KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The women’s basketball coaches in the MIAA selected Fort Hays State to finish fifth in the conference standings this year, according to the 2017-18 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll released Thursday (Oct. 19) in conjunction with MIAA Virtual Media Day. It is the sixth consecutive year the Tigers have been picked to finish in the top five in the preseason poll. The poll is comprised of votes from all 14 head coaches in the league, who do not list their own institution on their ballot.
The Tigers picked up 110 points in the voting process to come in fifth. Central Missouri tops the poll with 158 points and seven first-place votes, one point in front of Pittsburg State (157 points, 4 first-place votes). Emporia State rounds out the top three with 150 points while being listed atop two ballots and Central Oklahoma earned the final first place vote, picking up 138 points.
Head coach Tony Hobson enters his 10th year at Fort Hays State just eight wins away from 600 career victories. He returns 10 players from last year’s team that went 22-8 overall, eclipsing 20 wins for a program-record sixth straight year.
The Tigers return a pair of All-MIAA performers in juniors Carly Heim and Tatyana Legette. Heim averaged 7.8 points per game while raking second on the team with 47 assists. Legette dropped in 9.6 points per contest, second best on the team, while ranking seventh in the conference with 7.6 rebounds each night.
While this year’s roster looks young on paper, with just one senior in forward Emma Stroyan, the Tigers return plenty of in-game experience. Nine returners played in at least 11 games last season, with six appearing in at least 29 of the 30 contests. Added to the mix this year are four talented newcomers, including three freshmen and one transfer.
Fort Hays State will open the preseason with a trip to the east coast to play UConn, one of the best programs in collegiate basketball history, on November 1. The Tigers will then play Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. on November 6. FHSU opens the regular season in Fayette, Iowa against Upper Iowa on November 10.
2017-18 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (7) – 158
2. Pittsburg State (4) – 157
3. Emporia State (2) – 150
4. Central Oklahoma (1) – 138
5. Fort Hays State – 110
6. Missouri Western – 106
7. Lindenwood – 96
8. Washburn – 88
9. Southwest Baptist – 78
10. Nebraska-Kearney – 62
11. Missouri Southern – 49
12. Northwest Missouri – 43
13. Northeastern State – 21
14. Lincoln – 18