Nov. 4, 2009

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Ranked in the Preseason Associated Press poll which was released last week, CALIFORNIA, STANFORD and ARIZONA STATE are each among the preseason top 25 of the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, as well, with the Cardinal coming in No. 2 in the nation. The Golden Bears and Sun Devils have been rated Nos. 11 and 13, respectively. The AP also released its Preseason All-America team and Stanford senior Jayne Appel was among the five players named.

Pac-10 coaches and members of the media covering the Conference selected the Cardinal as the preseason favorite to win the regular-season 2009-10 campaign. Stanford is coming off a second-straight NCAA Final Four appearance, returning four starters including preseason All-American and 2009 Pac-10 Player of the Year Appel (Pleasant Hill, Calif.). Also back to help the Cardinal make another run at a Pac-10 and national title is SO F Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Cypress, Texas), who received votes on the AP Preseason All-America team.

ASU comes into the new season after making a second trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in two years. The Sun Devils were picked were the Pac-10 media's choice to finish second in the league this season. Meanwhile, the Pac-10 coaches picked Cal to finish second after the Golden Bears advanced to their first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen and recruited the No. 1-ranked class in the nation. Among the returnees for Cal is SR G Alexis Gray-Lawson (Oakland, Calif.), who was a first team All-Pac-10 pick last year and also received votes on the AP's Preseason All-America squad.

Also receiving votes in the coaches poll was Arizona. Under the direction of second-year head coach Niya Butts, the Wildcats look to improve on last year's showing with first team All-Pac-10 performer Ify Ibekwe (Carson, Calif.) leading the way.

The regular-season gets underway next weekend beginning Friday, Nov. 13 and Pac-10 play begins on January 1. The State Farm Pac-10 Women's Basketball Tournament is slated for March 11-14 at Galen Center in Los Angeles.

Others receiving votes: Middle Tennessee 118, Kansas 110, Rutgers 106, Auburn 84, Georgia 76, Georgia Tech 73, South Dakota State 70, Mississippi State 66, Gonzaga 48, Kansas State 39, San Diego State 39, Florida 31, TCU 12, NC State 11, ARIZONA 10, Michigan 10, Bowling Green 7, South Florida 6, Syracuse 6, South Carolina 3, Arkansas-Little Rock 2, Ball State 2, Georgetown 2, Richmond 2, Southern Methodist 2, Temple 2, Central Florida 1, Charlotte 1, Fresno State 1, Hartford 1, Minnesota 1, West Virginia 1, Western Kentucky 1.

2009-10 ASSOCIATED PRESS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Maya Moore, Connecticut, 6-0, junior, 19.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, .521 fg pct (40 votes)
JAYNE APPEL, Stanford, 6-4, senior, 16.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg, .602 fg pct (34)
Tina Charles, Connecticut, 6-4, senior, 16.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, .620 fg pct (28)
Jantel Lavender, Ohio State, 6-4, junior, 20.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg, .541 fg pct (20)
Monica Wright, Virginia, 5-11, senior, 20.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 117 3-pointers (20)

Others receiving votes (in alphabetical order): Ashley Barlow, Notre Dame; Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee; Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee State; Elena Delle Donne, Delaware; Alexis Gray-Lawson, California; Brittney Griner, Baylor; Allison Hightower, LSU; Danielle McCray, Kansas; Deirdre Naughton, DePaul; Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford; Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State; Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State; Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma; Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga.

- www.pac-10.org -