Southern Miss Picked To Finish 13th

Southern Miss Picked To Finish 13th

Michelle Poindexter

Deondra Carter

IRVING, Texas ? The Southern Miss women?s basketball team returns only five letterwinners from last year?s team, and with that in mind, the Lady Eagles have been picked to finish 13^th in the preseason poll according to league coaches.

After advancing to the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, DePaul has been selected by the 14 Conference USA women's basketball head coaches to win the 2004-05 regular season title. The Blue Demons' Khara Smith, who led her squad in scoring (20.4 ppg) and rebounding (11.7 rpg), also has been selected by the coaches as the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year.

Joining Khara Smith on the preseason All-Conference team is teammate Charlene Smith, who ranked in the Top-20 of C-USA in field goal percentage, steals and scoring last season. The 5-8 senior needs only 11 points to reach 1,000 career collegiate points.

A pair of sophomores, Jessica Dickson of USF and Louisville's Jazz Covington, look to build on their impressive rookie seasons. Covington, who earned Freshman All-America honors last season, finished her first season with the Cardinals as one of the top rookies in Louisville's school history, ranking behind former Cardinal Gwen Doyle in scoring and rebounding with 482 points and 347 rebounds last season. While earning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, Dickson became the Bulls' leading scorer (18.6 ppg), while also ranking second on the team in rebounds (6.1 rpg). Dickson finished the season ranked third in the league in scoring just behind Smith and former C-USA standout, Chandi Jones of Houston. Her 540 points last-season was a new record for C-USA freshmen.

TCU finished second in the preseason coaches' poll. The Horned Frogs received the preseason honor during the 2003-04 season and advanced to second round of the NCAA Tournament, before falling to No. 15 Georgia. The Horned Frogs, who must replace three starters from last season, will be led by senior forward and preseason All-Conference selection Sandora Irvin. Irvin returns as TCU's leading scorer (16.8 ppg) as well as its all-time leading rebounder and shot blocker. She finished the season ranked No. 3 in the country in rebounds and blocked shots.

Houston rounded the third spot in the poll, while Louisville and Marquette tied for fourth. Playing in her final collegiate season, Sancho Lyttle returns as the Cougars' top offensive and defensive threat. Lyttle, one of three 2005 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason candidates, earned second-team all C-USA honors last season, ranking eighth in the league in scoring (16.5 and fourth in rebounding (9.3).

The complete preseason poll and All-Conference Team to follow:

2004-05 Preseason Awards
(as selected by the league's head coaches)

Preseason All-Conference Team
JAZZ COVINGTON, LOUISVILLE
So., F, 6-2, Adel, Ga./Cook

JESSICA DICKSON, USF
So., F, 5-11, Ocala, Fla./Vanguard

SANDORA IRVIN, TCU
Sr., F, 6-4, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Ft. Lauderdale

SANCHO LYTTLE, HOUSTON
Sr., F/C, 6-4, St. Vincent, British West Indies/Clarendon JC

CHARLENE SMITH, DE PAUL
Sr., G/F, 5-8, Bellwood, Ill./UW-Milwaukee

KHARA SMITH, DE PAUL
Jr., F, 6-2, Hillside, Ill./Proviso West

Preseason Player of the Year
KHARA SMITH, DE PAUL

2004-05 Preseason Poll (1st place votes)
1. DePaul (11)
2. TCU (2)
3. Houston (1)
4. Louisville
Marquette
6. Charlotte
7. Memphis
8. USF
9. Cincinnati
10. East Carolina
11. Tulane
12. UAB
13. Southern Miss
14. Saint Louis

Southern Miss Picked To Finish 13th

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