Oct. 25, 2007
NEW YORK – The Notre Dame women’s basketball team has been projected to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Conference this season, according to a preseason vote of the league’s 16 head coaches that was announced during Thursday’s BIG EAST Women’s Basketball Media Day at the ESPNZone in New York City. The Irish collected 165 points, with Connecticut (15 first-place votes, 225 points), Rutgers (one first-place vote, 211 points), West Virginia (186 points) and Pittsburgh (169 points) joining Notre Dame in the top five.
Senior guard Charel Allen (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) was one of 11 players selected to this year’s Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Allen averaged a team-high 17.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season and ranked second in the BIG EAST with 19.3 points per game in league play. A 2007 first-team all-BIG EAST and honorable mention All-America selection, Allen is one of three starters and eight monogram winners back for the Irish from last year’s 20-12 club that tied for fifth place in the BIG EAST and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Now in its second week of preseason practice, Notre Dame will tip off its 2007-08 season on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. (ET) with an exhibition game against Southern Indiana at the Joyce Center. The game will be broadcast live on radio in the South Bend area on WZOW-FM (97.7/102.3), and televised live worldwide on the official Notre Dame athletics web site (UND.com), with eighth-year broadcaster Sean Stires on the call. Tickets for all Irish women’s basketball games this season are available through the Notre Dame Athletics Ticket Office (574-631-7356; Joyce Center Gate 1) and the tickets page at UND.com.
— ND —
2007-08 BIG EAST Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Connecticut (15) 225
2. Rutgers (1) 211
3. West Virginia 186
4. Pittsburgh 169
5. NOTRE DAME 165
6. Louisville 154
7. DePaul 152
8. Marquette 124
9. South Florida 105
10. Seton Hall 93
11. St. John’s 83
12. Villanova 77
13. Syracuse 61
14. Cincinnati 49
15. Providence 36
16. Georgetown 20
First-place votes in parentheses