University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Domonique Davis and Melyia Grayson Named to Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Teams
10/17/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Lady Eagle basketball is well represented on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams, with Domonique Davis and Melyia Grayson being named to the All-Sun Belt First and Second Team, respectively. Davis was previously named as the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year last season and Grayson most recently collected All-C-USA Honorable Mention Honors.
"There are some very good players in the Sun Belt," said Lady Eagle head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. "As I was going through the players and their statistics from last season, I struggled to select only 15 players for these preseason honors. With that being said, we are very proud of Dom and Melyia."
Davis, a junior guard from DeRidder, La., joins four other SBC member institutions on the All-SBC First Team. She was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year after last season's debut in the Black & Gold in which she averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on 29 starts and 985 minutes, leading the team in PPG, APG, minutes played and starts. She also swiped 52 steals over the season.
"Dom is our leading returner in scoring and was selected last year as the C-USA Newcomer of the Year," said McNelis. "Her reputation is preceding herself. Being selected first team all-conference in a league you have never played in shows the respect the other coaches have for you. Dom competes and she knows she must improve daily to be on the first team at the end of the season."
Grayson, a sophomore from the Hub City, earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors on the heels of a 301-point performance last season. She averaged 10.8 PPG on 53.1 percent shooting. Grayson also led the team in rebounds per game with 5.8 but was third in total boards with 161. Her team-leading 37 blocks were the most for the squad by a 20-block margin.
"Melyia is our second-best returning scorer, leading rebounder and our most efficient scorer," said McNelis. "She average 19 minutes a game last season, and we have challenged her to average closer to 30 this season. She has worked on conditioning and is in very good shape. As with Dom, Melyia must win each day to be the difference maker we need on our team and in the Sun Belt."
As a team, Southern Miss was picked to finish fourth in the new Sun Belt Conference's inaugural season with 137 total points, just 57 points from first place Troy. The Lady Eagles are the second-highest ranked conference newcomer, trailing second place Old Dominion who earned 166 points and one first-place vote.
"Who really knows where we are in the Sun Belt," said Coach McNelis. "There are so many good teams in this league. We played South Alabama, ULM and Georgia State last season and were fortunate to win all three of those games. I would describe this league as fast and furious, so who knows. I'm appreciative of the respect the Sun Belt coaches have given our program, but we're reminding ourselves, it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
Davis and Coach McNelis join the rest of the Sun Belt Conference tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 18, for Sun Belt Conference Basketball Media Days. Coach McNelis and Davis will take the main stage at 1 p.m. and the conference can be viewed on ESPN+.
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Troy (12) - 194
2. Old Dominion (1) - 166
3. Louisiana - 161
4. Southern Miss - 137
5. Texas State - 135
6. James Madison - 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) - 108
8. App State - 102
9. Arkansas State - 96
10. Marshall - 91
11. Georgia State - 50
12. Coastal Carolina - 45
13. South Alabama - 38
14. ULM - 17
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Da'Nasia Hood, Texas State
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Keya Patton, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Brandi Williams, Louisiana
Janay Sanders, App State
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Lauryn Pendleton, Arkansas State
Jashanti Simmons, Troy
Faith Alston, App State
"There are some very good players in the Sun Belt," said Lady Eagle head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. "As I was going through the players and their statistics from last season, I struggled to select only 15 players for these preseason honors. With that being said, we are very proud of Dom and Melyia."
Davis, a junior guard from DeRidder, La., joins four other SBC member institutions on the All-SBC First Team. She was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year after last season's debut in the Black & Gold in which she averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on 29 starts and 985 minutes, leading the team in PPG, APG, minutes played and starts. She also swiped 52 steals over the season.
"Dom is our leading returner in scoring and was selected last year as the C-USA Newcomer of the Year," said McNelis. "Her reputation is preceding herself. Being selected first team all-conference in a league you have never played in shows the respect the other coaches have for you. Dom competes and she knows she must improve daily to be on the first team at the end of the season."
Grayson, a sophomore from the Hub City, earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors on the heels of a 301-point performance last season. She averaged 10.8 PPG on 53.1 percent shooting. Grayson also led the team in rebounds per game with 5.8 but was third in total boards with 161. Her team-leading 37 blocks were the most for the squad by a 20-block margin.
"Melyia is our second-best returning scorer, leading rebounder and our most efficient scorer," said McNelis. "She average 19 minutes a game last season, and we have challenged her to average closer to 30 this season. She has worked on conditioning and is in very good shape. As with Dom, Melyia must win each day to be the difference maker we need on our team and in the Sun Belt."
As a team, Southern Miss was picked to finish fourth in the new Sun Belt Conference's inaugural season with 137 total points, just 57 points from first place Troy. The Lady Eagles are the second-highest ranked conference newcomer, trailing second place Old Dominion who earned 166 points and one first-place vote.
"Who really knows where we are in the Sun Belt," said Coach McNelis. "There are so many good teams in this league. We played South Alabama, ULM and Georgia State last season and were fortunate to win all three of those games. I would describe this league as fast and furious, so who knows. I'm appreciative of the respect the Sun Belt coaches have given our program, but we're reminding ourselves, it's not how you start, it's how you finish."
Davis and Coach McNelis join the rest of the Sun Belt Conference tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 18, for Sun Belt Conference Basketball Media Days. Coach McNelis and Davis will take the main stage at 1 p.m. and the conference can be viewed on ESPN+.
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Troy (12) - 194
2. Old Dominion (1) - 166
3. Louisiana - 161
4. Southern Miss - 137
5. Texas State - 135
6. James Madison - 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) - 108
8. App State - 102
9. Arkansas State - 96
10. Marshall - 91
11. Georgia State - 50
12. Coastal Carolina - 45
13. South Alabama - 38
14. ULM - 17
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Da'Nasia Hood, Texas State
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Keya Patton, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Brandi Williams, Louisiana
Janay Sanders, App State
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Lauryn Pendleton, Arkansas State
Jashanti Simmons, Troy
Faith Alston, App State
Players Mentioned
Guard
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