UConn Tops USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Preseason Poll for Third Consecutive Season

STORRS, CT (Nov. 5, 2001) -- For the third consecutive season, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has been tabbed preseason No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches’ Preseason Poll. The Huskies received 25 out of a possible 40 first-place votes to garner 972 total points.

The SEC claimed two top-three teams as Tennessee was ranked second with 937 points, including seven first-place votes, and Vanderbilt was No. 3 with 837 points and five first-place votes. Duke and Oklahoma, who received one first-place vote, ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

Louisiana Tech, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Purdue and Stanford rounded out the top ten. Louisiana Tech and Texas Tech each garnered one first-place vote.

Connecticut is scheduled to play three members of the top ten this season. Louisiana Tech and Oklahoma visit the Hartford Civic Center on Dec. 9 and Dec. 22, respectively, while the Huskies will journey to Knoxville, TN, for a matchup with Tennessee Jan. 5. UConn also might face No. 3 Vanderbilt in the 16-team preseason WNIT field.

UConn begins its regular season Friday, Nov. 9, against Fairfield in the preseason WNIT. Gametime is 7:30 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion.