LADY BULLDOGS PICKED SEVENTH IN GCAC PRESEASON POLL
Tougaloo, Miss. - After posting a 4-24 record last season, the Lady Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the 2015-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced on Thursday. The Xavier University Gold Nuggets were chosen as the favorite to win the league's regular season championship.
Last season's GCAC Freshman of the Year, Montoria Atkinson, will be the leader of the young Tougaloo team that lost All-GCAC selection ReYada Stinner to graduation. Atkinson was one of the GCAC's most dominant interior players last season, leading the conference in rebounding (10.4) and field goal percentage (.602) while compiling 15 double-doubles. Her 14.3 points per game were fifth best in the GCAC and her 1.2 blocks per game were good for third.
Atkinson was named to the Preseason All-GCAC team, along with Tajanee Wells (Talladega), Whitney Gathright (Xavier), Alena Evans (Dillard) and Rubyunnia McHenry (Philander Smith).
Tougaloo begins play Nov. 3 when they visit William Carey.
2015-16 GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) |
1. | Xavier (4) |
2. | SUNO (1) |
3. | Dillard (1) |
4. | Talladega |
5. | Philander Smith (1) |
6. | Edward Waters |
7. | Tougaloo |
2015-16 PRESEASON AWARDS
(coaches not allowed to vote for own players)
Preseason Player of the Year
Tajanee Wells, Talladega, G/F, 5-8, Jr, Columbus, Ohio
Preseason All-GCAC Team
Name | School | Pos | Ht | Cl | PPG | RPG | Hometown |
Tajanee Wells | Talladega | G/F | 5-8 | Jr | 17.4 | 7.3 | Columbus, Ohio |
Whitney Gathright | Xavier | G | 5-4 | Sr | 12.8 | 4.4 | New Orleans, La. |
Alena Evans | Dillard | F | 5-10 | Sr | 12.4 | 6.9 | Las Vegas, Nev. |
Tougaloo | F | 6-0 | So | 14.4 | 10.4 | Jackson, Miss. | |
Rubyunnia McHenry | Philander Smith | C | 6-3 | Sr | 2.7 | 9.6 | Strong, Ark. |
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school)
Kyeshia Dawkins (Edward Waters), Brittany Leonard (Philander Smith), Rayvin Miller (SUNO), Shakeena Benton (Talladega), Donyeah Mayfield (Xavier)