Eighth place pick will motivate Messer's young squad
The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team is picked for eighth place in the 2009-10 Ohio Valley Conference race, according to the annual preseason poll of league coaches which was announced Thursday.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Coaches around the Ohio Valley Conference
have not hung high expectations on the Tennessee Tech women's
basketball team in 2009-10, picking the Golden Eagles for eighth
place in the annual preseason poll.
That doesn't bother first-year coach Sytia Messer. In fact, it's a
motivational tool for her and her extremely young squad.
"We posted in our locker room last night that we are picked
eighth in the OVC, and our goal is to prove them wrong," Messer
said. "Being picked eighth is a motivation for myself and my
team."
Morehead State has been picked to win the league title, with Austin
Peay second by just one point. In a race that's predicted to be
close, the MSU Eagles earned 147 points, including nine first-place
votes while, Austin Peay claimed six first-place votes and 146
points for second place.
Tennessee State picked up 134 points and four first-place votes for
a predicted third place finish as Eastern Illinois earned the final
first-place nod and 111 points to finish fourth. Rounding out the
poll are Jacksonville State (84 points), Murray State (79 points),
Southeast Missouri (67 points), Tennessee Tech (58 points), Eastern
Kentucky (54 points) and UT Martin (18 points).
"The number one thing we’re trying to change with our kids is
to instill in them a positive, winning attitude, on and off the
court," Messer said. "We’re teaching them that the things
they do off the court have an impact on what you do on the
court."
Having won more OVC titles than any other team in the league, the
expectation surrounding Tennessee Tech could be daunting, but
Messer says she, her staff and her players will be up to meeting
the challenge.
"I look up at all the banners hanging in Eblen Center, and I
personally expect us to get back to that level of being a
champion," she said. "I remind our players every day of where we
were as a program, and where we’re going."
Morehead State's Chynna Bozeman was picked as the preseason
Player of the Year, and is one of 10 players named to the preseason
all-OVC squad.
The 2009-10 season gets underway on November 13 with Conference
action set to begin on December 3.
2009-10 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Women's
Basketball Team
(Selected by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Sports Information
Directors)
Chynna Bozeman, Morehead State*
Jasmine Smith, Tennessee State
Jolie Efezokhae, Jacksonville State
Oby Okafor, Tennessee State
Ashley Herring, Austin Peay
Nicole Jamen, Austin Peay
Tiffany Hamilton, Morehead State
Dominique Sims, Eastern Illinois
Brittany Wiley, Jacksonville State
Nadia Mossong, Eastern Kentucky
* - 1st team All-OVC in 2008-09
OVC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chynna Bozeman,
Morehead State
2009-10 OVC Women's Basketball Predicted Order of
Finish
(Selected by OVC Head Basketball Coaches and Sports Information
Directors)
1. Morehead State (Nine first-place votes) -147
2. Austin Peay (Six first-place votes) - 146
3. Tennessee State (Four first-place votes) - 134
4. Eastern Illinois (One first-place votes) - 111
5. Jacksonville State - 84
6. Murray State - 79
7. Southeast Missouri - 67
8. Tennessee Tech - 58
9. Eastern Kentucky - 54
10. UT Martin - 18
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. Nine points
awarded for a first-place vote, eight for second, etc.)
