ROSEMONT, Ill. – Maryland has been chosen as the preseason Big Ten women’s basketball favorite by the conference’s 14 head coaches and a select media panel, the conference office announced Monday. Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell earned Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year honors from both groups for the second consecutive season.
Indiana’s Tyra Buss, Iowa’s Ally Disterhoft, Maryland’s Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan State’s Tori Jankoska, Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard and Northwestern’s Nia Coffey joined Mitchell in garnering Preseason All-Big Ten recognition from both the coaches and the media. Penn State’s Teniya Page was voted to the coaches’ preseason squad, while Minnesota’s Carlie Wagner was chosen for the media list.
Mitchell was a consensus first-team All-America selection last year after setting a school record with 889 points and ranking third in the nation in scoring at 26.1 points per game. In addition, her conference-best 126 made three-point field goals were one shy of the NCAA record she set as a freshman in 2014-15. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten choice, Mitchell also was the 2015 Big Ten Co-Player of the Year and was the unanimous selection as 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Two-time defending Big Ten champion Maryland will seek to keep that success going in 2016-17 with three starters back in the fold, including the nation’s field-goal percentage and three-point percentage leaders last year (returning first-team All-Big Ten selections Jones and Kimbrough, respectively, with the latter having also garnered All-America honors), from last year’s team that posted a 31-4 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State was the No. 2 choice in the preseason balloting by both the coaches and media. The Buckeyes have three starters and seven letterwinners returning from last year’s squad that went 26-8 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Along with Mitchell, Ohio State also welcomes back forwards Shayla Cooper and Alexa Hart, who were second-team All-Big Ten selections by the media and honorable mention all-conference picks by the coaches last year.
Indiana was picked to finish third in the Big Ten this season, according to both the coaches and media. Led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Teri Moren, the Hoosiers posted a 21-12 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Indiana has all five starters returning this year, paced by first-team All-Big Ten guard Tyra Buss and forward Amanda Cahill, who earned second-team all-conference honors from the media and honorable mention plaudits from the coaches a season ago.
Michigan State tied Indiana for third in the preseason coaches voting. The Spartans have two starters back from last year’s team that went 25-9 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Heading up Michigan State’s returning contingent are Jankoska, a second-team all-Big Ten selection last year, and Branndais Agee, who was an honorable mention all-conference pick by the media in 2015-16.
The 2016-17 Preseason All-Big Ten Teams and rankings can be found below.
2016-17 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Ohio State
3. (tie) Indiana and Michigan State
2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
TYRA BUSS, Jr., G, Indiana
Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa
BRIONNA JONES, Sr., C, Maryland
SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland
KATELYNN FLAHERTY, Jr., G, Michigan
Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State
Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska
Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern
KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State
Teniya Page, So., G, Penn State
2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State
2016-17 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Ohio State
3. Indiana
2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Tyra Buss, Jr., G, Indiana
Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa
Brionna Jones, Sr., C, Maryland
SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland
Katelynn Flaherty, Jr., G, Michigan
Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State
Carlie Wagner, Jr., G, Minnesota
Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska
Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern
KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State
2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State
Indiana’s Tyra Buss, Iowa’s Ally Disterhoft, Maryland’s Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan State’s Tori Jankoska, Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard and Northwestern’s Nia Coffey joined Mitchell in garnering Preseason All-Big Ten recognition from both the coaches and the media. Penn State’s Teniya Page was voted to the coaches’ preseason squad, while Minnesota’s Carlie Wagner was chosen for the media list.
Mitchell was a consensus first-team All-America selection last year after setting a school record with 889 points and ranking third in the nation in scoring at 26.1 points per game. In addition, her conference-best 126 made three-point field goals were one shy of the NCAA record she set as a freshman in 2014-15. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten choice, Mitchell also was the 2015 Big Ten Co-Player of the Year and was the unanimous selection as 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Two-time defending Big Ten champion Maryland will seek to keep that success going in 2016-17 with three starters back in the fold, including the nation’s field-goal percentage and three-point percentage leaders last year (returning first-team All-Big Ten selections Jones and Kimbrough, respectively, with the latter having also garnered All-America honors), from last year’s team that posted a 31-4 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State was the No. 2 choice in the preseason balloting by both the coaches and media. The Buckeyes have three starters and seven letterwinners returning from last year’s squad that went 26-8 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Along with Mitchell, Ohio State also welcomes back forwards Shayla Cooper and Alexa Hart, who were second-team All-Big Ten selections by the media and honorable mention all-conference picks by the coaches last year.
Indiana was picked to finish third in the Big Ten this season, according to both the coaches and media. Led by Big Ten Coach of the Year Teri Moren, the Hoosiers posted a 21-12 record and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Indiana has all five starters returning this year, paced by first-team All-Big Ten guard Tyra Buss and forward Amanda Cahill, who earned second-team all-conference honors from the media and honorable mention plaudits from the coaches a season ago.
Michigan State tied Indiana for third in the preseason coaches voting. The Spartans have two starters back from last year’s team that went 25-9 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Heading up Michigan State’s returning contingent are Jankoska, a second-team all-Big Ten selection last year, and Branndais Agee, who was an honorable mention all-conference pick by the media in 2015-16.
The 2016-17 Preseason All-Big Ten Teams and rankings can be found below.
2016-17 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Ohio State
3. (tie) Indiana and Michigan State
2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
TYRA BUSS, Jr., G, Indiana
Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa
BRIONNA JONES, Sr., C, Maryland
SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland
KATELYNN FLAHERTY, Jr., G, Michigan
Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State
Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska
Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern
KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State
Teniya Page, So., G, Penn State
2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State
2016-17 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Maryland
2. Ohio State
3. Indiana
2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Tyra Buss, Jr., G, Indiana
Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa
Brionna Jones, Sr., C, Maryland
SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland
Katelynn Flaherty, Jr., G, Michigan
Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State
Carlie Wagner, Jr., G, Minnesota
Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska
Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern
KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State
2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State
