Seven-time tournament champion South Dakota State edged out Western Illinois as the favorite to claim The Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship in the annual preseason polling of head coaches, SIDs and select media.
The Jackrabbits garnered 16-of-28 first-place votes (380 points) in one of the closest preseason polls in league history.
The Fighting Leathernecks earned the remaining 12 first-place tallies and 372 points, followed by South Dakota with 307 points. Oral Roberts placed fourth with 238 points followed by North Dakota State (150 points), Denver (143 points) and Fort Wayne (60 points).
Reigning Player of the Year Emily Clemens of Western Illinois was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year. Last season’s Tournament MVP, Clemens led The Summit League in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (7.3 apg), steals (2.6 spg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.5) in 2016-17. Clemens set a new single-season Summit League record with 241 assists last season.
A trio of Jackrabbit student-athletes were named to the preseason all-league first team in Madison Guebert, Macy Miller and Ellie Thompson. Morgan Blumer joined her Fighting Leatherneck teammate Clemens on the first team, along with South Dakota’s Allison Arens.
