CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Junior Emma Bockrath has been tabbed Big South Preseason Player of the Year as the High Point University women’s basketball team was voted fourth by the conference’s coaches, the Big South announced on Tuesday.
Bockrath – the 2016-17 Big South Player of the Year – becomes the fourth Panther to earn the Preseason Player of the Year honor joining Kaylah Keys (2014-15), Jurica Hargraves (2009-10) and Katie O’Dell (2005-06). In the 21 years of predicting the player of the year, the preseason selection has won the postseason award 10 times. Meanwhile, the last time HPU had the Preseason Player of the Year another Panther won the award when Stacia Robertson earned the honor in 2014-15.
Radford (96 points) – the defending regular season champions – were picked to repeat receiving seven of the 10 first-place votes. Meanwhile, Liberty (81) picked up one first-place votes as Campbell (77) was just four points behind in third.
After finishing the 2016-17 season in a tie for second, the Panthers (73) were picked fourth in the poll. Coming in right behind HPU, UNC Asheville (65) claimed the last two first-place votes after winning the conference tournament each of the past two seasons.
Charleston Southern (50) is the coaches’ choice for sixth while Gardner-Webb (38) and Presbyterian (37) have one point separating them at seventh and eighth. At the bottom of the Big South, Longwood (17) and Winthrop (16) are ninth and 10th in the poll.
Emma Bockrath | Junior | 5-10 | Dayton, Ohio | Kettering Alter
Finished in the top-10 in the Big South in points, rebounds, steals, field goal percentage and minutes … Was selected as the 2016-17 Big South Player of the Year and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District … Averaged 14.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per Big South game last year … Has started all 61 games of her HPU career while averaging 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per appearance.
2017-18 Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Rk Team (first-place votes) Points 1. Radford (7) 96 2. Liberty (1) 81 3. Campbell 77 4. High Point 73 5. UNC Asheville (2) 65 6. Charleston Southern 50 7. Gardner-Webb 38 8. Presbyterian College 37 9. Longwood 17 10. Winthrop 16
Note: points are based on a weighted system. First-place votes received 10 points, followed by 9 points for second-place, and so on.
2017-18 Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
First-Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown Emma Bockrath (PPOY) High Point Jr. G 5-10 Dayton, Ohio Keyen Green Liberty Soph. F 6-1 Philadelphia, Pa. Jayda Worthy Radford Sr. F 6-0 Toledo, Ohio Janayla White Radford Sr. F 6-2 Virginia Beach, Va. Cortney Storey Presbyterian College Sr. G 5-6 Fayetteville, Tenn. Second Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown Ke’Asia Jackson Charleston Southern Jr. G 5-8 Irmo, S.C. Summer Price Campbell Sr. G 5-9 Beaverdam, Va. Tierra Huntsman Gardner-Webb R-Sr. G 5-8 Connersville, Ind. Khaila Webb UNC Asheville Sr. G 5-7 Spartanburg, S.C. MaKala Rouse Campbell Sr. G 5-8 Greensboro, N.C.