WBCA NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll
ALLENDALE, Mich.—The Grand Valley State women's basketball team ended last season ranked eighth in the nation after a torrid postseason run which ended in the NCAA Division II Final Four. On Tuesday, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association released the Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll for Division II, with GVSU coming in at the 13
th spot ahead of the 2016-17 season. The Lakers received a total of 297 points in the poll, which is comprised of the head coaches from 24 institutions, one from each conference.
Despite being one of the Final Four teams, the Lakers find themselves five spots back of their final ranking from the 2015-16 season, and have familiar company around them in the rankings. In all, three of the four teams from last season's Final Four are ranked 10
th or lower, including Alaska-Anchorage, who bested the Lakers in the Final Four and is ranked 10th, and Lubbock Christian, who defeated Alaska Anchorage for the national championship and finds itself ranked just two spots ahead of GVSU at 11
th. Pittsburg State, who GVSU dispatched in the Elite Eight, was ranked one spot ahead of Grand Valley State at 12
th. The lone Final Four team to find itself in a ranking close to last season's final ranking is Bentley, who was picked to the top spot in Tuesday's poll with a total of 570 points.
The Lakers are positioned to be an even better squad in 2016-17, returning their entire starting lineup from last season as seniors in this years campaign, as well as adding much-needed depth and size to their roster. In the recent GLIAC Preseason Poll, the Lakers were picked to win the GLIAC's North Division and challenge 2015-16 GLIAC Tournament Champion Ashland for the top spot in conference play. The Eagles were picked fifth in Tuesday's WBCA poll, garnering one first place vote on the way to 453 points in total.
Grand Valley State will play an exhibition against Division I Dayton on Sunday, November 6
th before hosting the 2016-17 GLIAC/GLVC Challenge, playing Quincy at home on November 12
th and Truman State at home on November 13
th.
The top 15 of the poll can be viewed below. To view the entire poll, click
here.
Rank School Points 1st place votes
1. Bentley 570 12
2. California Baptist 517 2
3. West Texas A&M 481 2
4. Emporia State 479 3
5. Ashland 453 1
6. Florida Southern 427 0
7. Limestone 414 1
8. California (PA) 389 0
9. Bellarmine 380 1
10. Alaska-Anchorage 373 0
11. Lubbock Christian 371 2
12. Pittsburg State 351 0
13. Grand Valley State 297 0
14. Virginia Union 269 0
15. Benedict 212 0
