Women's Basketball Earns Preseason Ranking
October 17, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 17, 2005
Louisville, Ky. - The University of Louisville women's basketball team was ranked 18th in the Women's Basketball News Service preseason poll. The Cardinals are one of five teams from the BIG EAST Conference ranked in the WBNS preseason poll. Rutgers is ranked second, DePaul was ranked 11th, Connecticut was ranked 13th and Notre Dame was ranked 15th.
"It is great to receive preseason recognition," said head coach Tom Collen. "One of our goals is to be the first Louisville team to break into the Top 25. The ranking falls in line with our goal to move into the poll and prove that we are an up and coming Top 25 team. I am sure this is exciting for the players and puts our goal in sight for them but it is my job to let them know they were picked for their potential and it is up to them to deem themselves worthy of being in the Top 25."
Along with the 18th ranking the Cardinals were picked 32nd in the CBSSportsLine.com Top 64 teams. Nine BIG EAST teams were ranked in the nation's top 64 teams by the publication. Along with the BIG EAST teams Cardinal opponents are also listed among the 64 teams, Texas Tech is ranked eighth, UC Santa Barbara was ranked 50th and Western Kentucky was ranked 51st.
Junior forward Jazz Covington was named a third team preseason All-American by Lindy's Basketball. Covington was named a WBCA/Kodak Honorable Mention All-American at the end of last season. She finished her sophomore year averaging 17.8 points and 8.1 rebounds. Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter and DePaul's Khara Smith were name to the second team while Notre Dame's Megan Duffy joined Covington on the third team.
"Jazz has earned the right to be named a preseason All-American," said Collen. "And the good thing about it is she still has two years to go. She understand that players that are named a first team All-American are the players that take their teams to the next level. She recognizes that and is the type of player that knows team accomplishments are more important than individual honors. But with team accomplishments, the individual honors will come."
