Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Picked Third In Big Ten Preseason Polls
10/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - After four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, the Michigan State women's basketball team was selected third in the preseason Big Ten Conference coaches and media polls, released by the conference office on Sunday morning.
The Spartans, who finished 2005-06 with a 24-10 overall mark and 11-5 conference record, were placed behind unanimous conference favorite Ohio State, the 2006 tournament and regular-season champions, and Purdue, who finished in second in the Big Ten Conference and made a run to the NCAA Regional Semifinals.
Michigan State, which reached the National Championship game two seasons ago, returns three starters this season in senior guards Rene Haynes (Columbus, Ohio/Wellington School) and Victoria Lucas-Perry (Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic) and sophomore forward Aisha Jefferson (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), all three of whom have earned conference accolades during their careers. Haynes was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore and Lucas-Perry earned an honorable mention nod as a junior. Jefferson was a member of the Freshman All-Big Ten team last season.
The Spartans also will add to the mix one of the strongest recruiting classes in school history, with center Allyssa DeHaan (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) and guards Takeya Fortner (Flint, Mich./Northern) and Mandy Piechowski (Utica, Mich./Shelby Township) all figuring to jump into the mix immediately. Sophomore transfer Mia Johnson (Minneapolis, Minn./Saint Louis University) will also bring a shooter's touch to the lineup after her redshirt season last year.
Penn State was slated fourth in each poll, with Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois taking the fifth, sixth and seventh slots, respectively. The media picked Indiana eighth with Minnesota, Michigan and Northwestern rounding out the poll while the coaches selected Minnesota eighth with Michigan, Indiana and Northwestern finishing out the poll. Ohio State's Jessica Davenport was both polls' pick for Preseason Player of the Year.
The Spartans open up their exhibition season at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Nov. 2 with a 7 p.m. test against 2006 NCAA Division II National Champion Grand Valley State.
