Ute Women Selected as Unanimous Preseason Favorite

Oct. 7, 2003

DENVER, Colo. - The Utah women's basketball team is the unanimous favorite by the league's head coaches and select media to win the 2003-04 Mountain West Conference crown it was announced today at the MWC Basketball Media Day.

In addition, sophomore Kim Smith has been tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year, while sophomore Shona Thorburn has also been named to the preseason all-conference team.

The Utes received all possible first-place votes to repeat as MWC regular-season champions (coaches cannot vote for their own team). Brigham Young picked up the other first-place vote and edged New Mexico by one point to place second. Colorado State followed the Lobos at fourth place, with UNLV, San Diego State, Wyoming and Air Force rounding out the poll.

Smith earned Top Returning Player honors following a freshman campaign that saw her named MWC Player and Newcomer of the Year (a conference first), Kodak honorable mention All-America, and Full Court Press and womenscollegehoops.com Freshman All-America honors. She is one of 35 players and just three athletes nationally named to the Wade Trophy preseason watch list.

Thorburn, a second-team all-conference pick last year, ranked sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game. She led Utah in assists (3.3 per game) and minutes played (36.5) last season.

The preseason poll and all-conference team is listed below:

2003-04 Mountain West Confernece Preseason Poll

Rank   Team (first-place votes)  Points   1   Utah (19)                 152   2   BYU (1)                   120   3   New Mexico                119   4   CSU                       98   5   UNLV                      85   6   San Diego State           57   7   Wyoming                   54   8   Air Force                 28

2003-04 Mountain West Confernece Preseason All-Conference Team

Name, Class, Position         InstitutionKim Smith, So., F             UtahShona Thorburn, So., G        UtahDanielle Cheesman , Jr., F    BYUMandi Moore, Jr., G           New MexicoSherry McCracklin, Jr., F/C   UNLV

Top Returning Player: Kim Smith, So., F, Utah
Top Newcomer: Jenny Shetters, Jr., C, New Mexico

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Ute Women Selected as Unanimous Preseason Favorite

Players Mentioned

Kim Smith

Shona Thorburn

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Ute Women Selected as Unanimous Preseason Favorite

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Players Mentioned

Kim Smith

Shona Thorburn

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