OGDEN, Utah—The Big Sky Conference announced its preseason women's basketball preseason polls and All-Conference team on Friday.
The Vandals were picked fourth by the conference media and fifth by the coaches. Idaho garnered 127 points in the media poll. The team received 82 points in the coaches' poll, one shy Montana State in fourth.
"The preseason polls are fun for the fans but are not something we think a lot about," head coach
Jon Newlee commented. "I am excited about this year's team and the potential we have shown in the first week of practice. We have a long way to go but if we continue to put in the great effort and attitude I have seen every day, we will have a chance to compete for a Big Sky Championship."
Idaho finished 2017 as the fifth seed in the Big Sky Tournament. The Vandals accepted a bid to play in the WBI, marking the team's fifth postseason trip in the last seven seasons. The Vandals strung together a pair of postseason wins to advance to the tournament semifinals.
Junior
Mikayla Ferenz was Idaho's lone selection to the preseason All-Conference team. She was a First-Team All-Big Sky selection at the end of last season. Ferenz led the Big Sky last with 18.5 points per game. She ranked 25th in the NCAA a year ago with 91 3-pointers.
The Walla Walla, Wash., native, scored a school-record 41 points at Northern Arizona, tying a program record with nine 3-pointers. She had 30 games last season with double-figure points, including 14 games with 20 or more. Ferenz led the team in scoring 17 times last season and was conference player of the week twice.
Northern Colorado was selected first in both polls. The Bears received 115 points and nine first-place votes in the coaches' poll. The Bears received eight first-place votes and 176 total points in the media poll.
Eastern Washington's Delany Hodgins was voted preseason MVP, joining Savana Smith (UNC), Ashley Bolston (PSU) and Lexi Klabo (UND) on the preseason list.
After the ballots were passed out and prior to the final count, Montana's Kayleigh Valley sustained a season-ending injury. Because of this, the conference decided to hold a re-vote for preseason MVP, an award Valley would have been awarded. After the re-vote, Hodgins earned preseason MVP.
Idaho will host its only exhibition of the season on Nov. 5 against Lewis-Clark State. The team will open the season Nov. 10 on the road at Colorado State.
Coaches' Poll Media Poll
| Place |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1 |
Northern Colorado |
115 (9) |
| 2 |
North Dakota |
100 (1) |
| 3 |
Montana |
89 (2) |
| 4 |
Montana State |
83 |
| 5 |
Idaho |
82 |
| 6 |
Portland State |
75 |
| 7 |
Eastern Washington |
73 |
| 8 |
Idaho State |
63 |
| 9 |
Sacramento State |
37 |
| 10 |
Weber State |
34 |
| 11 |
Northern Arizona |
24 |
| 12 |
Southern Utah |
17 |
| Place |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1 |
Northern Colorado |
176 (8) |
| 2 |
North Dakota |
156 (2) |
| 3 |
Montana State |
144 (3) |
| 4 |
Idaho |
127 |
| 5 |
Montana |
120 (2) |
| 6 |
Eastern Washington |
118 |
| 7 |
Idaho State |
116 |
| 8 |
Portland State |
110 (1) |
| 9 |
Weber State |
66 |
| 10 |
Sacramento State |
61 |
| 11 |
Northern Arizona |
34 |
| 12 |
Southern Utah |
20 |
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho women's basketball by following the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @VandalsWBB.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
