Boston College Athletics
Women's Basketball Picked Third In Big East Preseason Poll
October 24, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 24, 2002
NEWARK, N.J. - The Boston College women's basketball team finished third in the 2002-03 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, while senior Brianne Stepherson (Middleton, Mass.) was voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team, the conference office announced today. This latest honor comes on the heels of Stepherson's being named one of the 30 preseason candidates for the 2002-03 Naismith College Women's Basketball Player of the Year award.
The Eagles, who finished third in the BIG EAST last year and made the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years, received 143 votes in the poll, which is determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Defending national champion Connecticut and Notre Dame, the 2001 national champion, finished in a tie for first. The Huskies and Fighting Irish each garnered 163 votes and seven first-place votes. Rounding out the top five were Villanova (128 votes) and Virginia Tech (110 votes).
Stepherson, a 5-8 guard, was selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season after averaging 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Joining her on the preseason second team are Georgetown's Rebekkah Brunson, West Virginia's Kate Bulger, Syracuse's Julie McBride and Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter.
The Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team consists of Miami's Chanivia Broussard, Villanova's Trish Juhline, Virginia Tech's Ieva Kublina, Notre Dame's Alicia Ratay and Connecticut's Diana Taurasi, the only unanimous selection. Taurasi also was named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, while Connecticut's Ann Strother was selected Preseason Rookie of the Year.
Boston College's season gets underway Sunday, Nov. 24, when it plays host to Siena at 2 p.m.
2002-03 BIG EAST Coaches' Preseason Poll
1t. Connecticut (7) 161
Notre Dame (7) 161
3. Boston College 143
4. Villanova 128
5. Virginia Tech 110
6. Rutgers 107
7. Miami 104
8. West Virginia 81
9t. Seton Hall 69
Syracuse 69
11. Georgetown 64
12. Providence 33
13. Pittsburgh 29
14. St. John's 15
() - First-place votes in parentheses
2002-03 Preseason Player of the Year:
Diana Taurasi, Jr., G/F, 6-0, Connecticut (Chino, Calif./Don Lugo HS)
2002-03 Preseason Rookie of the Year:
Ann Strother, Fr., G, 6-2, Connecticut (Castle Rock, Colo./Highlands Ranch HS)
Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Jacqueline Batteast, So., F, 6-2, Notre Dame
Chanivia Broussard, Jr., F, 6-0, Miami
Trish Juhline, Sr., G, 5-10, Villanova
Ieva Kublina, Jr., F/C, 6-4, Virginia Tech
Alicia Ratay, Sr., G, 6-0, Notre Dame
*Diana Taurasi, Jr., G, 6-0, Connecticut
Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team
Rebekkah Brunson, Jr., F, 6-2, Georgetown
Kate Bulger, Jr., G, 5-11, West Virginia
Julie McBride, Jr., G, 5-4, Syracuse
Cappie Pondexter, So., G, 5-9, Rutgers
Brianne Stepherson, Sr., G, 5-8, Boston College
* - unanimous selection
