Photo by: Catherine Grosdidier
Creighton Women's Hoops Picked Second in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll
10/18/2022 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Ronsiek, Jensen and Maly Earn Preseason Accolades
New York, N.Y. – The Creighton women's basketball team was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches poll, released during BIG EAST Media Day on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. In addition three members of the squad were recognized with juniors Lauren Jensen and Emma Ronsiek earning Preseason All-BIG EAST Honors, while junior Morgan Maly collected Honorable Mention.
It's the third time since joining the BIG EAST that the Bluejays are picked to finish second or higher, getting picked second in its first year in the league in 2013-14 as well as first in 2016-17. The three individual players earning recognition is the second largest total in the BIG EAST as Connecticut saw five players receive accolades.
Reigning champion Connecticut the unanimous favorite to win the league. The Huskies have won the conference regular season 21 times, along with 20 BIG EAST Tournament titles, sweeping both in 2021-22. Connecticut collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes.
Coming off a historic run to the Elite Eight, Creighton finished second in the Preseason Coaches' Poll with 89 points. Led by reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist, Villanova was slotted third with 83 points and the remaining first-place vote. DePaul, which joined the Huskies, Bluejays and Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament last year, tied with Seton Hall for fourth place in the poll with 68 points. The Pirates advanced to the WNIT title game in 2022. Fellow WNIT squad Marquette was picked sixth (56 points) followed by St. John's in seventh (47 points) and Providence in eighth (34 points). Butler and Georgetown were knotted at ninth with 21 points apiece, while Xavier rounded out the poll in 11th with 18 points.
Returning four starters and 84 percent of its scoring from 2021-22, Creighton went 23-10 overall and 15-5 in BIG EAST play. The 10th-seeded Bluejays went on a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight, upsetting No. 7 seed Colorado, No. 2 seed Iowa on its home floor and No. 3 seed Iowa State before falling to eventual national champion No. 1 seed South Carolina. Among Creighton's returners are All-BIG EAST First Team selection Emma Ronsiek, BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year Morgan Maly and BIG EAST Most Improved Player Laura Jensen. Among the notable newcomers for Jim Flanery's squad have three incoming McDonald's All-American nominees in Brittany Harshaw, Kiani Lockett and Kennedy Townsend.
Creighton opens the season with a pair of exhibition on Oct. 26 against Missouri Western and Oct 29 versus Truman State, before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 at South Dakota State.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, Sr., F*
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Ayanna Patterson, Connecticut, Fr., F
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Caroline Ducharme, Connecticut, So., G
Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut, Jr., F
Azzi Fudd, Connecticut, So., G*
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Jr., G
Emma Ronsiek, Creighton, Jr., F*
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul, So., F*
Jordan King, Marquette, Sr., G
Janai Crooms, Providence, Sr., G
Kadaja Bailey, St. John's, Fifth Year, G
Sidney Cooks, Seton Hall, Grad., F/C
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, Sr., G*
Preseason Honorable Mention
Dorka Juhász, Connecticut, Grad, F
Morgan Maly, Creighton, Jr., G/F
*unanimous selection
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
It's the third time since joining the BIG EAST that the Bluejays are picked to finish second or higher, getting picked second in its first year in the league in 2013-14 as well as first in 2016-17. The three individual players earning recognition is the second largest total in the BIG EAST as Connecticut saw five players receive accolades.
Reigning champion Connecticut the unanimous favorite to win the league. The Huskies have won the conference regular season 21 times, along with 20 BIG EAST Tournament titles, sweeping both in 2021-22. Connecticut collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes.
Coming off a historic run to the Elite Eight, Creighton finished second in the Preseason Coaches' Poll with 89 points. Led by reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year Maddy Siegrist, Villanova was slotted third with 83 points and the remaining first-place vote. DePaul, which joined the Huskies, Bluejays and Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament last year, tied with Seton Hall for fourth place in the poll with 68 points. The Pirates advanced to the WNIT title game in 2022. Fellow WNIT squad Marquette was picked sixth (56 points) followed by St. John's in seventh (47 points) and Providence in eighth (34 points). Butler and Georgetown were knotted at ninth with 21 points apiece, while Xavier rounded out the poll in 11th with 18 points.
Returning four starters and 84 percent of its scoring from 2021-22, Creighton went 23-10 overall and 15-5 in BIG EAST play. The 10th-seeded Bluejays went on a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight, upsetting No. 7 seed Colorado, No. 2 seed Iowa on its home floor and No. 3 seed Iowa State before falling to eventual national champion No. 1 seed South Carolina. Among Creighton's returners are All-BIG EAST First Team selection Emma Ronsiek, BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year Morgan Maly and BIG EAST Most Improved Player Laura Jensen. Among the notable newcomers for Jim Flanery's squad have three incoming McDonald's All-American nominees in Brittany Harshaw, Kiani Lockett and Kennedy Townsend.
Creighton opens the season with a pair of exhibition on Oct. 26 against Missouri Western and Oct 29 versus Truman State, before opening the regular-season on Nov. 7 at South Dakota State.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, Sr., F*
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Ayanna Patterson, Connecticut, Fr., F
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Caroline Ducharme, Connecticut, So., G
Aaliyah Edwards, Connecticut, Jr., F
Azzi Fudd, Connecticut, So., G*
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Jr., G
Emma Ronsiek, Creighton, Jr., F*
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul, So., F*
Jordan King, Marquette, Sr., G
Janai Crooms, Providence, Sr., G
Kadaja Bailey, St. John's, Fifth Year, G
Sidney Cooks, Seton Hall, Grad., F/C
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, Sr., G*
Preseason Honorable Mention
Dorka Juhász, Connecticut, Grad, F
Morgan Maly, Creighton, Jr., G/F
*unanimous selection
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
| 2022-23 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll First-place votes in parentheses |
||
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1. | Connecticut (10) | 100 |
| 2. | Creighton | 89 |
| 3. | Villanova (1) | 83 |
| T4. | DePaul | 68 |
| T4. | Seton Hall | 68 |
| 6. | Marquette | 56 |
| 7. | St. John's | 47 |
| 8. | Providence | 34 |
| T9. | Butler | 21 |
| T9. | Georgetown | 21 |
| 11. | Xavier | 18 |
| Creighton's BIG EAST Preseason Poll History | |||
| Year | Preseason Pick | Actual Finish | Preseason All-BIG EAST Picks |
| 2013-14 | 2nd | T-3rd | Marissa Janning and Sarah Nelson (1st) |
| 2014-15 | 4th | T-5th | Marissa Janning (POTY) |
| 2015-16 | 4th | T-7th | Marissa Janning and Sydney Lamberty (1st) |
| 2016-17 | T-1st | T-1st | Audrey Faber, Marissa Janning, MC McGrory (1st) |
| 2017-18 | 4th | 4th | Audrey Faber (1st) |
| 2018-19 | 4th | T-6th | Jaylyn Agnew and Audrey Faber (1st) |
| 2019-20 | 4th | T-3rd | Jaylyn Agnew (1st) |
| 2020-21 | 5th | 6th | Temi Carda (1st) |
| 2021-22 | 6th | 3rd | None |
| 2022-23 | 2nd | TBD | Lauren Jensen and Emma Ronsiek (1st), Morgan Maly (HM) |
Players Mentioned
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