USC AIKEN RANKED 21st IN PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL
LADY PACERS RETURN TO NATIONAL RANKINGS FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS

AIKEN, S.C.-- The USC Aiken women’s basketball team, coming off a 20-win season an a Peach Belt Conference North Division title, has garnered some national attention heading into the 2007-08 season.  The Lady Pacers are ranked 21st in the Women’s Division II Bulletin preseason Top 25 poll, the program’s first national ranking in nearly five years.  (PHOTO BY: Shawn Knox)

“The ranking is great for our players, program, and University,” said USCA head coach Mike Brandt, entering his sixth season.  “It shows that other people in the basketball world respect us for the level we are at.  Our goal, of course, is to use the ranking as motivation and to continue to climb up the poll.  On the other side, it also puts a target on you as your opponents want to take advantage of the opportunity to beat a ranked team.  They will bring their best at us each night.” 

The last time USC Aiken appeared in a national poll was December 12, 2002 when they were 20th.  The Lady Pacers dropped out the following week, ending a string of 16-straight polls appeared in dating back to 2001.

North Dakota returns three starters from last year’s Elite Eight club that went 32-4 and is the preseason number one team in their final year of Division II competition.  Southern Connecticut State, the 2006-07 defending champion, is tabbed second followed by Emporia State, West Texas A&M, and Drury. 

USC Aiken (20-9, 11-5 PBC) won eight of their final nine regular season games and advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament semifinals in 2006-07 for their most successful season in five years.  Picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll, the Lady Pacers surprised critics with a young, but talented team that won 20 games and captured the program’s third PBC North Division Title, but first since 2001-02. 

With an 11-5 conference mark, USC Aiken finished second outright in the overall standings, just one game back of regular season champion Clayton State.  In their only match-up, however, the Lady Pacers shocked the 15th-ranked Lakers with a 68-64 win in Morrow, Ga.  It was the only home loss to a conference opponent suffered by the eventual Division II Final Four team all year. 

For the 2007-08 campaign, Brandt returns three starters and six of his top seven scorers from last year.  Led by seniors Avonte Williams (9.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Jordon Thomas (8.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), the Lady Pacers feature the return of junior Meredith Legg (11.3 ppg), who finished third in Division II in three-point shooting last year at 47.5 percent.  Also, the addition of Morgan Johnson will be key.  The 6-0 post player transferred from Presbyterian after earning Second-Team South Atlantic All-Conference honors. 

The other major national poll, the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Top 25 poll, has not yet released its preseason rankings. 

USC Aiken is scheduled to open the season in the brand new 3,500-seat Convocation Center on Tuesday, November 20 when the Lady Pacers host Catawba College at 7:30 PM. 

Women’s Division II Bulletin
Preseason Top 25 Women’s Basketball Poll
October 17, 2007
1. North Dakota
2. Southern Connecticut State
3. Emporia State
4. West Texas A&M
5. Drury
6. Bentley
7. Delta State
8. Washburn
9. Alaska-Anchorage
10. Shaw
11. Indiana (Pa.)
12. Clayton State
13. Valdosta State
14. UC San Diego
15. Gannon
16. Newberry
17. Florida Tech
18. Concord
19. Northern Kentucky
20. Texas A&M-Commerce
21. USC Aiken
22. Rollins
23. California (Pa.)
24. Grand Valley State
25. Chico State