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LITTLETON, Colo. - The Mountain West Conference announced its 2007-08 preseason women's basketball poll and all-conference team today at its Basketball Media Day held at The Mtn. Studios in Littleton, Colo. The voting panel consisted of the league's nine head coaches and select women's basketball media.
Wyoming was tabbed as the preseason favorite for the first time in MWC history after winning the WNIT Championship and finishing tied for second place in last year's regular-season standings. Wyoming received 24-of-30 first-place votes and 203 total points. TCU had two first-place votes and finished second with 188 points, followed by BYU with one first-place vote and 182 points. New Mexico (174 points) placed fourth and earned three first-place votes, followed by Utah (158 points), UNLV (109 points), San Diego State (93 points), Colorado State (53 points) and Air Force (37 points).
Last year's MWC Co-Player of the Year, TCU senior guard Adrianne Ross, earned Top Returning Player honors, while Leilani Mitchell of Utah was named Top Newcomer and San Diego State's Paris Johnson was tabbed Top Freshman. Five of the nine MWC teams were represented on the all-conference team, including four seniors and one junior. Ross is a two-time all-MWC selection, including a first-team pick last season. Ross is joined on the preseason all-MWC team by New Mexico's Dionne Marsh, Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz, Utah's Morgan Warburton and Mallary Gillespie-Carling of BYU.
2007-08 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
Rank Team (First Place Votes) Points 1. Wyoming (24) 203 2. TCU (2) 188 3. BYU (1) 182 4. New Mexico (3) 174 5. Utah 158 6. UNLV 109 7. San Diego State 93 8. Colorado State 53 9. Air Force 37 Note: Coaches do not vote for their own teams.
2007-08 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Name Class Position Institution Adrianne Ross Sr. G TCU Dionne Marsh Sr. F New Mexico Hanna Zavecz Sr. F Wyoming Morgan Warburton Jr. G Utah Mallary Gillespie-Carling Sr. G BYU
Top Returning Player Adrianne Ross, Sr., G, TCU
Top Newcomer Leilani Mitchell, Sr., G, Utah
Top Freshman Paris Johnson, Fr., C, San Diego State
PRESEASON ALL-MWC TEAM PLAYER PROFILES
Adrianne Ross, Sr., G, TCU
Named MWC Co-Player of the Year in 2006-07...Led the conference in scoring (17.3 ppg) and steals (2.91 spg)...Named Kodak/WBCA and AP honorable mention All-America...Ranked 18th in the country for her steals average...Scored in double-digits 28 times last year, including a career-high 26 points vs. Colorado State on Jan. 6...Set a league and school record with 10 steals at UNLV on Feb. 3, 2007...Led TCU to its seventh consecutive NCAA appearance in 2007. Dionne Marsh, Sr., F, New Mexico
Named to the all-MWC team each of her three years at New Mexico...Named the 2007 MWC Tournament MVP after leading the Lobos to their fourth tournament title...Was also named the 2005 MWC Tournament MVP...Was fourth in the MWC for scoring at 14.7 ppg and first on the team in rebounding at 6.3 rpg last season....Set the all-time Lobo and MWC career record for free-throw attempts and makes with 648 and 459, respectively... Last season, hit the 1,000 point and 500 rebound mark to become just the 12th Lobo to reach that milestone...Second-fastest player in MWC history to reach 1,000 points (69 games).
Hanna Zavecz, Sr., F, Wyoming
Earned all-MWC first-team honors as a sophomore and a junior...Led Wyoming to the WNIT Championship title and the most wins in Cowgirl history last year...Named the WNIT Championship MVP...Also named Kodak/WBCA honorable mention All-America...Led Wyoming in points (13.9 ppg), assists (3.83 apg), steals (1.69 spg) and blocks (1.40 bpg)...Recorded double-figures in scoring 27 times in 2006-07...Scored a career-high 28 points against Kansas State in the WNIT on March 28, 2007.
Morgan Warburton, Jr., G, Utah
Named first-team all-MWC as a sophomore...Second in the league in scoring and first on the team, averaging 15.8 ppg...Ninth in the country in 2006-07 in free-throw percentage at 88.2 percent (135-153)...Led Utah in assists at 3.12 apg, and 3-point field-goals per game at 1.55 pg... Scored in double-figures in 29 of 33 games last season...Set personal career highs in points (26), rebounds (10), assists (7) and steals (4) in 2006-07.
Mallary Gillespie-Carling, Sr., G, BYU
Leading scorer for BYU, averaging 13.6 ppg in 2006-07...Led BYU to the 2007 MWC regular-season title...Named all-MWC second-team last year, while also being named to the championship all-tournament team...Ranked third in the MWC last season for 3-point field-goals made (2.3 pg)...Broke the 1,000 point barrier against Louisville in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
