Oct. 21—Idaho was ranked second and Eastern Washington fourth in both of the Big Sky Conference's women's basketball preseason polls, announced by the league on Wednesday.
It's a drop of one spot for the Vandals from the final standings last season, when Idaho finished 17-1 in league play and won the Big Sky Tournament. The Eagles finished 7-11 in conference games last season, the sixth-best record in the league.
Montana State, which went 16-2 in the Big Sky last season, is the preseason favorite in both polls.
Idaho senior guard Hope Hassmann was one of seven players named to the Big Sky's Preseason All-Conference team; so were Eastern Washington sophomore guard Elyn Bowers and junior forward Kourtney Grossman.
"It means a lot," Grossman said of the honor. "But there are also a lot of good players in the Big Sky who could be on that list. It doesn't really mean a whole lot until you do something."
Taylee Chirrick, who was named Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player last season, was chosen as the preseason MVP heading into her junior season. Chirrick, who finished second in the league in scoring last season with 17.7 points per game, was also named the Big Sky's Defensive MVP a year ago.
"She's a relentless hard worker," Grossman said of Chirrick, who started her high school career at Billings West, the same school Grossman attended. "It seems like she never slows down throughout the game. That's something that really sets her apart."
Grossman broke the Big Sky single-season rebounding record last season (with 415) and was a second-team all-conference selection. Bowers, as a freshman, averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Rounding out the preseason all-conference team were Montana State junior forward Addison Harris, Montana junior guard Avery Waddington — who graduated from Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene — and Southern Utah junior forward Ava Uhrich.
League-favorite Montana State earned nine of 11 first-place votes from the coaches and 23 of 26 first-place votes from the media.
Northern Colorado is third in both polls. Southern Utah, back in the league this season, is a spot behind the Eagles in fifth place. Montana is sixth in the coaches poll and seventh in the media; Idaho State is the opposite.
Weber State (in eighth), followed by Portland State, then Northern Arizona and Utah Tech, round out the coaches poll. The media ranked Northern Arizona eighth, Weber State ninth, Portland State 10th and Utah Tech, new to the league this season, in 11th.
Eastern opens its season at Utah on Nov. 3; it will play its first home game at 1 p.m. on Nov. 6 against UC Davis.
Idaho begins its season at home against Saint Martin's at 11 a.m. on Nov. 2. It will then play at Gonzaga on Nov. 6 and at Washington State on Nov. 9.