia
9. Ohio State
10. Stanford
11. George Washington
12. LSU
13. Middle Tennessee
14. Texas A&M
15. California
16. Arizona State
17. Baylor
18. Vanderbilt
19. Michigan State
20. Xavier
21. North Carolina State
22. Notre Dame
23. Florida State
24. Texas
25. Pittsburgh
2007-08 SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. Tennessee
2. Connecticut
3. Maryland
4. Rutgers
5. Oklahoma
6. North Carolina
7. Duke
8. Georgia
9. Ohio State
10. Stanford
11. George Washington
12. LSU
13. Middle Tennessee
14. Texas A&M
15. Cal
16. Arizona State
17. Baylor
18. Vanderbilt
19. Michigan State
20. Xavier
21. North Carolina State
22. Notre Dame
23. Florida State
24. Texas
25. Pittsburgh
2007-08 USA TODAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW PRESEASON SWEET 16
(listed alphabetically)
Baylor
Cal
Connecticut
Duke
George Washington
Georgia
LSU
Maryland
North Carolina
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Rutgers
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Wisconsin
