UTC Women Among Favorites to Win the SoCon Basketball Title

(soconsports.com) ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The ETSU Buccaneers were tabbed as the preseason favorites to win the Southern Conference women’s basketball title for the 2023-24 season, according to a vote by the league’s head coaches. Wofford junior guard Rachael Rose was named the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year. The league’s media predicted Chattanooga, the 2023 Southern Conference tournament champion, to win the SoCon title in 2023-24.
 
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes as part of the balloting.
 
ETSU picked up four of the eight possible first-place votes in the coaches’ poll, earning 39 points in the poll overall. The media poll predicted a second-place finish for ETSU with five first-place votes and 85 points. The Buccaneers finished 25-10 overall and 9-5 in SoCon play last season. Head coach Brenda Mock-Brown’s team returns four starters including junior guards Nevaeh Brown and Kendall Folley, both of whom made the preseason all-conference team. 

Chattanooga finished the 2022-23 campaign 20-13 overall and 9-5 in SoCon play, winning the Ingles SoCon Women’s Basketball Championship for the sixth time in ten seasons. The Mocs were selected second by the coaches with two first-place votes and 38 points. Shawn Poppie’s team was the Media’s first-place pick with five first-place votes for 88 points. Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon tournament in 2023, Raven Thompson along with teammate Jada Guinn, a newcomer to the Mocs from Tennessee Tech, were preseason all-conference selections. 

 
Mercer picked up 31 points and one first-place vote to finish third in the coaches’ poll and 68 points for fourth in the media poll. Wofford tallied 26 points for fourth in the coaches’ poll and 84 points with three first-place votes for third in the media poll. Mercer’s sophomore guard Enjulina Gonzalez made the all-conference team.  

 
Furman, who finished last season 11-19 overall and 3-11 in SoCon play was selected fifth by the coaches with 20 points and seventh by the media with 37 points. Junior guard Tate Walters was named to the preseason all-conference team. Walters, who did not play last season due to injury, averaged 12.9 points and 4.3 assists two seasons ago. The Paladins will be led this season by first-year head coach Pierre Curtis, who is a ten-year veteran of the program.
 
UNCG took sixth in the coaches’ poll (19) and the media poll (42). Junior guard/forward Isys Grady earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team. Grady, a tournament all-conference selection last season, averaged 8.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. 

Samford was picked seventh in the coaches’ poll with 17 points and was fifth in the media poll with 43 points. Sophomore guard Masyn Marchbanks was named to the preseason all-conference team for the Bulldogs. 

Western Carolina rounded out the polls with 6 points in the coaches’ poll and 21 points in the media poll. Senior guard Mya Love rounded out the preseason all-conference team. Love averaged 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 2022-23.
 
All eight teams were represented on the 10-member SoCon preseason all-conference team with ETSU and Chattanooga being the only two to place multiple players on the team.
 
The Southern Conference will conduct its SoCon Basketball Media Day presented by Ingles on Wednesday at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, with interviews with each coach and player representatives conducted by Pete Yanity airing live on ESPN+ beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern.
 
The 2023-24 season gets under way on Monday, Nov. 6, with six teams in action. Furman and ETSU kick off their seasons a day later. The 2024 Ingles Southern Conference Championship will be held March 7-10 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.
 
2023-24 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll

Team (1^st-place votes)                                    Total 

 
2023-24 Preseason Player of the Year
Rachael Rose, Jr., G, Wofford
 
2023-24 Preseason All-Southern Conference Team 

Nevaeh Brown, Jr., G, ETSU  

Kendall Folley, Jr., G, ETSU  

Tate Walters, Jr., G, Furman  

Enjulina Gonzalez, So., G, Mercer 

Masyn Marchbanks, So., G, Samford 

Raven Thompson, So., F Chattanooga 

Jada Guinn, Gr., G, Chattanooga 

Isys Grady, Jr., G/F, UNCG  

Mya Love, Sr., G, Western Carolina
 
2023-24 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll

Team (1^st-place votes)                                    Total