RSC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll: IU East tabbed 2016-17 conference favorite
FLORENCE, Ky. -- Indiana University East is the favorite in the 2016-17 River States Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was announced by the league office on Thursday (Oct. 20).
The River States Conference was formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The conference changed its name as part of a re-branding July 1, 2016. The 13 conference members remain the same from last year, and they span five states.
IU East got the maximum number of 12 first-place votes in the polling of the league coaches. IU East is the overall favorite among the 13 teams in the conference and also the favorite to win the RSC East Division. Coaches were not permited to vote for their own team.
IU East has four starters returning from last year's team that was 22-11 overall, 15-2 conference and reached the NAIA Division II national tournament as the conference tournament runner-up. NAIA Third-Team All-American Tia King (20.5 ppg) is the top returning player.
Asbury (Ky.) University is picked second overall in the conference and is the picked as the favorite in the RSC West Division. The Eagles were 24-10 overall, 16-2 conference last year and won their second conference tournament championship in a row.
Asbury, which has three starters returning, reached the NAIA Division II national tournament Sweet 16 after a first-round victory. Asbury received eight of the 13 first-place votes within the RSC West Division.
University of Rio Grande (19-10, 12-5) is picked third overall in the conference and second in the RSC East Division. The RedStorm got one first-place vote toward the overall ballot and one to win the division.
Point Park (Pa.) University (19-11, 12-5) is next in fourth overall and gives the RSC East Division three of the top four picks in the poll. IU Southeast (15-15, 11-7) is picked fifth overall and second in the RSC West Division. The Grenadiers received four first-place votes to win the RSC West.
Ohio Christian University (16-13, 8-9) is picked sixth overall. The Trailblazers are in their second year in the NAIA and the conference and their first year as postseason eligible in each. The top four teams in each division make the RSC Tournament, so OCU is predicted to make the playoffs in the fourth spot of the RSC East.
IU Kokomo is picked eighth overall and third in the RSC West Division as a predicted playoff team. After WVU Tech ninth overall out of the RSC East, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College is picked as a playoff team at 10th overall and fourth in the RSC West. The Eagles got a first-place vote to win their division.
Rounding out the overall ballot are RSC West Division teams Brescia (Ky.) University, Cincinnati Christian University and Midway (Ky.) University.For the complete voting results, view below.
Follow River States Conference Women's Basketball all season long at RiverStatesConference.com and on social media at Facebook.com/RiverStatesConference and on Twitter @RiverStatesConf.
2016-17 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL (OCT. 20, 2016)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. IU East (12) | 144 |
| 2. Asbury (Ky.) | 119 |
| 3. Rio Grande (Ohio) (1) | 117 |
| 4. Point Park (Pa.) | 108 |
| 5. IU Southeast | 104 |
| 6. Ohio Christian | 74 |
| 7. Carlow (Pa.) | 62 |
| 8. IU Kokomo | 60 |
| 9. WVU Tech | 58 |
| 10. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 55 |
| 11. Brescia (Ky.) | 50 |
| 12. Cincinnati Christian | 44 |
| 13. Midway (Ky.) | 19 |
RSC EAST DIVISION
| School | Votes |
| 1. IU East (12) | 67 |
| 2. Rio Grande (Ohio) (1) | 49 |
| 3. Point Park (Pa.) | 45 |
| 4. Ohio Christian | 29 |
| 5. WVU Tech | 24 |
| 6. Carlow (Pa.) | 23 |
RSC WEST DIVISION
| School | Votes |
| 1. Asbury (Ky.) (8) | 74 |
| 2. IU Southeast (4) | 67 |
| 3. IU Kokomo | 46 |
| 4. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 42 |
| 5. Cincinnati Christian | 35 |
| 6. Brescia (Ky.) | 34 |
| 7. Midway (Ky.) | 17 |