Women's Hoops Pick Up Preseason Notice
9/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Lindy's Women's Basketball Preview
CHICAGO – With the annual preseason publications on newsstands, the DePaul women’s basketball team is picked among the nation’s top 25 and junior forward Khara Smith has been named a preseason All-American.
Smith was named a first team All-American by Lindy’s and a second-teamer by Athlon Sports. The junior is coming off a 2003-04 season that saw her average 20.4 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She is also on the preseason ballots for both the John Wooden Award and the Wade Trophy. A year ago, Smith became just the third player in school history to total at least 600 points and 300 rebounds in a season.
She is joined on Lindy’s first team by Seimone Augustus of LSU, Janel McCarville of Minnesota, Notre Dame’s Jacqueline Batteast and Kendra Wecker of Kansas State. TCU's Sandora Irvin was also a member of Athlon Sports second team.
For the second straight year, DePaul is ranked in the Athlon Sports preseason top 25. After being ranked No. 18 before last season, the Blue Demons find themselves at No. 20 this year.
The Blue Demons are making their first preseason top 25 appearance in Lindy’s at No. 24. DePaul is the lone C-USA school in the top 25. The magazine picks Tennessee first and Purdue at No. 23. The Blue Demons will play at those two schools in a span of four days in December. DePaul travels to Purdue on Dec. 9 and Tennessee on Dec. 12. Athlon Sports has the Lady Vols ranked No. 5 and the Boilermakers at preseason No. 16.
DePaul opens the season with a pair of exhibition games on Nov. 4 and 13 before hosting the annual Moran Realty Classic on Nov. 19-20. Southern Cal, Massachusetts and Murray State come to the DePaul Athletic Center to open the 2004-05 regular season.
Preseason Top 25's Lindy's Athlon Sports 1. Tennessee 1. Texas 2. LSU 2. Connecticut 3. Texas 3. LSU 4. Georgia 4. Tennessee 5. Connecticut 5. Georgia 6. Minnesota 6. Stanford 7. Duke 7. North Carolina 8. Baylor 8. Ohio State 9. Stanford 9. Duke 10. Vanderbilt 10. Baylor 11. Rutgers 11. Michigan State 12. Texas Tech 12. Maryland 13. Ohio State 13. Vanderbilt 14. Notre Dame 14. Texas Tech 15. Boston College 15. Notre Dame 16. Louisiana Tech 16. Purdue 17. Oklahoma 17. Kansas State 18. North Carolina 18. Minnesota 19. Kansas State 19. Rutgers 20. Arizona 20. DePaul 21. Michigan State 21. Penn State 22. UCLA 22. Boston College 23. Purdue 23. Chattanooga 24. DePaul 24. Southwest Missouri State 25. Utah 25. Middle Tennessee
Preseason All-American Teams
| Lindy's First Team | Athlon Sports' First Team |
| G - Simone Augustus, LSU, 6-1, Jr. | G - Seimone Augustus, LSU, 6-1, Jr. |
| C - Janel McCarville, Minnesota, 6-2, Sr. | F -Shyra Ely, Tennessee, 6-2, Sr. |
| F - Khara Smith, DePaul, 6-2, Jr. | F - Tiffany Jackson, Texas, 6-3, So. |
| F - Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame, 6-2, Sr. | C - Janel McCarville, Minnesota, 6-2, Sr. |
| F - Kendra Wecker, Kansas State, 5-11, Sr. | F - Kendra Wecker, Kansas State, 5-11, Sr. |
| Second Team | Second Team |
| G - Cappie Poindexter, Rutgers, 5-8, Sr. | F - Sandora Irvin, TCU, 6-3, Sr. |
| G - Tan White, Mississippi State, 5-7, Sr. | G - Cappie Poindexter, Rutgers, 5-8, Sr. |
| F - Kim Smith, Utah, 6-1, Jr. | F - Khara Smith, DePaul, 6-2, Jr. |
| F - Shyra Ely, Tennessee, 6-2, Sr. | G/F - Barbara Turner, Connecticut, 6-0, Jr. |
| F - Sophia Young, Baylor, 6-1, Jr. | F - Sophia Young, Baylor, 6-1, Jr. |
| Third Team | |
| G - Temeka Johnson, LSU, 5-3, Sr. | |
| G - Monique Currie, Duke, 6-0, Jr. | |
| C - Shawntinice Polk, Arizona, 6-5, Jr. | |
| C - Katie Feenstra, Liberty, 6-8, Sr. | |
| F - Tiffany Jackson, Texas, 6-3, So. | |