Coaches pre-season picks-women's

[Dane Pound]

From the AE site:

 

Maine Picked First in America East Women's Basketball

BOSTON— For the second season in a row, defending America East Champion University of Maine, which has posted a 33-1 conference record over the past two season, has been picked to win the 2004 America East Championship in a vote of the conference’s head coaches. The Black Bears (25-7 overall, 17-1 in America East) received five first-place votes (coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams in the preseason voting) and 72 points.

 

Boston University, which lost to Maine 68-43 in the championship game of the 2004 Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Championship, received three first-place votes and had 71 points. University of Hartford, picked sixth in last year’s poll, moved up near the top of the pack, receiving 63 points and the other first place vote. Northeastern University, a team which was ranked eighth two years ago, and picked sixth last year, continues to move up the ranks, as they were picked to finish fourth in the poll.

 

Binghamton University (50 points), University at Albany (47), University of Vermont (35) and University of New Hampshire (29) followed. Stony Brook University and University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) received 18 and 10 points, respectively, to round out the poll.

 

Under the guidance of second-year coach Trina Patterson, Albany set records for Division I wins in a season (13), conference victories in a season (9), earned a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament and made it to the semifinals. Albany will look to add more wins to that record, as the Great Danes will return four starters, including preseason all-conference pick Danielle Hutcheson. The senior Hutcheson was Albany’s first-ever first team all-conference selection a year ago, leading the Great Danes in scoring (12.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg).

[reeder]

The women didn't get any respect from the other coaches. They return 4 of 5 starters - Sweetland is gone and her leadership will be missed, but she didn't add much offensively.

 

Hutcheson missed a few of the early games and they still had a good year overall.

 

Not sure how they cannot be a top 4 team.

[Dane Pound]

I'm not sure how Hartford, for one, was picked ahead of the Danes. Hopefully this will provide some motivation.

 

I'm curious about Schumaker at the point. She offers more in terms of shooting but it's a slow-ish backcourt with her and Ayers. May be some trouble with the quick PGs in the conference. Her scoring off the bench will be missed, one of the freshman will have to step up.