BC women picked 11th in ACC preseason poll

A young Boston College women's basketball team was ranked 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll in voting announced by the conference yesterday.

Senior Kaydia Kentish and sophomores Ayla Brown and Mickel Picco are the only returning players to have seen extensive action last season, when the Eagles finished 13-16 overall and 3-11 in the ACC.

Brown, a 6-foot guard, started 16 games last season, averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Picco, a 5-8 guard, averaged 6.7 points while starting six games, and Kentish, a 6-3 forward, averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds.

The Eagles, who open the season Nov. 9 at home against Wright State and begin ACC play at Virginia Tech Jan. 3, have six freshman and two sophomores on the roster.

Maryland was the overwhelming pick to win the conference. The Terrapins, who return four starters from the team that was 28-6 last season, received 27 of 37 first-place votes cast by the ACC's coaches and sports information directors and were the preseason pick for the second year in a row.

They were followed by North Carolina, the defending league tournament champion and Final Four participant, which was voted first on the other 10 ballots.

Duke was third, followed by Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Virginia.

Crystal Langhorne, Maryland's two-time All-American, was selected the preseason player of the year.