Beavs Are Confirmed in 2019 Preseason WNIT's 16-Team Field
May 2, 2019 10:11:14 GMT -8
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Post by beavershoopsfan on May 2, 2019 10:11:14 GMT -8
As reported on this message board previously, the 2019 Preseason WNIT this November will include Oregon State University among its 16 participating teams. The Beavs could be hosting as many as four games if all goes as hoped.
FORT COLLINS, CO – With the balance of women’s basketball programs understanding the need to tackle strong competition as soon and as often as possible, the 16-team tournament field has been assembled for the 26th annual Preseason WNIT, including two teams playing in the tournament for the fifth time.
The November event features a three-game guarantee for all teams, with first-round matchups and the bracket to be announced later this spring. All games are hosted by participating schools, with the championship game televised on CBS Sports Network.
The 2019 Preseason WNIT field includes Boise State (Mountain West), Davidson (Atlantic 10), DePaul (Big East), Drexel (Colonial Athletic), Miami OH (Mid-American), Missouri State (Missouri Valley), Oklahoma (Big 12), Oregon State (Pac-12), Pacific (West Coast Conference), Portland State (Big Sky), Prairie View A&M (Southwestern Athletic), South Alabama (Sun Belt), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland), UAB (Conference USA), UC Irvine (Big West) and UMKC (Western Athletic).
This is the debut appearance in the Preseason WNIT for Boise State, Portland State, Prairie View A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UC Irvine and UMKC. Oregon State, Pacific and South Alabama are in for the second time, while DePaul and UAB will be playing for the third time. It’s the fourth time for Davidson, Drexel and Miami, and both Missouri State and Oklahoma will play for the fifth time. All told, 12 teams reached the postseason in 2018-19.
“We’ve got a solid group of established programs from conferences with a national presence, but our mid-major teams have a proven ability to make noise and be very tough to handle,” said WNIT director Renee Carlson. “While everyone wants to eventually have a memorable postseason, teams realize they better bring their best from the very beginning of the campaign.”
The 2018 Preseason WNIT champion was Iowa State, featuring second-round WNBA draftee Bridget Carleton. In 2017, eventual Final Four participant Louisville won the Preseason WNIT, slipping past Oregon (which ended up reaching the NCAA Elite Eight that season and the Final Four in 2019). In 2016, Notre Dame claimed the Preseason WNIT with a core of players who keyed the Fighting Irish’s run to the 2018 NCAA Championship and the 2019 NCAA title game.
OREGON STATE
2018-19 Record: 26-8 overall, 14-4 Pac-12 (lost to Louisville in Round 3 of NCAA Tournament)
The Beavers have become one of the true powers in the Pac-12 and have reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for four straight seasons; they sit at No. 6 in ESPN’s early projection poll for 2019-20. Among other reasons, the roster is notable for its daunting height; in mid-April Oregon State added 6-foot-9 Serbian center Jelena Mitrovic, who will suit up with 6-9 sophomore-to-be Andrea Aquino and other role players who top out at or above 6-6. The team was 8th nationally in rebounding margin. But the guard play is fantastic; junior-to-be Destiny Slocum averaged 15.4 ppg and 5-10 Mikayla Pivec enters her senior year after scoring 15.2 ppg to go with 9.2 rpg. Kat Tudor is hoping to return for her senior year after missing 21 games last season with a knee injury.
FORT COLLINS, CO – With the balance of women’s basketball programs understanding the need to tackle strong competition as soon and as often as possible, the 16-team tournament field has been assembled for the 26th annual Preseason WNIT, including two teams playing in the tournament for the fifth time.
The November event features a three-game guarantee for all teams, with first-round matchups and the bracket to be announced later this spring. All games are hosted by participating schools, with the championship game televised on CBS Sports Network.
The 2019 Preseason WNIT field includes Boise State (Mountain West), Davidson (Atlantic 10), DePaul (Big East), Drexel (Colonial Athletic), Miami OH (Mid-American), Missouri State (Missouri Valley), Oklahoma (Big 12), Oregon State (Pac-12), Pacific (West Coast Conference), Portland State (Big Sky), Prairie View A&M (Southwestern Athletic), South Alabama (Sun Belt), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland), UAB (Conference USA), UC Irvine (Big West) and UMKC (Western Athletic).
This is the debut appearance in the Preseason WNIT for Boise State, Portland State, Prairie View A&M, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UC Irvine and UMKC. Oregon State, Pacific and South Alabama are in for the second time, while DePaul and UAB will be playing for the third time. It’s the fourth time for Davidson, Drexel and Miami, and both Missouri State and Oklahoma will play for the fifth time. All told, 12 teams reached the postseason in 2018-19.
“We’ve got a solid group of established programs from conferences with a national presence, but our mid-major teams have a proven ability to make noise and be very tough to handle,” said WNIT director Renee Carlson. “While everyone wants to eventually have a memorable postseason, teams realize they better bring their best from the very beginning of the campaign.”
The 2018 Preseason WNIT champion was Iowa State, featuring second-round WNBA draftee Bridget Carleton. In 2017, eventual Final Four participant Louisville won the Preseason WNIT, slipping past Oregon (which ended up reaching the NCAA Elite Eight that season and the Final Four in 2019). In 2016, Notre Dame claimed the Preseason WNIT with a core of players who keyed the Fighting Irish’s run to the 2018 NCAA Championship and the 2019 NCAA title game.
OREGON STATE
2018-19 Record: 26-8 overall, 14-4 Pac-12 (lost to Louisville in Round 3 of NCAA Tournament)
The Beavers have become one of the true powers in the Pac-12 and have reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for four straight seasons; they sit at No. 6 in ESPN’s early projection poll for 2019-20. Among other reasons, the roster is notable for its daunting height; in mid-April Oregon State added 6-foot-9 Serbian center Jelena Mitrovic, who will suit up with 6-9 sophomore-to-be Andrea Aquino and other role players who top out at or above 6-6. The team was 8th nationally in rebounding margin. But the guard play is fantastic; junior-to-be Destiny Slocum averaged 15.4 ppg and 5-10 Mikayla Pivec enters her senior year after scoring 15.2 ppg to go with 9.2 rpg. Kat Tudor is hoping to return for her senior year after missing 21 games last season with a knee injury.
