Last year's leading scorer in women's SIAC basketball, Ashley Watts, is back and heads the SIAC's preseason All-Conference women's basketball squad.
The preseason honors for both the mens and womens basketball squads, along with the predicted order of finish for both was announced Tuesday during the SIAC Mens and Womens Basketball Media Day in Birmingham.
Watts was chosen by league coaches as the preseason SIAC Offensive Player of the Year after leading Division II in scoring last year with 26.5 points a game. Watts led Paine, the conference's highest scoring offense, in scoring 24 of their 28 games and scored 30 or more points in 11 games.
Artisa Holston of Albany State was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after a season where she led the Golden Rams in scoring and rebounding, as well as swiping 39 steals and blocking 14 shots. She led Albany State to the SIAC title and an NCAA tournament berth for the 21-7 team.
On the mens side, Stillman's Markeith Madison was named preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Kendall Jackson of Claflin was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Madison led Stillman, the SIAC's highest scoring team last season, in scoring with 16.7 points a game and 7.5 rebounds a game. He was the fifth best scorer in the SIAC last season.
Jackson blocked 25 shots and had 21 steals last year for Claflin while also averaging 11 points a game. He was a 49 percent 3-point shooter last season.
League coaches picked Benedict (East Divsion) and Kentucky State (West) to finish first this season in the mens race. On the women's side, they chose Albany State to repeat in the East and Tuskegee to win another West title.
Her are the complete womens and mens Preseason All Conference Teams and predicted orders of finish:
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ashley Watts (Paine)
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Artisha Holston (Albany State)
WOMEN'S PRESEASON TEAM
Artisha Holston (Albany State) *
Uniqua Mitchell (Claflin) *
Crystal Rayford (Lane) *
Shayla Moore (Kentucky State) *
Brieona Warner (Kentucky State) *
Ashley Watts (Paine) *
Angel Mitchell (Stillman) *
Keidra Green (Albany State)
Shakeima Ravenell (Claflin)
Chelsea Azore (Tuskegee)
Brittnee Hazel (Fort Valley State)
Tiffany Martin (Lane)
Karahn Scott (Claflin)
Jaquanna Davis (Claflin)
Denissea Law (Clark Atlanta)
*Denotes returning players who were selcted as a result of earning post season honors for 2013-14
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
WESTERN DIVISION
Team (First-Place Votes)
1. Tuskegee - 35 (6)
2. Kentucky State - 29 (1)
3. Stillman - 26
T4. Spring Hill - 17
T4. LeMoyne-Owen - 17
6. Miles - 16
7. Lane - 7
EASTERN DIVISION
Team (First-Place Votes)
1. Albany State - 20 (5)
2. Benedict - 17 (1)
3. Paine - 12
4. Claflin - 11
5. Fort Valley State - 9
6. Clark Atlanta - 6
MENS PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Markeith Madison (Stillman)
MENS PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kendall Jackson (Claflin)
PRESEASON TEAM
MEN
Jerry Hampton (LeMoyne-Owen) *
Kendric Taylor (Paine) *
Markeith Madison (Stillman) *
Ulysses Thomas III (Kentucky State)
Larry Bullock (Albany State)
Austin Anderson (Morehouse)
Kendall Jackson (Claflin)
Quentin Henderson (Kentucky State)
Bryant Hill (Lane)
Andrew Crawford (Benedict)
Alfonso Davis (Paine)
Ralph Wilson (Fort Valley State)
Maurice Crenshaw (Stillman)
Marcel Hawkins (LeMoyne-Owen)
Brennan Reynard (Benedict)
*Denotes players who were auotmatically selected to preseason team as a result of earning 2013-14 postseason honors.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
EAST DIVISION
1. Benedict - 29 (2)
2. Clark Atlanta - 25 (2)
3. Morehouse - 24
4. Albany State - 22 (2)
T5. Paine - 17 (1)
T6. Fort Valley State - 17
7. Claflin - 13
WEST DIVISION
Team (First Place Votes)
1. Kentucky State - 36 (6)
T2. LeMoyne-Owen - 20
T2. Tuskegee - 20
4. Stillman - 19
T5.Miles - 18
T5. Spring Hill - 18
7. Lane - 16
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