New Orleans, La. – The 2019-20 Coastal Carolina women’s basketball team was tabbed to finish in seventh in the Sun Belt regular season as voted upon by the league’s 12 head coaches, it was announced by the conference office in New Orleans, La. today. Additionally, senior DJ Williams was selected to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Sun belt first team.
The seventh-place finish is the highest the Chants have been selected in the preseason poll since joining the Sun Belt in 2016-17.
Little Rock was voted as the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt, as the Trojans received six of the 12 first-place votes and tallied 127 points. Little Rock finished the regular season last year tied for the top spot with UTA before going on to win the conference tournament.
Troy was picked second for a second consecutive year while receiving four first-place votes and a total of 123 points. UTA and South Alabama received the final two first-place votes with the Mavericks edging the Jaguars for third with 120 points and 119 points, respectively. The Mountaineers of Appalachian State rounded out the top five in the preseason poll with 100 points. USA’s junior forward Antoinette Lewis was also chosen as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.
Georgia State (73 points) placed in sixth while Coastal (66 points) finished with a slim two-point margin over eighth-place Louisiana (64 points) for seventh-place.
Texas State (59 points), Arkansas State (44 points), Georgia Southern (26 points) and ULM (15 points) close out the remaining four spots in the conference.
Williams was selected to the All-Sun Belt first team in the 2018-19 season after leading the Chanticleers and the Sun Belt in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. Aside from ranking 58th nationally in scoring, the senior guard ranked 24th in free throw attempts and 38th nationally in free throws made. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native finished in the top 10 in conference action in rebounds (2nd – 6.7 per game), assists (4th – 3.85 per game), and steals (5th – 2.0 per game).
2019-20 Conference Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
first-place votes in parentheses
1. Little Rock (6) – 127 pts
2. Troy (4) – 123 pts
3. UTA (1) – 120 pts
4. South Alabama (1) – 119 pts
5. Appalachian State – 100 pts
6. Georgia State – 73 pts
7. Coastal Carolina – 66 pts
8. Louisiana – 64 pts
9. Texas State – 59 pts
10. Arkansas State – 44 pts
11. Georgia Southern – 26 pts
12. ULM – 15 pts
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
DJ Williams, Coastal Carolina (Senior, Guard, Moreno Valley, Calif.)
Jada Lewis, Georgia State (RS-Junior, Guard, Powder Springs, Ga.)
Kyra Collier, Little Rock (Senior, Guard, N. Little Rock, Ark.)
Savannah Jones, South Alabama (RS-Junior, Guard, Ocean Springs, Miss.)
Antoinette Lewis, South Alabama (Junior, Forward, Memphis, Tenn.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Bayley Plummer, Appalachian State (Senior, Center, Thomasville, N.C.)
Alexis Brown, Georgia Southern (Senior, Guard, Madison, Ga.)
Tori Lasker, Little Rock (Junior, Guard, Mayflower, Ark.)
Claire Chastain, UTA (Sophomore, Guard, Shawnee, Okla.)
Amber Rivers, Troy (Senior, Forward, Birmingham, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Pre Stanley, Appalachian State (Junior, Guard, Rockledge, Fla.)
Peyton Martin, Arkansas State (Junior, Forward, Pine Bluff, Ark.)
Shaforia Kines, South Alabama (Senior, Guard, Birmingham, Ala.)
Katie Ferrell, UTA (Sophomore, Forward, Plano, Texas)
Japonica James, Troy (Senior, Forward, Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year
Antoinette Lewis, South Alabama (Junior, Forward, Memphis, Tenn.)
Courtesy: Coastal Carolina Athletics
