September 15, 2006
Preseason billing continues for the Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball team as the Aggies were selected No. 24 in a preseason top 25 poll released by Athlon Sports.
A&M was one-of-three Big 12 Conference schools appearing on the preseason list including No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 10 Baylor.
Last week, the Aggies were picked No. 15 by Lindy?â„¢s Basketball Annual, marking the program?â„¢s first-ever preseason national ranking and highest national ranking in its 31-year history.
Just a year ago, A&M returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 and compiled a 23-9 overall record and a program-best third-place finish in the Big 12.
The Aggies return their starting five including All-Big 12 first teamer Morenike Atunrase, All-Big 12 honorable mention selection A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin, Big 12 All-Rookie Team member Takia Starks, Patrice Reado and La Toya Micheaux.
Last season, A&M finished No. 20 nationally in the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll. They were ranked in the AP Poll for the final six weeks of the season.
Not only has the women?â„¢s basketball team received top 25 billing in the preseason, the Aggie men were picked No. 14 by Lindy?â„¢s Basketball Annual earlier this week.
This marks the first time in school history that both programs have been on the preseason radar simultaneously.
?This whole summer people have talked about men?â„¢s and women?â„¢s basketball,? Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair said. ?What Coach Gillispie has done and what we have done here in a short period of time ?- I think this place is ready to explode on basketball. It is very similar to what Connecticut did back in the early 90s. When you think of Connecticut, you don?â„¢t just think of ESPN, you think of UConn Basketball. We are starting to get that done here in College Station and putting Texas A&M Basketball on the national map.?
A&M is one of only six schools to have both of its men?â„¢s and women?â„¢s teams in the preseason polls along with North Carolina, Ohio State, UCLA, LSU and Duke.
2006-07 ATHLON SPORTS PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
1. North Carolina
2. Maryland
3. Oklahoma
4. Stanford
5. Ohio State
6. Duke
7. Tennessee
8. Georgia
9. LSU
10. Baylor
11. Arizona State
12. Vanderbilt
13. Connecticut
14. Kentucky
15. UCLA
16. Purdue
17. BYU
18. Rutgers
19. California
20. Bowling Green
21. DePaul
22. North Carolina State
23. Louisiana Tech
24. Texas A&M
25. Western Kentucky