The Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Under Armour Horizon League preseason poll.
The Norse collected 63 points with the top five being Green Bay at the top with all 11 first-place votes, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Purdue Fort Wayne and NKU.
NKU returns five players from last year’s team that went 17-14 and made it to the conference tournament semifinals. Kailee Davis headlines the returnees, who was selected to the Preseason All-League Second Team. Davis was the second leading scorer for the Norse with 13.3 points per game, knocking down a team-high 52 three-pointers and hitting 80% from the free throw line. Khamari Mitchell-Steen and Kennedy Igo, key rotational players last season, also return. The Norse have a young roster with five freshman and Igo the lone senior on the team.
They open their season with an exhibition at Truist Arena on Nov. 2 against Cedarville, with the regular season home opener on Nov. 6 against Indiana State.
Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1. Green Bay (11) – 121
2. Cleveland State – 107
3. Youngstown State – 95
4. Purdue Fort Wayne – 90
5. Northern Kentucky – 63
6. Milwaukee – 59
7. Wright State – 54
8. Oakland – 53
9. IUPUI – 49
10. Detroit Mercy – 21
11. RMU – 14
Preseason All-League First Team
Destiny Leo, Cleveland State
Bailey Butler, Green Bay
Jazmyn Turner, IUPUI
Brooke Quarles-Daniels, Oakland
Amellia Bromenschenkel, PFW
Preseason All-League Second Team
Irene Murua, Detroit Mercy
Kendall Nead, Milwaukee
Kailee Davis, Northern Kentucky
Shayla Sellers, Purdue Fort Wayne
Malia Magestro, Youngstown State
