University of Memphis women’s basketball team is preseason pick to win C-USA

from CommercialAppeal.com

Coming off a second straight 20-win season, the University of Memphis women’s basketball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA title this season in a poll of league coaches that was announced today.

In addition, two-time first-team, all-conference senior guard Brittany Carter was tabbed as Preseason Player of the Year and senior forward Jasmine Lee was named to the preseason first team.

The only other Tiger team picked to win the C-USA title was the 1997 team that went on to win the regular season title and advance to the NCAA tournament with a 22-7 record.

Carter, who averaged 13.8 points per game during an injury-riddled season a year ago, is the first Tiger to be named Preseason Player of the Year honors since Tamika Whitmore did so before the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

In her first season at the U of M after transferring from Georgia, Lee averaged 12.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.

The U of M opens the 2011-12 season Nov. 11 at FedExForum against Saint Louis at 5 p.m. The Tigers will also play host to the C-USA tournament March 7-10, with the first two rounds taking place at Elma Roane Fieldhouse and the semifinals and finals at FedExForum.