RSC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll: IU East predicted as top team
NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- The 2017-18 River States Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll has predicted IU East as the clear favorite this season with the release of the poll at RiverStatesConference.com. Also selected by the conference coaches was an RSC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team.
The preseason poll and preseason all-conference team were selected by the league's 13 head coaches. There are six teams in the RSC East and seven in the RSC West. The coaches' poll predicted the teams overall regardless of division and also by RSC East and West Division. The preseason all-conference team selected the top 10 players in the conference this preseason.
IU East is picked as the top team in the conference with 11 of 13 first-place votes overall, and the Red Wolves are also the favorites in the RSC East Division with 11 of 13 first-place votes there as well. IU East has several playes returning from the 29-6 overall record last year. That included RSC regular-season and tournament championships and a visit to the final 16 teams of the NAIA Division II National Championship. The Red Wolves ended the year ranked No. 15 in the country.
Midway (Ky.) University was picked second overall in the conference and as the favorite in the RSC West Division. The Eagles had a big turnaround last year finishing 22-10 overall and as an RSC Tournament semifinalist. Midway got 7 of 13 first-place votes in the RSC West.
IU Kokomo was chosen third in the overall ballot and second in the RSC West. The Cougars, who were 21-13 last year, received one first-place vote in the overall poll and 5 of 13 first-place votes to win their division. IU Kokomo finished 2016-17 "receiving votes" in the NAIA DII Top 25 Poll and reached the national tournament.
Ohio Chrisitan University (22-11 in 2016-17) was predicted fourth overall in the conference and fourth in the RSC East. Splitting votes in the overall ballot and within the RSC East Division were University Rio Grande (Ohio) (19-12) and WVU Tech (18-12), which tied for fifth in the overall ballot and second in the division. WVU Tech earned one first-place vote in the overall ballot and two to win the division.
IU Southeast (16-15) was tabbed seventh overall in the conference and third in the RSC West. The Grenadiers garnered one first-place vote in the division. Also predicted as a playoff team in the RSC West is Asbury (Ky.) University (15-15), which is ninth in the conference and fourth in the division. Point Park (Pa.) University (18-12) is predicted in between those schools at eighth overall and is fifth in the RSC East.
Next in the poll are Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College, Cincinnati Christian University and Brescia (Ky.) University from the RSC West and Carlow (Pa.) University from the RSC East.
The 2017-18 RSC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team consists of 10 players from six different schools. IU East leads the conference with four players named, and IU Kokomo is next with two. Returning players from last year's postseason all-conference teams were voted upon for this honor with nine of the 10 spots coming from that group and one added on. Eleven of the 20 players on last year's all-conference list were seniors.
The following are the preseason polls and preseason all-conference teams.
2017-18 RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL (Oct. 19, 2017)
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. IU East (11) | 142 |
| 2. Midway (Ky.) | 119 |
| 3. IU Kokomo (1) | 110 |
| 4. Ohio Christian | 104 |
| T-5. Rio Grande (Ohio) | 97 |
| T-5. WVU Tech (1) | 97 |
| 7. IU Southeast | 92 |
| 8. Point Park (Pa.) | 70 |
| 9. Asbury (Ky.) | 58 |
| 10. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 45 |
| 11. Cincinnati Christian | 27 |
| 12. Brescia (Ky.) | 26 |
| 13. Carlow (Pa.) | 19 |
RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST DIVISION PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. IU East (11) | 66 |
| T-2. Rio Grande | 44 |
| T-2. WVU Tech (2) | 44 |
| 4. Ohio Christian | 43 |
| 5. Point Park (Pa.) | 28 |
| 6. Carlow (Pa.) | 12 |
RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEST DIVISION PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Votes |
| 1. Midway (Ky.) (7) | 72 |
| 2. IU Kokomo (5) | 67 |
| 3. IU Southeast (1) | 56 |
| 4. Asbury (Ky.) | 50 |
| 5. Alice Lloyd (Ky.) | 33 |
| 6. Cincinnati Christian | 21 |
| 7. Brescia (Ky.) | 16 |
2017-18 RSC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
| Name | Position | Class | School |
| Tia King | G | Sr. | IU East |
| Kristen Miller | G | Sr. | IU East |
| Deja Felder | G | Sr. | IU Kokomo |
| Savannah Shamblin | G | Jr. | WVU Tech |
| Emma Stille | F | So. | Carlow (Pa.) |
| Bailey Dreiman | G | Jr. | IU East |
| Mackenzie Campbell | G/F | Sr. | IU East |
| Whitney Williamson | F | Sr. | IU Kokomo |
| Timitryi Patterson | F | So. | Midway (Ky.) |
| Jaida Carter | G | Jr. | Rio Grande (Ohio) |