Lady Tops picked to finish second in C-USA; Gooch tabbed preseason POY

WKU junior forward Chastity Gooch shoots past Baylor freshman point guard Khadijiah Cave during the first round of the 2014 NCAA Divison I Women’s Basketball Championship at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas on Saturday March 22, 2014. (Jeff Brown/HERALD)

Sean Robinson
October 8, 2014

Conference USA announced today that WKU came in at No. 2 overall in the 2014-15 Preseason C-USA Women’s Basketball Poll with 179 points, ranking two points shy of rival Middle Tennessee. WKU received five first-place votes.

In addition, the Lady Toppers claimed three of the eight preseason all-conference team spots, with senior forward Chastity Gooch, senior guard Alexis Govan and redshirt sophomore guard Kendall Noble all being honored. Gooch was also tabbed Preseason C-USA Player of the Year.

Gooch averaged 18.4 points and nine rebounds per game last season. Her 606 points last season marks the 10th-best single-season scoring total in WKU history. She also moved into the top 20 in career scoring and top 10 in both rebounds and blocks in 2013-2014.

Govan averaged 16.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 11 games last year, but missed all of conference play due to a stress fracture in her left tibia. Noble, who averaged 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game a year ago, put up 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the Lady Toppers’ NCAA Tournament game against Baylor.

Preseason C-USA Women’s Basketball Poll:

1. Middle Tennessee (6) – 181 points

2. WKU (5) – 179 points

3. Southern Miss (1) – 163 points

4. UTEP (1) – 154 points

5. Charlotte – 132 points

6. Old Dominion – 116 points

7. Louisiana Tech – 105 points

8. UAB – 104 points