CHICAGO – Fresh off a historic 2012-13 season, the Roosevelt women's basketball team enters its opening weekend of the 2013-14 campaign with even more history made as the Lakers earned a preseason national ranking of No. 6 in the 2013-14 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 that was unveiled late Tuesday, Oct. 29th.
This marks the first time that Roosevelt has been nationally ranked prior to a season. The No. 6 national ranking is also the highest Top 25 spot that the Lakers have ever inhabited, eclipsing last season's high of No. 8 in the country.
Roosevelt is the highest-ranked Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference team among the four CCAC squads in the preseason poll, with Saint Xavier (No. 9), Cardinal Stritch (No. 15) and Purdue Calumet (No. 21) rounding out the CCAC's impressive national statement headed into the new season.
Last season the Lakers went 28-7 overall and 19-3 in CCAC play, winning the 2013-13 CCAC regular season title and the 2013 CCAC tournament championship. Roosevelt went on to its first-ever appearance in the State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship, where the Lakers picked up an opening-round win to advance to the Sweet 16.
This season head coach Robyn Scherr-Wells, last year's CCAC Coach of the Year, returns all five starters and nine total contributors from last season's magical adventure.
"That ranking is really a testament to how strong our conference is," Scherr-Wells said. "It's flattering that our basketball community has that respect for our team. However, our goal is to play each game like it is our most important game and not worry too much about rankings. We are very excited to begin playing games this week."
Among Roosevelt's returners are the Lakers' core of six seniors, led by All-American guard Casey Davis and Honorable Mention All-American forward Maria Tamburrino. Forwards Jennie Van Hook and Kiara Towles, versatile guard-forward Tori Clark and sharpshooter Erin McCaslin round out the Lakers' veteran group of four-year seniors, with young stalwarts such as starting point guard Becky Williford, frontcourt ace Erica Jordan, defensive whiz and sparkplug guard Corinne Busby expected to provide even more leadership with five talented freshmen entering the mix.
Sixth-ranked Roosevelt opens the 2013-14 go-around at home this Saturday, Nov. 2 when the Lakers host Marygrove at the Lillian and Larry Goodman Center, located at 501 S. Wabash Avenue on Roosevelt's downtown Chicago campus, at 1 p.m. Prior to Saturday's game, the Roosevelt community will celebrate the Lakers' success from last season with a championship and national tournament banner ceremony.
2013 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (Oct. 29)
RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2013 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
1 | 1 | Indiana Wesleyan (13) | 35-3 | 343 |
2 | 2 | Davenport (Mich.) | 34-3 | 328 |
3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 31-5 | 320 |
4 | 6 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 32-4 | 313 |
5 | 9 | Concordia (Neb.) | 27-7 | 299 |
6 | 10 | Roosevelt (Ill.) | 28-7 | 284 |
7 | 4 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 26-8 | 276 |
8 | 18 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 24-6 | 260 |
9 | 15 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 25-7 | 244 |
10 | 8 | College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | 30-5 | 241 |
10 | 14 | Jamestown (N.D.) | 27-6 | 241 |
12 | 12 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 25-10 | 216 |
13 | 16 | College of Idaho | 22-9 | 202 |
14 | RV | Southwestern (Kan.) | 23-8 | 178 |
15 | 13 | Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) | 27-8 | 176 |
16 | 23 | Siena Heights (Mich.) | 23-9 | 172 |
17 | 17 | Grand View (Iowa) | 22-7 | 156 |
18 | 5 | Eastern Oregon | 33-3 | 155 |
19 | 19 | Milligan (Tenn.) | 23-10 | 126 |
20 | NR | Grace (Ind.) | 19-17 | 109 |
21 | 20 | Purdue Calumet (Ind.) | 21-10 | 99 |
22 | RV | Mayville State (N.D.) | 20-6 | 95 |
23 | RV | College of Saint Mary (Neb.) | 13-3 | 91 |
24 | 24 | Menlo (Calif.) | 26-4 | 85 |
25 | RV | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | 24-7 | 81 |
Others Receiving Votes: Tabor (Kan.) 63; Northwood (Fla.) 43; Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 40; Tennessee Wesleyan 39; Alice Lloyd (Ky.) 26; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 25; Madonna (Mich.) 23; Valley City State (N.D.) 19; Union (Ky.) 13; Kansas Wesleyan 13; Oregon Tech 11; Taylor (Ind.) 10; Friends (Kan.) 8; Point Park (Pa.) 6; Concordia (Mich.) 4; William Penn (Iowa) 3.
^ 2013 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll (March 20)
