Wednesday, October 24, 2012

XU Nuggets earn highest NAIA preseason rank since 1997

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 11th in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday. It's the Gold Nuggets' highest preseason ranking since 1997, when they were seventh.

Xavier, 26-9 in 2011-12, is in the top 25 for the 32nd consecutive time dating to January 2010. It's the Nuggets' longest top-25 streak since 34 straight polls from Jan. 13, 2003-March 8, 2005. It's their highest national ranking since Feb. 15, 2005, when they were 15th.

The Gold Nuggets will visit LSU in a 7 p.m. exhibition Nov. 1, then open the regular season at 3 p.m. on Nov. 3 against Johnson & Wales (Fla.) in XU's Convocation Center. The XU women conducted their first practice in the new facility Tuesday evening.

Five of the Nuggets' first 12 games will be against NAIA teams in the preseason top 25 — No. 5 Westminster (Utah) at home Nov. 17, No. 19 LSU-Shreveport at home Nov. 19, No. 14 Langston at home Nov. 22, No. 25 Faulkner in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery, Ala., on Dec. 29 and No. 22 Bethel (Tenn.) at home Jan. 2.

Xavier will attempt to win 20 games for the 12th consecutive season, which would extend a school record.


NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records are from 2011-12 season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Lubbock Christian (9) 28-6 280 3
2 Shawnee State 28-6 269 tie-6
3 Freed-Hardeman (2) 28-6 266 5
4 Vanguard 23-7 251 tie-13
5 Westminster (Utah) 23-9 240 15
6 Georgetown (Ky.) 24-10 236 11
7 Westmont 31-4 229 4
8 Rogers State 22-12 216 21
9 Lee (Tenn.) 30-4 209 10
10 Oklahoma City 35-1 196 1
11 Xavier 26-9 192 16
12 Biola 23-11 174 20
13 Campbellsville 20-13 171 25
14 Langston 30-4 168 tie-8
15-tie Lewis-Clark State 29-5 154 12
15-tie MidAmerica Nazarene 25-9 154 22
17 Lindsey Wilson 20-13 135 RV
18 Cumberlands 28-4 120 tie-8
19 LSU-Shreveport 25-9 116 RV
20 Avila 22-11 106 24
21 Columbia (Mo.) 24-10 101 RV
22 Bethel (Tenn.) 15-17 75 NR
23 William Woods 23-10 73 RV
24 Our Lady of the Lake 26-8 71 RV
25 Faulkner 20-10 51 NR

Others receiving votes: Loyola 37, Robert Morris (Chicago) 37, The Master's 35, Lyon 32, Cumberland 26, Talladega 25, Carroll (Mont.) 18, Oklahoma Baptist 14, San Diego Christian 8, Benedictine (Kan.) 5, Cal State San Marcos 3.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

No comments:

Post a Comment