Horizon League Announces Preseason All-League Teams

Oct. 10, 2008

Complete Preseason All-League Release in PDF Format

INDIANAPOLIS - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior center Traci Edwards has been tabbed as the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, according to a poll of the League's head coaches, women's basketball sports information directors and selected media members.

Joining Edwards on the preseason first team are the same four players who joined her as first-team All-Horizon League members a year ago: Cleveland State University junior guard Kailey Klein, Wright State University sophomore guard Shey Peddy, Butler University senior center Lade Akande and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior guard Rachel Porath.

Edwards, who led the Horizon League with 20.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last season, received 272 of 290 possible points in the voting, garnering 23 of 29 first-place votes. The 6-foot-2 Edwards was the 2007-08 Horizon League Player of the Year and has been a first-team All-League selection in each of her first three seasons.

Edwards, a Menasha, Wis., native, dominated the opposition in 18 Horizon League games last season averaging 21.5 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. Her efforts helped Milwaukee to a 17-14 record last season, including an 11-7 mark in League play.

Klein finished second in the League with 19.8 points per game last season and led Cleveland State to its first Horizon League Championship. She scored 67 points in three games en route to Horizon League Championship Most Valuable Player accolades.

Peddy was the 2007-08 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year after scoring 16.7 points per game. She helped Wright State to the Horizon League title game last season and was also the League's leader with 3.2 steals per game.

Akande was among the Horizon League leaders in scoring (fourth, 16.1) and rebounding (sixth, 6.4), earning first team All-Horizon League honors in the process. She ranks seventh on Butler's all-time scoring list with 1,360 career points.

Porath averaged 13.3 points and shot 46.6 percent from three-point range last season, helping the Phoenix to a 26-6 record and the regular season Horizon League title.

Named to the preseason second team were Green Bay senior center Lavesa Glover, Valparaiso University senior guard Agnieszka Kulaga, University of Illinois at Chicago junior guard Jessie Miller, Butler junior forward Susan Lester and Youngstown State University forward Tiara Scott. Kulaga is the group's leading returning scorer at 14.6 points per game. Lester grabbed 7.3 rebounds per game, ranking second in the League behind Edwards.

Four of the five players on the preseason second team return after being named 2007-08 second team All-Horizon League honorees. The only second team honoree from last season not returning is Green Bay's Kayla Groh.

The 2008-09 Horizon League women's basketball regular season begins with four contests on Friday, Nov. 14.

The Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship is slated for March 9, 11, 13 and 15. Cleveland State defeated Wright State, 70-56, in last year's title game.

Click on the PDF at the top of the page to see the complete preseason All-Horizon League teams.