Tampa Selected Third in SSC Preseason Poll
WINTER PARK, Fla. - After the historic run to its first-ever NCAA Division II Elite Eight, Nova Southeastern has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2013-14 Sunshine State Conference women's basketball title.
The Spartans are returning five of their six top scorers from the previous season, including Illyssa Vivo for her senior season as the team is tabbed to finish third in the SSC.
The Sharks, who claimed just their second-ever SSC regular-season title in 2012-13, collected 62 points and seven of the nine first-place votes in a preseason poll conducted among the conference women's basketball coaches.
Rollins, which won the 2013 SSC Tournament, was picked to finish second. The Tars received 52 points and one first-place vote. Florida Tech and Tampa both received 44 points to tie for the third slot, while Saint Leo received the final first-place vote and a total of 39 points for the fifth spot. Eckerd and Lynn tied for sixth with 28 points, while Barry (16 points) and Florida Southern (11 points) rounded out the poll. Lynn shared the 2012-13 regular-season title with the Sharks.
Nova Southeastern returns three of its starting five from last year's team, which finished 23-9 and was nationally ranked for the first-time in program history. The Sharks, under second-year head coach LeAnn Freeland, made a run to the national Elite Eight and finished the season with its highest ranking in program history at No. 12.
With the departure of All-American and All-SSC First Team Meixandra Porter and SSC All-Newcomer Tailor Jones, the Sharks will be led by junior guard Danielle Robinson, who was named SSC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-SSC Second Team a season ago, and senior forward Amanda Burakoski, who was named to the SSC All-Newcomer Team in 2013. Also returning from last year's starting five is Jessica Russi, who led the conference in assists (165) and assists per game (5.2).
Rollins returns nine letterwinners from last year's team that won its second SSC Tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sarah Blackburn, who was named All-SSC Second Team last season, is one of two seniors returning for the Tars.
The Division II Women's Basketball Bulletin preseason top-25 poll was released on Oct. 8 with Nova Southeastern ranked No. 5 and Rollins ranked No. 18. In addition, Florida Tech's Kayk Wilson was named Division II Women's Basketball Bulletin Super 16 preseason All-American, while the Sharks' Robinson was named preseason All-American Honorable Mention.
2013 Sunshine State Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Poll
Rank - Team, Points (1st-place votes)
1 - Nova Southeastern, 62 (7)
2 - Rollins, 52 (1)
T3 - Florida Tech, 44
T3 - Tampa, 44
5 - Saint Leo, 39 (1)
T6 - Eckerd, 28
T6 - Lynn, 28
8 - Barry, 16
9 - Florida Southern, 11