Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Lauren Bacho
Wildcats Ranked No. 16 in USA Today/WBCA Coaches Preseason Poll
11/19/2020 6:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern landed at No. 16 in the first USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll for the upcoming 2020-21 season, as announced Thursday by USA Today.
The Wildcats have now earned a ranking in all three of the preseason polls so far, with appearances in the AP Poll and the ESPN Way-Too-Early Poll.
Northwestern is returning three All-Big Ten selections and the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Joe McKeown from last year's Big Ten Championship-winning squad. Lindsey Pulliam and Veronica Burton were both selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team while Pulliam was named the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the media.
Northwestern is one of five programs in the Big Ten in the first edition of this year's coaches poll. The full poll can be found below.
Texas 72; South Dakota 25; Florida State 23; Iowa 13; North Carolina 11; Arizona State 11; South Florida 9; Rutgers 7; Middle Tennessee St. 7; Virginia Tech 6; Tennessee 4; Princeton 3; Florida Gulf Coast 3; Brigham Young 3; South Dakota State 2; James Madison 2; Tenn-Martin 1; Louisiana State 1.
The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 32 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2020-21 season: Suzy Barcomb, Seattle; Matt Bollant, Eastern Illinois; Dan Burt, Duquesne; Jackie Carson; Furman; Billi Chambers, Iona; Bill Cleary, Colgate; Shane Clipfell, Western Michigan; Jamie Craighhead, San Jose State; Megan Duffy, Marquette; Ronny Fisher, Campbell; Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga; Freda Freeman-Jackson, Alabama State; Julie Goodenough; Abilene Christian; Carey Green, Liberty; Tamara Inoue, UC Irvine; Monique LeBlanc, Brown; Maria Marchesano, Mount St. Mary's; Katie Meier, Miami (Fla.); Jalie Mitchell, North Texas; Mike Neighbors, Arkansas; Raegan Pebley, TCU; Kyle Rechlicz, Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Diane Richardson, Towson; Lynne Roberts, Utah; Matt Ruffing, Evansville; Seton Sobolewski, Idaho State; Lisa Stockton, Tulane; C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers; Amy Vachon, Maine; Larry Vickers, Norfolk State; Jaida Williams, Coastal Carolina; Doshia Woods, Denver.
The Wildcats have now earned a ranking in all three of the preseason polls so far, with appearances in the AP Poll and the ESPN Way-Too-Early Poll.
Northwestern is returning three All-Big Ten selections and the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Joe McKeown from last year's Big Ten Championship-winning squad. Lindsey Pulliam and Veronica Burton were both selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team while Pulliam was named the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the media.
Northwestern is one of five programs in the Big Ten in the first edition of this year's coaches poll. The full poll can be found below.
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts | 1st | Prev. | Chg. | Hi/Lo |
| 1 | South Carolina | 0-0 | 799 | 31 | NR | — | 1/1 |
| 2 | Stanford | 0-0 | 740 | 1 | NR | — | 2/2 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 0-0 | 732 | 0 | NR | — | 3/3 |
| 4 | Baylor | 0-0 | 702 | 0 | NR | — | 4/4 |
| 5 | Louisville | 0-0 | 663 | 0 | NR | — | 5/5 |
| 6 | NC State | 0-0 | 601 | 0 | NR | — | 6/6 |
| 7 | Mississippi State | 0-0 | 567 | 0 | NR | — | 7/7 |
| 8 | Arizona | 0-0 | 548 | 0 | NR | — | 8/8 |
| 9 | Oregon | 0-0 | 539 | 0 | NR | — | 9/9 |
| 10 | UCLA | 0-0 | 535 | 0 | NR | — | 10/10 |
| 11 | Maryland | 0-0 | 456 | 0 | NR | — | 11/11 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 0-0 | 451 | 0 | NR | — | 12/12 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 0-0 | 377 | 0 | NR | — | 13/13 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 0-0 | 360 | 0 | NR | — | 14/14 |
| 15 | Indiana | 0-0 | 347 | 0 | NR | — | 15/15 |
| 16 | Northwestern | 0-0 | 287 | 0 | NR | — | 16/16 |
| 17 | Oregon St. | 0-0 | 281 | 0 | NR | — | 17/17 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 0-0 | 253 | 0 | NR | — | 18/18 |
| 19 | DePaul | 0-0 | 219 | 0 | NR | — | 19/19 |
| 20 | Gonzaga | 0-0 | 192 | 0 | NR | — | 20/20 |
| 21 | Syracuse | 0-0 | 149 | 0 | NR | — | 21/21 |
| 22 | Ohio St. | 0-0 | 135 | 0 | NR | — | 22/22 |
| 23 | Notre Dame | 0-0 | 104 | 0 | NR | — | 23/23 |
| 24 | Michigan | 0-0 | 84 | 0 | NR | — | 24/24 |
| 25 | Missouri St. | 0-0 | 76 | 0 | NR | — | 25/25 |
Texas 72; South Dakota 25; Florida State 23; Iowa 13; North Carolina 11; Arizona State 11; South Florida 9; Rutgers 7; Middle Tennessee St. 7; Virginia Tech 6; Tennessee 4; Princeton 3; Florida Gulf Coast 3; Brigham Young 3; South Dakota State 2; James Madison 2; Tenn-Martin 1; Louisiana State 1.
The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 32 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2020-21 season: Suzy Barcomb, Seattle; Matt Bollant, Eastern Illinois; Dan Burt, Duquesne; Jackie Carson; Furman; Billi Chambers, Iona; Bill Cleary, Colgate; Shane Clipfell, Western Michigan; Jamie Craighhead, San Jose State; Megan Duffy, Marquette; Ronny Fisher, Campbell; Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga; Freda Freeman-Jackson, Alabama State; Julie Goodenough; Abilene Christian; Carey Green, Liberty; Tamara Inoue, UC Irvine; Monique LeBlanc, Brown; Maria Marchesano, Mount St. Mary's; Katie Meier, Miami (Fla.); Jalie Mitchell, North Texas; Mike Neighbors, Arkansas; Raegan Pebley, TCU; Kyle Rechlicz, Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Diane Richardson, Towson; Lynne Roberts, Utah; Matt Ruffing, Evansville; Seton Sobolewski, Idaho State; Lisa Stockton, Tulane; C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers; Amy Vachon, Maine; Larry Vickers, Norfolk State; Jaida Williams, Coastal Carolina; Doshia Woods, Denver.
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