Copney Named Preseason All-Conference
10/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Parker, kparker@uscupstate.edu
A-Sun Release
College Sports Madness Release
MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference released its 2012-13 women's basketball preseason awards and polls Thursday with USC Upstate senior guard Tee'Ara Copney (Asheville, N.C.) collecting Preseason All-Conference honors.
Copney was named to the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team after averaging 15.7 points per game last season and ranking third in the A-Sun in scoring average. She posted 24 double-digit scoring contests and had seven games recording 20-plus points during her junior campaign.
This marks her second preseason honor this year as the senior was named to the Madness Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference First Team released by College Sports Madness Monday. These preseason awards could be a sign of positive things to come for Copney as she went on to earn All-Conference First Team honors last season after snagging Preseason All-A-Sun accolades in 2011-12.
"I am very happy for Tee'Ara," said Upstate head coach Tammy George. "She has had a great career here at Upstate. It's a great recognition for her and our basketball program."
The guard joined the 1,000th point club last year, reaching the career milestone in the Hodge Center Jan. 7 against Kennesaw State. The senior ranks ninth all-time at Upstate and second in the program's Division-I era with 1,244 career-points.
During the 2011-12 campaign, Copney led the league in free throw percentage with an 88.6 mark, ranking 13th in the nation. The 88.6 free throw percentage tops the single-season list in the Upstate record books. She helped the Spartans to an A-Sun-best 76.7 team percentage at the line to claim 11th in the NCAA statistical rankings.
In the A-Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll, Stetson took top honors with 98 points and eight first-place votes, while Florida Gulf Coast was second with 89 points and two first-place votes. The Hatters were also chosen to win the A-Sun tournament crown by the league's coaches.
North Florida took third (68 points) in the coaches poll, while ETSU and Jacksonville tied for fourth (64 points). Kennesaw State claimed sixth (51 points) with Northern Kentucky and Upstate trailing in seventh (35 points). Lipscomb (21 points) and Mercer (20 points) closed out the coaches' selections in the No. 9 and No. 10 spots, respectively.
The Eagles were picked to win the regular season title and the conference tournament in the A-Sun Preseason Media Poll. FGCU garnered 181 points and 14 first-place votes, while Stetson was second with 175 points and five first-place votes. The Owls grabbed second (127 points), while the Ospreys came in fourth (107 points). The Buccaneers and Dolphins tied for fifth with 103 points, while the Spartans snagged seventh (93 points). The Norse, the league newcomers, claimed eighth (71 points), while Mercer (50 points) and Lipscomb (35 points) took the No. 9 and No. 10 positions.
"Our focus is on getting better daily right now and we are looking forward to the new season," George said.
The Spartans open the season Nov. 10 on the road at Purdue with a 7 p.m. tip-off. They return to the Hodge Center for their home-opener after a four-game road swing, taking on St. Andrews Presbyterian Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Follow Upstate women's basketball this season on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Below is the preseason coaches' polls as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, the preseason media poll as voted on by media from around the Southeast and the complete list of preseason award winners.
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2012-13 Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
||
| Place | School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. | Stetson (8) |
98 |
| 2. | FGCU (2) |
89 |
| 3. | North Florida |
68 |
| T4. |
ETSU |
64 |
| T4. |
Jacksonville | 64 |
| 6. |
Kenensaw State |
51 |
| T7. | Northern Kentucky |
35 |
| T7. | USC Upstate |
35 |
| 9. | Lipscomb |
21 |
| 10. | Mercer |
20 |
| Projected Tournament Champion: Stetson (8 Votes) | ||
|
2012-13 Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
|
||
| Place | School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. | FGCU (14) |
181 |
| 2. | Stetson (5) |
175 |
| 3. | Kennesaw State |
127 |
| 4. |
North Florida |
107 |
| T5. | ETSU |
103 |
| T5. |
Jacksonville |
103 |
| 7. | USC Upstate |
93 |
| 8. | Northern Kentucky |
71 |
| 9. | Mercer |
50 |
| 10. | Lipscomb |
35 |
| Projected Tournament Champion: FGCU (14 Votes) | ||
|
2012-13 Atlantic Sun Preseason All-Conference Team
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||||
| Pos. | School (First Place Votes) |
Cl. |
Hometown | Academic Major |
| G/F |
Destiny Mitchell, ETSU |
Jr. |
Bluffton, Ga. |
Criminal Justice |
| G |
Sarah Hansen, FGCU |
Jr. |
McKean, Pa. |
Chemistry |
| G |
Brittany Kennedy, FGCU |
Sr. |
Spokane, Wash. |
Social Work |
| F |
Jade Cargill, Jacksonville |
Jr. |
Vero Beach, Fla. |
Social Science |
| G |
Kristina Wells, Kennesaw State |
So. |
Douglasville, Ga. |
Psychology |
| F |
Ry'Van Buchanan, Mercer |
Sr. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
Marketing |
| G |
Tee'Ara Copney, USC Upstate |
Sr. |
Asheville, N.C. |
Sociology |
| G |
Victoria McGowan, Stetson |
Sr. |
Inkster, Mich. |
Sports Management |
| G |
Shanasa Sanders, Stetson |
Sr. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
Business |
| F |
Sasha Sims, Stetson |
Jr. |
Fayetteville, Ga. |
Sports Management |
| Preseason Player of the Year: Victoria McGowan, Stetson |
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| Fan-Voted Preseason Player of the Year: Sarah Hansen, FGCU |
||||
| Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Brittany Kennedy, FGCU |
||||
| Fan-Voted Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Brittany Kenneday, FGCU | ||||
