Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Picked Fourth in Preseason MW Poll
10/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
Mountain West Women's Basketball Season Previews:
http://campusinsiders.com/network/mw/videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXJXfhAGZA7mG14HkpjUcu73e26p3NoPd
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Fresno State, which finished third in the Mountain West last season, was selected to finish in fourth place in the 2015-16 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason Poll released Wednesday.
The Bulldogs received 182 points in the preseason poll, which selected Colorado State as the preseason favorite with 12 first-place votes followed by New Mexico (seven first-place votes) and Boise State (six first-place votes).
Fresno State was also picked fourth in the 2014-15 preseason poll.
The 'Dogs return three starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team which finished 23-10 overall, 13-5 in the MW and advanced to the postseason for the eighth consecutive year. The Bulldogs reached the second round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament after winning the program's first postseason win since 2006.
Fresno State has lost the services of 2014-15 Co-MW Player of the Year Alex Sheedy and MW Sixth Player of the Year Raven Fox to graduation. Sheedy ranked fifth in the conference with 15.9 points per game while also averaging 7.1 rebounds. Fox chipped in 8.8 points and led the conference with 2.2 steals per contest.
The Bulldogs' top returners in the frontcourt are senior Toni Smith (8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds) and sophomore Bego Faz Davalos (5.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 blocks). Faz Davalos was an All-MW Freshman selection last year after breaking the conference's freshman block records for overall games and MW games only. She also broke the MW's record for most blocks in a single season in conference play.
In the backcourt, the team returns senior Shauqunna Collins, who averaged 7.8 points per game and was fourth in the MW in steals at 2.0 per contest. Also returning will be sixth-year senior Alex Furr who also averaged 7.8 points per contest.
Fresno State hosts Cal State East Bay in an exhibition game on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m., at the Save Mart Center before opening the season on the road at UC Riverside on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.
The 'Dogs will then return home for three straight games against Fresno Pacific (Nov. 17), Washington (Nov. 20) and George Washington (Nov. 23).
2015-16 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Rank Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. Colorado State (12) 237
2. New Mexico (7) 221
3. Boise State (6) 215
4. Fresno State 182
5. UNLV 138
6. San Diego State 135
7. Wyoming 125
8. San José State 93
9. Utah State 79
10. Nevada 78
11. Air Force 26
2015-16 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Name Class Position Institution
Brooke Pahukoa Jr. G Boise State
Ellen Nystrom Jr. G Colorado State
Khadijah Shumpert Sr. F New Mexico
Funda Nakkasoglu So. G Utah State
Marquelle Dent Sr. G Wyoming
Preseason Player of the Year
Marquelle Dent, Sr., G, Wyoming
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jannon Otto, Fr., G, New Mexico Preseason
Co-Newcomers of the Year
Stephanie Schmid, Jr., G, Nevada
Dezz Ramos, Jr., PG, San José State
"Be Bold" - The official home of the Fresno State women's basketball team is ESPN2 790 AM.
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