Losing two starters?including last year’s co-Conference Player of the Year?and the top player off your bench apparently resonates more with the prognosticators than a trip to the Sweet 16.
A year after finishing a program best 28-4 overall, winning the MWC regular season title and winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games, the Utah women’s basketball team has been picked to finish second in the league for the 2001-02 season.
However, losing swingman Amy Ewert?who was named last year’s Defensive Player of the Year and shared conference MVP honors with UNLV forward Linda Frhlich?leaves the Utes with a big void.
Starting power forward Kristina Andersen and sixth man Lori Red Castagnetto also saw their eligibility expire.
Consequently, despite earning five first-place votes from the media pollsters, Utah was picked to finish behind Colorado State?which was named the preseason conference favorite for the first time in its history.
The Rams finished second in the MWC during the regular season a year ago, but went on to win the MWC Tournament title over BYU, when the Cougars upended the Utes in the tourney semifinals.
CSU’s top player, junior forward Ashley Augspurger, was one of five players selected to the preseason All-Conference team. She is joined by Frhlich, BYU guard Erin Thorn, New Mexico center Jordan Adams and senior Utah center Lauren Beckman?a First Team All-Conference selection a year ago.
Frhlich, who led the MWC in scoring and rebounding last year, and has been co-MWC Player of the Year for the past two years, was named Top Returning Player for the third consecutive season.
Wyoming guard Chassie Wiersma, a transfer from Oregon State, is the Top Newcomer.
Meanwhile, Beckman and her U teammates return to the court Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. for their first practice of the year. They return three starters and nine of 14 letterwinners from last year’s team.
“The kids have returned in good shape, and everyone is anxious to get on the court on Saturday,” said coach Elaine Elliott. “As always, it will take a lot of work and effort to maintain and improve upon our seasons of past, but that is our intention. We are looking forward to getting started.”