Behind preseason second-teamers Heidi Schlegel and Shar'Rae Davis, the Youngstown State women's basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Horizon League this season in a preseason poll of the conference's coaches, sports information contacts and select media members.

Schlegel, a junior forward from Wapakoneta, Ohio, ranked second on the team with 9.8 points per game while adding 4.5 rebounds per contest last season. Schlegel, who was also a preseason second-team honoree by College Sports Madness, ranked fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage and 10th in steals. Davis, a sophomore point guard from Grand Haven, Mich., was an all-newcomer team selection last season when she averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds as the starting point guard in all 33 of YSU's games. She ranked third in the Horizon League in assists per game and was seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Youngstown State received its best preseason ranking in the team poll since joining the Horizon League for the 2001-02 season. The Penguins, coming off a second-place finish in the conference last year, received 165 points in the poll to finish behind preseason favorite Green Bay (225 points) and Wright State (189). UIC was picked to finish fourth (146), followed by Milwaukee (136), Detroit (99), Cleveland State (97), Oakland (73) and Valparaiso (40). Green Bay received 21 of the 26 first-place votes while UIC received three and Wright State and Detroit got one apiece.

Wright State guard Kim Demmings was voted the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and she's joined on the preseason first-team by Katie Hannemann and Rachel Story from UIC, Milwaukee's Angela Rodriguez and Green Bay's Megan Lukan. In addition to Davis and Schlegel, Oakland's Olivia Nash, Cleveland State's Cori Coleman and Green Bay's Breannah Ranger were voted onto the second team.

Team Poll:

1. Green Bay (21) – 225
2. Wright State (1) – 189
3. Youngstown State – 165
4. UIC (3) – 146
5. Milwaukee – 136
6. Detroit (1) – 99
7. Cleveland State – 97
8. Oakland – 73
9. Valparaiso – 40

First-Team All-League:

Kim Demmings, G, Wright State
Katie Hannemann, C, UIC
Rachel Story, G, UIC
Angela Rodriguez, G, Milwaukee
Megan Lukan, G, Green Bay

Second-Team All-League:

Olivia Nash, F, Oakland
Shar'Rae Davis, G, Youngstown State
Cori Coleman, G, Cleveland State
Breannah Ranger, F, Green Bay
Heidi Schlegel, F, Youngstown State

Preseason Player of the Year: Kim Demmings, Wright State