Kansas picked to finish 10th in 2016-17 by Big 12 coaches
IRVING, Texas – Kansas women’s basketball was voted to finish 10th in 2016-17 by the Big 12 coaches as released by the conference Wednesday afternoon.
Baylor was named the preseason favorite by the league coaches, an honor that the Lady Bears have claimed four-consecutive seasons from 2009-13, tallying nine first-place votes. For the second year in a row, Texas earned the second spot on the preseason poll with 73 points, including a first-place vote, followed by Oklahoma in third place with 61 points. West Virginia was selected to finish the conference slate in fourth place with 57 points.
With 50 points, Kansas State was voted to finish Big 12 action in fifth. TCU was next at No. 6, followed by Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas.
Brandon Schneider, who has led 14 of his 18 squads to postseason play, including a 2010 National Championship at Emporia State, was named the sixth head coach in Kansas women’s basketball history in April of 2015 and guided KU to a 6-25 mark last season.
After completing the 2015-16 season with the youngest team in the Big 12, Kansas will enter this season with one of the conference’s most experienced squads. The 2016-17 Jayhawk roster will include 12 returning players, more than any other Big 12 team. Among the returners is sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich who averaged 9.5 points and 33 minutes per game, the eighth-most minutes per game in the league.
During the off season, Schneider added a trio of transfers in Lisa Blair, Sydney Umeri and Eboni Watts. After having a roster full of underclassmen in his first season at the helm of KU women’s basketball, Schneider now has one of the most experienced in the league, as Blair and Umeri are both graduate transfers having played at Ohio State and Virginia, respectively.
Additionally, the Jayhawks will see redshirt junior Jessica Washington and redshirt sophomore McKenzie Calvert return to the hardwood after sitting out last season to comply with NCAA transfer rules.
Season tickets are now on sale at just $69 for a full season of women’s basketball action in Allen Fieldhouse. Family Zone tickets are also available and include two adult and two youth tickets to every home game for only $149.
The 2016-17 season starts with two exhibition games, the first against Fort Hays State on Oct. 30 at 2 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks host 19 games at home, which include the exhibition games. KU opens the regular season on Nov. 13 against Missouri State.
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