UT MARTIN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TABBED AS PRESEASON FAVORITES IN MEDIA POLL
11/17/2020 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - For the seventh year in a row the Ohio Valley Conference has conducted a Preseason Women's Media Poll prior to the start of the season. In total 12 voters from around the league cast a ballot on whom they thought would be the 2020-21 basketball favorites and preseason players of the year.
The media panel picked the University of Tennessee at Martin as the favorite in the women's race. In addition to the poll, voters tabbed Skyhawk senior forward Chelsey Perry as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. Earlier the month, the OVC coaches and communications directors' poll was released and had the exact same favorite and preseason player of the year.
UT Martin received 10 of the 13 first-place votes to tally 149 points and top the poll. Belmont was second with one first-place vote and 137 points while Southeast Missouri earned two first-place votes and 132 points in being picked third. Tennessee Tech was fourth (114) and followed by Eastern Illinois (105), Austin Peay (85), Murray State (80), Jacksonville State (76), Morehead State (48), Eastern Kentucky (43), Tennessee State (24) and SIUE (21).
The Skyhawks are coming off a 22-10 season in which the squad won a regular season championship while earning a berth to the Women's NIT before its cancelation. UT Martin returns 13 players from last year's team including a pair of All-OVC first team honorees in senior forwards Perry and Maddie Waldrop. As a whole, the Skyhawks return 81.5 percent of its offensive production from a season ago.
Individually, Perry added yet another preseason honor to her growing list of accolades. To date, Perry has been tabbed OVC Preseason Player of the Year twice by league polling along with earning spots on prestigious watch lists for the Women's Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy, Katrina McClain Award and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. She ranked first nationally in field goals made (286), second in total points (740) and third in points per game (23.1) last season.
Pollsters for the 2020-21 OVC Media Poll included: Mike Bradd, Eastern Illinois Radio; Neal Bradley, Murray State Radio; Rob Calhoun, Eastern Illinois Radio; Wes Chandler, Eastern Kentucky Sports Network; Michael Dann, Harrisburg Daily Register; Edward Marlowe, Paducah Sun; Mike Organ, The Tennessean; Mike Parris, Jacksonville State Radio; Brian Rives, Governors Sports Network; Jeremy Rose, Murray State Radio; Harry Schroeder, ValleyHoopsInsider.com; Greg Stotelmyer, Eastern Kentucky Sports Network; and Rich Tiner, Belmont Radio Network.
2020-21 Media OVC Preseason Women's Predicted Order of Finish
1. UT Martin (10 first-place votes) - 149 points
2. Belmont (1) – 137
3. Southeast Missouri (2) – 132
4. Tennessee Tech – 114
5. Eastern Illinois – 105
6. Austin Peay – 85
7. Murray State – 80
8. Jacksonville State – 76
9. Morehead State – 48
10. Eastern Kentucky – 43
11. Tennessee State – 24
12. SIUE - 21
Preseason Player of the Year: Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
The media panel picked the University of Tennessee at Martin as the favorite in the women's race. In addition to the poll, voters tabbed Skyhawk senior forward Chelsey Perry as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year. Earlier the month, the OVC coaches and communications directors' poll was released and had the exact same favorite and preseason player of the year.
UT Martin received 10 of the 13 first-place votes to tally 149 points and top the poll. Belmont was second with one first-place vote and 137 points while Southeast Missouri earned two first-place votes and 132 points in being picked third. Tennessee Tech was fourth (114) and followed by Eastern Illinois (105), Austin Peay (85), Murray State (80), Jacksonville State (76), Morehead State (48), Eastern Kentucky (43), Tennessee State (24) and SIUE (21).
The Skyhawks are coming off a 22-10 season in which the squad won a regular season championship while earning a berth to the Women's NIT before its cancelation. UT Martin returns 13 players from last year's team including a pair of All-OVC first team honorees in senior forwards Perry and Maddie Waldrop. As a whole, the Skyhawks return 81.5 percent of its offensive production from a season ago.
Individually, Perry added yet another preseason honor to her growing list of accolades. To date, Perry has been tabbed OVC Preseason Player of the Year twice by league polling along with earning spots on prestigious watch lists for the Women's Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy, Katrina McClain Award and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. She ranked first nationally in field goals made (286), second in total points (740) and third in points per game (23.1) last season.
Pollsters for the 2020-21 OVC Media Poll included: Mike Bradd, Eastern Illinois Radio; Neal Bradley, Murray State Radio; Rob Calhoun, Eastern Illinois Radio; Wes Chandler, Eastern Kentucky Sports Network; Michael Dann, Harrisburg Daily Register; Edward Marlowe, Paducah Sun; Mike Organ, The Tennessean; Mike Parris, Jacksonville State Radio; Brian Rives, Governors Sports Network; Jeremy Rose, Murray State Radio; Harry Schroeder, ValleyHoopsInsider.com; Greg Stotelmyer, Eastern Kentucky Sports Network; and Rich Tiner, Belmont Radio Network.
2020-21 Media OVC Preseason Women's Predicted Order of Finish
1. UT Martin (10 first-place votes) - 149 points
2. Belmont (1) – 137
3. Southeast Missouri (2) – 132
4. Tennessee Tech – 114
5. Eastern Illinois – 105
6. Austin Peay – 85
7. Murray State – 80
8. Jacksonville State – 76
9. Morehead State – 48
10. Eastern Kentucky – 43
11. Tennessee State – 24
12. SIUE - 21
Preseason Player of the Year: Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
Players Mentioned
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