COLLEGE STATION- Texas A&M women’s basketball was ranked No. 13 in the initial Associated Press Poll on Tuesday. The Aggies have been ranked in the Top 16 of the initial AP Poll in 10 straight seasons.
This is the 30th consecutive week the Aggies have been ranked in the AP Poll, and the 172nd time in the last 179 weeks. Only Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Stanford and Tennessee have been ranked more often than the Aggies in that span.
Texas A&M has seven games against teams ranked in this initial poll, starting Nov. 18 at No. 14 Duke. No. 2 South Carolina (Jan. 17 in Columbia, S.C.; Jan. 31 in College Station), No. 4 Tennessee (Feb. 7 in College Station), No. 6 Ohio State (Nov. 28 in Las Vegas), No. 11 Mississippi State (Feb. 11 in College Station), No. 17 Oklahoma (Dec. 20 in Oklahoma City) and No. 18 Kentucky (Feb. 28 in College Station) also face the Aggies this season.
In addition, the Aggies face Cal (Nov. 27 in Las Vegas), DePaul (Dec. 12 in College Station), Arkansas (Jan. 7 in Fayetteville, Ark.), Missouri (Jan. 21 in College Station) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 21 in Nashville), who all received votes in the AP Poll.
In all, 17 of the Aggies’ 29 games this season are against teams that are receiving votes in at least one of the two major preseason polls.
Connecticut was ranked No. 1 with all 32 first-place votes. South Carolina, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Baylor rounded out the Top 5.
For the first time in school history, the Aggie women’s program returns two All-Americans, with two-time selection Courtney Walker and Jordan Jones slated to come back for Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame coach Gary Blair, as the team looks for its 11th straight NCAA Tournament Appearance.
The Aggies return four starters in 2015-16—three of whom earned All-SEC honors a year ago. Jones, Walker andCourtney Williams, who competed for the United States national team in the Pan American Games this summer, look to earn All-SEC honors again as seniors, while Khaalia Hillsman looks to build on the momentum of a strong freshman campaign that saw her start the season’s last 10 games.
A&M brings back three-quarters of their scoring from 2014-15, and look to add contributions from highly-regarded newcomers Anriel Howard and Danni Williams, as well as Michigan State transfer Jasmine Lumpkin.
Season tickets are still available through the 12th Man Foundation, and start at $100. Fans can order tickets here:http://www.12thmanfoundation.com/ticket-center/women%27s-basketball.aspx . The Aggies host six teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the initial AP Poll.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics