Women’s basketball picked to win C-USA

Carter named C-USA Preseason Player of the Year

By Adam Dougas

Sports Editor

 

Aaron Turner

 

Coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive post-season berths, The University of Memphis women’s basketball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA crown in a poll of league coaches announced on Thursday.

Coming off of back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive post-season berths, The University of Memphis women's basketball team was picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference USA crown in a poll of league coaches announced on Thursday.  Also, senior guard Brittany Carter was named preseason Player of the Year and senior Jasmine Lee was named to the preseason all-conference team.

 "When you get that vote among your peers, it means something," said Melissa McFerrin, head coach of the women's basketball team. "But it also comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Being preseason number one in October is not our goal – our goal is to be number one in March. But we've been building to this point for three and a half years now, so it's not a big surprise, but it is a big responsibility. "

 Carter, who's repeating preseason all-conference honors from last year, is a two time, first team all-conference honoree that averaged 13.8 points per game last year. The senior guard battled a foot injury last season, missing five conference contests, but returned at the C-USA championships to help Memphis to its first semifinals appearance since 1997-98.

"I'm humbled," Carter said. "I didn't expect it. I just want to work hard for my team because if I am the best player in the conference or become that person, then ultimately it helps us out as a team to get to where we want to be."

 Carter becomes the first Tiger to earn preseason Player of the Year honors from Conference USA since Tamika Whitmore prior to Memphis' 1998 and 1999 seasons. Only Carter, Whitmore and LaTonya Johnson have been named to multiple preseason All-Conference USA squads.

 Senior post Jasmine Lee earned a preseason all-conference nod after leading Memphis last season in rebounding (8.2 rebounds per game) and finishing second in points per game (12.4). Lee also added 21 steals on the season and shot 49.5 percent from the field.

 "Jasmine spent last year trying to get consistent, to bring an eight or nine or ten in effort level all the time," McFerrin said. "Last year, early on, we had some games where she was not at that level, and this year we need her to show up every day and be the same player in games that we see on the practice court."

 Fans will get their first full look at the team at Memphis Madness on Friday. Doors open at FedEx Forum at 5:30 p.m., and fans can watch the team practice until about 7:15 p.m.