The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s basketball team was predicted to finish second by both the coaches and the media in the Southern Conference preseason polls released Wednesday.
The men’s team was picked seventh out of 10 teams.
The Mocs women, who finished 21-11 last season, graduated four seniors and had two other players not return for a final season. They still return a pair of seniors in sisters Aryanna and Keiana Gilbert and brought in five talented freshmen and a sophomore transfer, 6-foot-2 post Arianne Whitaker.
Keiana Gilbert and sophomore guard Lakelyn Bouldin were selected to the 10-player preseason all-conference team. The 5-11 Gilbert averaged 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 2006-07, while the 5-7 Bouldin averaged 10.4 points while making 64 3-pointers at a 39 percent rate.
Mercer returns its top nine scorers and was the overwhelming favorite, garnering seven of eight first-place votes by the coaches and 49 points to UTC’s 40. The Bears had nine first-place votes in the media poll to UTC’s four and had 100 points to the Mocs’ 94.
UNC Greensboro received the other first-place vote in the coaches’ poll.
Mercer’s Kahlia Lawrence was named preseason conference player of the year after earning the postseason honor last season.
The UTAC men received 97 points in the media poll and 27 in the coaches’ poll, tying with The Citadel in the latter. Mercer was selected as the favorite in the coaches’ poll, while Furman received the honor in the media poll. Samford was second in both polls.
Furman’s Devin Sibley was voted the preseason player of the year.
Men’s notes
The Mocs will have a fan appreciation night Monday at McKenzie Arena. Season-ticket holders will have an opportunity for a hospitality room for dinner with new head coach Lamont Paris and new athletic director Mark Wharton, with doors opening at 5:45. There will also be a tour of the locker room and photo opportunities in the media room.
The doors will open for the fans event at 6:45, with stations set up for free throws, dribbling drills and more with student-athletes, along with candy for all of the kids in attendance.
Also, the team announced that A.J. Bowers has been added to the roster as a walk-on. The athletic 6-5 freshman prepped at MLK Magnet High School before starting the semester as a manager. He becomes the 13th available player for the Mocs this season.
Jarrells commits
The UTC women received a commitment for 2019 from Dena Jarrells, a junior at Saint Joseph Central High School in Huntington, W.Va. The 5-4 Jarrells averaged 16 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals for the Lady Irish, who won the 2017 Class A state championship.
She had an early offer from Akron.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.