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Marquette women picked to finish 3rd in Big East Preseason Coaches Poll

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Selena Lott – Photo Courtesy of Marquette Athletics

Eleven-time national champion Connecticut is the unanimous favorite to win the BIG EAST Conference women’s basketball title in a vote by the league’s coaches today.  The Huskies, who will begin their first season of BIG EAST play since 2012-13, have won the conference regular season 19 times, along with 18 BIG EAST Tournament titles.  Uconn collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes to top the preseason poll.

Six-time and reigning BIG EAST regular-season champion DePaul finished second in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, while rival Marquette, which has advanced to four straight BIG EAST Tournament title games, was slotted third.  St. John’s followed in fourth place with 69 points, while Creighton rounded out the top five.

After being picked to finish ninth in the 2019-20 preseason poll, Marquette finished 13-5 in BIG EAST play and advanced to its fourth consecutive conference tournament final.  The Golden Eagles looked well on their way to a national postseason berth after going 24-8 on the year and earning votes in both national polls.  Marquette returns eight letterwinners including three starters from that squad, highlighted by leading scorer and All-BIG EAST Second Team honoree Selena Lott (15.5 ppg) and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team selection Lauren Van Kleunen (11.8 ppg).  Lott was voted to the All-BIG EAST Preseason First Team this year.

Megan Duffy, who was voted BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2020, has brought in more talent to Milwaukee this year, including Liza Karlen, a 6-2 forward out of Stillwater, Minnesota, who scored over 2,000 points in high school.

Porath, Fischer honored by WBCA

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Leah Porath & Brad Fischer – Photo Courtesy of WIAC & WBCA

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh‘s Leah Porath and Brad Fischer have been selected the NCAA Division III Public School Women’s Player of the Year and NCAA Division II-III Women’s Coach of the Year, respectively, by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for the 2019-20 season.

Porath is the second straight Titan to capture WBCA Division III Public Schools Player of the Year laurels, joining 2019 winner Isabella Samuels.  The WIAC Player of the Year, Porath led the conference in scoring at 17.5 points a game, as well as three-point field goal percentage at .408.

Fischer guided UW-Oshkosh to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Championship and the WIAC Championship title.  The Titans compiled a 20-10 record and finished the season on a six-game winning streak.  Fischer wrapped up his eighth season as head coach of the Titans and receives WBCA Women’s Division III Coach of the Year for the fourth time (2013, 2017, 2019, 2020).

UW-Green Bay’s Frankie Wurtz was named the NCAA Division I Player of the Year, while Marquette coach Megan Duffy was named the 2020 WBCA Division I Coach of the Year.