The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Women's Basketball Participates In Conference USA Media Day
10/18/2005 12:00:00β―AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 18, 2005
IRVING, Texas -- UAB head coach Audra Smith and junior guard Crystal McFadden were on hand Tuesday at the 2005 Conference USA Basketball Media Day here at the Sheraton Grand. Smith and McFadden met with media from across the conference and were interviewed live on CSTV.
"I thought today was very productive," said UAB head women's basketball coach Audra Smith. "I was excited to have CSTV here. It shows how much they are committed to the conference and women's basketball. I was elated to have local media here to mix with other teams and coaches in order to get a feel for the conference. I think it was very good for morale and confidence of the conference to have men's and women's basketball at this event."
CSTV broadcast "Conference USA Basketball Slam," a live special presentation from the Media Day. The three-hour show aired live on CSTV and online via the official Web sites of CSTV (www.cstv.com) and Conference USA (www.ConferenceUSA.com). This show offered fans an exclusive inside look at Conference USA Basketball, as all 12 head men's basketball coaches and all 12 head women's basketball coaches, as well as select players and Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky appeared to preview the 2005-06 basketball seasons.
The Blazers are set to begin the 2005-06 season on Nov. 18, when they host ACC-foe Georgia Tech at 7:00 p.m. in Bartow Arena. UAB returns four starters and nine letterwinners, including its five leading scorers from last season's squad. Leading the charge for UAB will be junior guards Carmen Guzman and McFadden. Guzman and McFadden were the Blazers' leading scorers last season, averaging 13.9 and 13.0 points per game, respectively. Together, they accounted for 44 percent of UAB's offense.
It was also announced by Conference USA Monday that the Blazers have been picked to finish 10th in the league this season. The poll, voted on by the league's head coaches, picked Rice to win the title with seven first-place votes. Houston finished a close second, with five first-place votes.
In lieu of a preseason all-conference team, the league office announced a C-USA "Players to Watch" list. Twelve guards line the preseason chart, while nine forwards and two centers wrap up the 23-player watch list. Each of the members is expected to make significant contributions to their respective team.
2005-06 PRESEASON POLL (1st place votes) 1. Rice (7) 2. Houston (5) 3. SMU 4. Marshall 5. Tulsa 6. UCF 7. Southern Miss 8. Memphis 9. Tulane 10. UAB 11. UTEP 12. East CarolinaPRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR Lauren Neaves, Rice (Cooper City, Fla.)
2005-06 C-USA "PLAYERS TO WATCH" LIST LaToya Horton, East Carolina, Forward Cherie Mills, East Carolina, Center Jasmin Moore, Houston, Guard Tye Jackson, Houston, Guard Sikeetha Shepard-Hall, Marshall, Guard Crystal Champion, Marshall, Forward Tamika Butler, Memphis, Guard Devin Necaise, Memphis, Guard Krystal Frazier, Rice, Guard Lauren Neaves, Rice, Forward Katy Cobb, SMU, Guard Janielle Dodds, SMU, Center Shannon Stueber, Southern Miss, Forward Emer Foley, Southern Miss, Forward Jami Montagnino, Tulane, Guard Jillian Robbins, Tulsa, Forward Megan Moody, Tulsa, Forward Carmen Guzman, UAB, Guard Crystal McFadden, UAB, Guard Celeste Hudson, UCF, Guard Shelby Weber, UCF, Forward Charnette Phelps, UTEP, Forward Ana Valtierra, UTEP, Guard
