The Bobcats were predicted to finish ninth in the Sun Belt this season in this year’s Coaches’ Poll, the conference announced on Wednesday.
Texas State received received 59 points in the poll. Little Rock was picked to win the league title with 127 points and six first-place votes, followed by Troy with 123 points and four first-place votes, and UT Arlington with 120 points and one first-place vote.
South Alabama junior post Antoinette Lewis was voted Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year. No Bobcats were voted to any of the All-Sun Belt teams. The Jaguars saw the most players named to the preseason teams with Lewis and redshirt junior guard Savannah Jones both being selected to the First Team and senior guard Shaforia Kines joining the Third Team.
Texas State head coach Zenarae Antoine said at the team’s Media Day on Wednesday she was displeased senior guard Brooke Holle, who averaged 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a junior, was left off the list.
The Bobcats finished last season with a 14-17 record, going 9-9 in conference play. The team’s season came to an end on March 13 when the maroon and gold fell to South Alabama, 68-67, in the second round of the Sun Belt tournament in New Orleans.
Texas State will return eight players from last season’s roster and welcome five newcomers. The Bobcats begin the season on Nov. 5, taking on Texas Lutheran inside Strahan Arena at 5:30 p.m.
2019-20 Sun Belt Women's Basketball Preseason Honors
2019-20 Conference Women's Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Little Rock (6) - 127 pts
2. Troy (4) - 123 pts
3. UTA (1) - 120 pts
4. South Alabama (1) - 119 pts
5. Appalachian State - 100 pts
6. Georgia State - 73 pts
7. Coastal Carolina - 66 pts
8. Louisiana - 64 pts
9. Texas State - 59 pts
10. Arkansas State - 44 pts
11. Georgia Southern - 26 pts
12. ULM - 15 pts
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
DJ Williams, Coastal Carolina (Senior, Guard, Moreno Valley, Calif.)
Jada Lewis, Georgia State (RS-Junior, Guard, Power Springs, Ga.)
Kyra Collier, Little Rock (Senior, Guard, N. Little Rock, Ark.)
Savannah Jones, South Alabama (RS-Junior, Guard, Ocean Springs, Miss.)
Antoinette Lewis, South Alabama (Junior, Forward, Memphis, Tenn.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Bayley Plummer, Appalachian State (Senior, Center, Thomasville, N.C.)
Alexis Brown, Georgia Southern (Senior, Guard, Madison, Ga.)
Tori Lasker, Little Rock (Junior, Guard, Mayflower, Ark.)
Claire Chastain, UTA (Sophomore, Guard, Shawnee, Okla.)
Amber Rivers, Troy (Senior, Forward, Birmingham, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Pre Stanley, Appalachian State (Junior, Guard, Rockledge, Fla.)
Peyton Martin, Arkansas State (Junior, Forward, Pine Bluff, Ark.)
Shaforia Kines, South Alabama (Senior, Guard, Birmingham, Ala.)
Katie Ferrell, UTA (Sophomore, Forward, Plano, Texas)
Japonica James, Troy (Senior, Forward, Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year
Antoinette Lewis, South Alabama (Junior, Forward, Memphis, Tenn.)
