October 15, 2001
USI ranked ninth in preseason Division II Bulletin Top 25,
Stuckman named preseason All-American honorable mention
The University of Southern Indiana women’s basketball team is ranked ninth in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 Poll. It is the highest preseason ranking the Screaming Eagles have received since 1997, when they were ranked sixth in the D-II Bulletin and Dick Vitale’s College Basketball Top 15.
USI finished 28-4 a year ago and was ranked sixth in the final WBCA Top 25 Poll. The Eagles won a share of the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season championship, won the GLVC Tournament championship, won the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional championship, and participated in the NCAA II Elite Eight last season.
USI returns eight players from last season’s squad, including D-II Bulletin Preseason All-American honorable mention Jessica Stuckman (Quincy, Illinois). Stuckman averaged 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest and earned GLVC Freshman of the Year honors in addition to All-GLVC honorable mention last season.
Also returning for the Eagles are senior forward Casey Hughes (Bicknell, Indiana) and senior guard Jasmine Moore (Chicago, Illinois). Hughes is eighth on USI’s all-time scoring list (1,059 points) and is 15th all-time at USI with 407 career rebounds. Moore earned All-GLVC honorable mention honors and was selected to the Great Lakes Region All-Tournament team in 2000-01.
Northern Kentucky University (5th) was the only other GLVC School to crack the D-II Bulletin Top 25 while defending national champion Cal Poly Pomona held the top spot.
USI’s first action will be an exhibition game in Terre Haute, Indiana as it takes on NCAA Division I Indiana State University.
Dan McDonnell, USI Sports Information
