Nov. 5, 2008

WACO, Texas - The Baylor Lady Bears are ranked No. 17 nationally in the USA Today ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches preseason poll, it was announced on Wednesday.

Baylor posted a 25-7 overall record last season and finished No. 17 in the final Coaches poll. The Lady Bears finished second in the Big 12 Conference and were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the second round by Pittsburgh. Baylor returns four starters off last season's squad and boasts six returnees and six newcomers on this year's roster.

In addition, the Lady Bears are ranked No. 19 in the recently released Associated Press preseason poll. Baylor has been ranked in a school-record 92 straight AP polls dating back to week nine of the 2003-04 listing when it broke in at No. 24. Baylor's regular season gets underway Nov. 14 when it hosts Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.

USA Today ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll
Preseason
1. Connecticut (30)
2. Stanford
3. Rutgers
4. North Carolina
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee (1)
7. Oklahoma
8. Duke
9. California
10. Texas A&M
11. Louisville
12. Vanderbilt
13. Texas
14. Notre Dame
15. Oklahoma State
Virginia
17. Baylor
18. Arizona State
19. Ohio State
20. Old Dominion
21. Auburn
22. LSU
23. Pittsburgh
24. Florida State
25. Georgia

Others receiving votes: Xavier 87; Purdue 85; Kansas State 72; Iowa State 63; Marist 48; Utah 46; George Washington 24; Syracuse 24; Marquette 22; Hartford 11; Michigan State 11; Texas-El Paso 9; West Virginia 8; Liberty 7; Gonzaga 6; Illinois State 3; Iowa 3; New Mexico 3; Minnesota 2; Montana 2; Southern Methodist 2; TCU 2; Boise State 1; DePaul 1; East Carolina 1; Georgia Tech 1; North Carolina A&T 1.