Cheesman selected to preseason MWC team
DENVER -- The Mountain West Conference announced its 2003-04 preseason poll and all-conference team at its Basketball Media Day held at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Tuesday. The voting panel consisted of the league's eight head coaches and select.
Utah returned to the top of the MWC preseason poll for the first time since 2000-01, collecting all possible first-place votes to repeat as MWC regular season champions (coaches did not vote for their own team). BYU 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.
Utah sophomore forward Kim Smith earned Top Returning Player honors, while New Mexico junior transfer Jenny Shetters was named Top Newcomer. Four of the eight MWC teams were represented on the all-conference team, including four juniors and two sophomores. Defending regular season champion Utah had two members on the preseason squad, Smith and Shona Thorburn, a duo that ranked third and sixth, respectively, in MWC scoring last season. Smith, currently on the Wade Trophy preseason watch list, earned Freshman All-America honors last year, while Thorburn was second-team All-MWC. BYU's Danielle Cheesman was also a second-team All-MWC selection last year, while New Mexico's Mandi Moore and UNLV's Sherry McCracklin were third-team honorees.
2003-04 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll
Rank Team (1st place votes) Points
1 Utah (19) 152
2 BYU (1) 120
3 New Mexico 119
4 Colorado State 98
5 UNLV 85
6 San Diego State 57
7 Wyoming 54
8 Air Force 28
2003-04 Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll
Name, Class, Position Institution
Kim Smith, So., F Utah
Shona Thorburn, So.,G Utah
Danielle Cheesman, Jr., F BYU
Mandi Moore, Jr., G New Mexico
Sherry McCracklin, Jr. F/C UNLV
Top Returning Player
Kim Smith, So., F, Utah
Top Newcomer
Jenny Shetters, Jr., C, New Mexico