October 17, 2006
The Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball team has been picked to finish a school-best second in the 2006-07 Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll released Tuesday in a vote by the league?â„¢s head coaches.
The preseason prediction is the highest ever for the Aggies since the league?â„¢s inception in 1997. Prior to being picked seventh in last year?â„¢s poll, the league?â„¢s coaches had never tabbed A&M above No. 10.
?It's nice to be considered so highly by your coaching colleagues in the Big 12,? said Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair, who enters his fourth season at A&M. ?I give a lot of credit to the teams that have been there and done it before. We are still feeling our way through it all, but we have enough talent this season to back it all up as long as we play as a team. Right now, it?â„¢s not hard to say who?â„¢s No. 1 in our league, but choosing No. 2 through No. 7 is a toss of a coin and will be played out during the regular season.?
In just three seasons at A&M, Blair and his coaching staff have guided the Aggies to the second-best two-year turnaround in Big 12 history for a team with a sub .500 record from the previous year. A&M posted a 4-12 record in 2005 and followed up with an 11-5 record in 2006 (+7 wins). Blair also led the Aggies to only their third all-time NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005-06 and first trip to the Big Dance since 1996.
Last season, the Aggies tallied the third-most wins in school history with a 23-9 record and matched their most victories ever in conference play (11). It marked the most wins for the Aggies in the Big 12 era. The record propelled the team from a seventh-place selection in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, to a program-best third-place finish at the end of the 2005-06 campaign.
?Our program needed a shot in the arm with all of the national media attention we have received in the preseason polls,? said Blair, whose team is ranked as high as No. 9 in two national polls leading up to the start of the 2006-07 season. ?It inspires our team in practice every day to live up to those expectations. For once, I?â„¢d rather be ranked in the top four of our league, then having to be the Cinderella team that has to play up instead of live up (to expectations).?
Defending conference champion Oklahoma received all 11 possible first-place votes for a total of 121 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. A&M received the other remaining first-place vote with a total of 107 points followed by rival Texas (101), Baylor (94), Iowa State (68), Nebraska (66), Kansas State (57), Texas Tech (57), Missouri (43), Kansas (36), Colorado (26) and Oklahoma State (16).
2006-07 BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN?â„¢S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Oklahoma (11) 121
2. Texas A&M (1) 107
3. Texas 101
4. Baylor 94
5. Iowa State 68
6. Nebraska 66
7. Kansas State 57
7. Texas Tech 57
9. Missouri 43
10. Kansas 36
11. Colorado 26
12. Oklahoma State 16
(first place votes in parentheses, coaches not allowed to vote for their own team)