League coaches pick UA women seventh

University of Arkansas women’s basketball Coach Mike Neighbors said he wasn’t surprised to see the SEC coaches pick his team to finish seventh when the league office announced the preseason coaches poll Tuesday morning.

That’s one spot lower than in the media poll released week ago for the Razorbacks, who lost three starters to graduation including two who went on to the WNBA and finished tied for fifth last season.

“Right in the middle there is where we thought we’d fall, somewhere fifth through ninth,” Neighbors said. “I think it’s a fair spot based on how they do preseason polls.

“Our thing is to stay out of the bottom half.”

The Razorbacks have six newcomers on the roster, including five freshmen and transfer Sasha Goforth, a McDonald’s All American at Fayetteville High School who played last year at Oregon State.

Fifth-year senior Amber Ramirez, one of two returning starters, was also chosen by the league’s coaches as second- team preseason All-SEC. The 5- 9 shooting guard from San Antonio averaged 13.5 points per game with team-highs in three-pointers (77) and threepoint percentage (43.5) a year ago. Those marks were good enough for 11th and 15th in the country, respectively.

Neighbors said it’s a nice honor for the transfer from TCU, particularly given the level of talent in the league.

“It’s a pretty tough team to make considering the talent of the 14 teams in this league,” Neighbors said. “It’s no small reward to be recognized especially if you look at the other names on that list. To make that cut is pretty good.”

South Carolina, ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll, was picked to win the league by the coaches followed by Texas A&M, Tennessee and Georgia.

Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard was tabbed as the SEC preseason player of the year by both the coaches and members of the media.

Neighbors

Ramirez