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NEW YORK- The BIG EAST Conference announced preseason awards and the annual coaches' poll at media day on Tuesday afternoon inside Madison Square Garden. The Bulldogs were picked to finish eighth in the conference poll for the second consecutive year.
 
There is no clear preseason favorite heading into the 2016-17 BIG EAST women's basketball season. After a vote from the league's ten head coaches, two teams split first place votes five to five which resulted in a tie for the top spot. Those two teams are Creighton and DePaul who each recorded 75 points.
 
Marquette took the third spot with 62 points, and Villanova was close behind in fourth with 59-points. The Georgetown Hoyas received enough votes to land in fifth (51 points) and the bottom half of the preseason poll would include St. John's (38), Seton Hall (31) Butler (25), Xavier (20) and Providence (14).
 
The top individual honor went Jessica January of DePaul. January was tabbed BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 points per game for the Blue Demons. January started in all 36 games a year ago and shot 45 percent from the field.
 
Preseason Freshman of the Year honors went to Kelly Jekot of Villanova. The 6'0 guard from Enola, Pa. joins the Wildcats program after being tabbed as the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year in 2016. Jekot was ranked as the 50th best player overall in the 2016 recruiting class (HoopGurlz) and the 10th best at her position.
 
The Bulldogs return six letter-winners from last year's team that posted a 10-21 overall record. Top returners include last year's Preseason Freshman of the Year selection Brittany Ward and junior shooting guard Sydney Buck. Ward averaged 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, starting in all 31 contests. Buck was the only other Bulldog to start in all 31 games. The spot-up shooter hit 64 3-point field goals a year ago to average 9.8 points per game.
 
Butler brings back two point guards from a year ago in Michelle Weaver and Alexa Bailey. Weaver averaged 4.6 points per game in an injury-shortened season while Bailey finished second on the team in assists. The Bulldogs are also excited about the return of Tori Schickel and Taylor Buford. Schickel is the team's top returning scorer (11.8) and rebounder (8.8) from the 2015-16 season. Buford is a guard that can create offensiviely and defend multiple positions on the court.   
 
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BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Jessica January, DePaul
 
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Kelly Jekot, Villanova
 
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Dorothy Adomako, Georgetown*
Allazia Blockton, Marquette*
Audrey Faber, Creighton
Raeshaun Gaffney, Xavier
Adrianna Hahn, Villanova
Natisha Hiedeman, Marquette
Marissa Janning, Creighton*
Alex Louin, Villanova
MC McGrory, Creighton
Brooke Schulte, DePaul
Dionna White, Georgetown*
*unanimous selection
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
 
Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes)
1               Creighton (5)     75
                  DePaul (5)        75
3               Marquette          62
4               Villanova            59
5               Georgetown       51
6               St. John's           38
7               Seton Hall          31
8               Butler                 25
9               Xavier                20
10            Providence         14