JMU women receive national poll votes after another Sun Belt favorite pick

James Madison received three points in the USA TODAY Sports preseason women’s basketball coaches poll released Tuesday, adding a small measure of national support to a much stronger conference forecast.

The Dukes remain outside the top 25. Their three points put them among the teams receiving votes, alongside Florida and Texas Tech on the same total. Within the Sun Belt, JMU drew 11 first-place votes and 189 points in Monday’s preseason coaches poll, its fourth consecutive year as the conference favorite.

Troy was second with 166 points and Arkansas State third with 165. Marshall and Louisiana Tech rounded out the top five. The gap gives JMU the clearest preseason backing in the league.

Three Dukes earn preseason honors

Bree Robinson made the All-Sun Belt first team, Zakiya Stephenson the second and Grace McDonough the third. JMU’s three honorees were the most of any program on the conference’s 15-player preseason teams.

The league selected Arkansas State guard Crislyn Rose as preseason player of the year. She averaged 4.6 assists last season and started all 37 games, giving the third-place Red Wolves an established creator as they try to catch the Dukes.

JMU finished last season 26-9 overall and 14-4 in conference play, the Sun Belt reported. The school’s preseason poll announcement also noted a No. 43 finish in the NET rankings.

November begins away from home

Sean O’Regan’s team opens November 2 at Miami (Ohio) in the MAC-SBC Challenge, then hosts Central Connecticut State on November 5. WHSV’s local coverage confirmed the trip to Oxford for the women’s opener and the Sun Belt poll results.

The early schedule then includes road games at Virginia Tech on November 8 and Virginia on November 19, according to JMU’s current athletics listing. Those trips offer tests beyond the conference before the Sun Belt schedule begins December 16.

Each Sun Belt team is scheduled to play 18 league games. The conference tournament runs March 2 through March 8 in Pensacola, Florida, with the title game on ESPNU.

Sources

• JMU: Preseason coaches-poll votes and opening dates
• Sun Belt: Women’s preseason poll and teams
• Associated Press: USA TODAY preseason coaches-poll totals
• WHSV: JMU preseason expectations