BATON ROUGE — The LSU Lady Tigers, fresh off an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight a year ago, will enter the 2000-01 season ranked ninth in the nation in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll released Monday.
LSU finished last season ranked eighth after coming within one win of the Final Four.
“This is an honor for our kids and program here at LSU,” said LSU’s Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter, who’s Lady Tigers beat Spartok Moscow in an exhibition on Monday night, 81-42. “This ranking shows that people around the nation think we have a pretty good team, it is up to us to go out and prove them right.”
LSU was one of six Southeastern Conference teams in the top 20. Tennessee led the way for the conference at No. 2, followed immediately by Georgia in the No. 3 spot. Mississippi State is 16th while Vanderbilt and Auburn came in 19th and 20th, respectively.
Defending national champion Connecticut, the team that ousted the Lady Tigers from the NCAA tournament a year ago, is the favorite to repeat according to the coaches as it garnered 39 of 40 first place votes. Duke, who LSU upset in the Sweet 16 in 2000, and Notre Dame round out the top five.
“There are a lot of good teams out there,” said Gunter. “It seems like every team that advanced through the tournament last year has everyone back. With the parity in women’s basketball the way it is today, anyone can win the national championship.”
LSU has been selected in the top 10 of five other preseason publication, including Slam magazine which had the Lady Tigers fourth.
The first regular-season contest for LSU will be this Friday when the Lady Tigers face New Mexico in Albuquerque.