Troy University Athletics
Koranga Takes Preseason Player of The Year Honors, Women’s Basketball Picked First in Sun Belt Preseason Poll
10/17/2022 10:00:00 AM | Basketball (W)
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Troy University women's basketball program was well represented in the Sun Belt Conference's preseason release. Felmas Koranga netted preseason SBC Player of The Year honors and SBC first-team recognition, while newcomer Jashanti Simmons has been tabbed to the third team. The Trojans were also selected to finish first in the standings by the coaches.
The Trojans have been selected first in the preseason polls for the third-consecutive season and for the fourth time in the last seven years. Troy garnered 12 of the 14 available first-place votes, and 28 points separated the Trojans and the second-place finishers, Old Dominion.
Additionally, Koranga's preseason honor as Player of The Year and a nod on the Sun Belt's first team comes on the heels of yet another great season at Troy. The Kenya native led the team in scoring after averaging 12.6 points per contest and grabbed the most rebounds by a Trojan, netting 10.7 per game.
Koranga tallied a season-high 25 points on January 13 in a Sun Belt Conference showdown against Louisiana. Her 24 rebounds on February 19 against Georgia Southern were a season-high, and the forward tallied 18 double-doubles and 20 double-digit rebound efforts.
Simmons joins the Trojans from Georgia Highlands College for the 2022-23 season. Simmons, a three-time all-American, was a force for the Chargers in her career. During her 2021-22 campaign, Simmons averaged 17.1 points per game while grabbing 6.7 rebounds a contest. In addition, she shot nearly 30 percent from 3-point range, and her field goal percentage finished at 49.8 percent.
Troy concluded the 2021-22 campaign with 24 wins, a Sun Belt Conference regular season title, and a trip to the WNIT tournament. The Trojans return five players from last year's squad, and their season will get underway on November 7 when Troy travels to Samford to take on the Bulldogs at the Pete Hanna Center at noon.
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Troy (12) - 194
2. Old Dominion (1) - 166
3. Louisiana - 161
4. Southern Miss - 137
5. Texas State - 135
6. James Madison - 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) - 108
8. App State - 102
9. Arkansas State - 96
10. Marshall - 91
11. Georgia State - 50
12. Coastal Carolina - 45
13. South Alabama - 38
14. ULM - 17
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Da'Nasia Hood, Texas State
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Keya Patton, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Brandi Williams, Louisiana
Janay Sanders, App State
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Lauryn Pendleton, Arkansas State
Jashanti Simmons, Troy
Faith Alston, App State
The Trojans have been selected first in the preseason polls for the third-consecutive season and for the fourth time in the last seven years. Troy garnered 12 of the 14 available first-place votes, and 28 points separated the Trojans and the second-place finishers, Old Dominion.
Additionally, Koranga's preseason honor as Player of The Year and a nod on the Sun Belt's first team comes on the heels of yet another great season at Troy. The Kenya native led the team in scoring after averaging 12.6 points per contest and grabbed the most rebounds by a Trojan, netting 10.7 per game.
Koranga tallied a season-high 25 points on January 13 in a Sun Belt Conference showdown against Louisiana. Her 24 rebounds on February 19 against Georgia Southern were a season-high, and the forward tallied 18 double-doubles and 20 double-digit rebound efforts.
Simmons joins the Trojans from Georgia Highlands College for the 2022-23 season. Simmons, a three-time all-American, was a force for the Chargers in her career. During her 2021-22 campaign, Simmons averaged 17.1 points per game while grabbing 6.7 rebounds a contest. In addition, she shot nearly 30 percent from 3-point range, and her field goal percentage finished at 49.8 percent.
Troy concluded the 2021-22 campaign with 24 wins, a Sun Belt Conference regular season title, and a trip to the WNIT tournament. The Trojans return five players from last year's squad, and their season will get underway on November 7 when Troy travels to Samford to take on the Bulldogs at the Pete Hanna Center at noon.
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Troy (12) - 194
2. Old Dominion (1) - 166
3. Louisiana - 161
4. Southern Miss - 137
5. Texas State - 135
6. James Madison - 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) - 108
8. App State - 102
9. Arkansas State - 96
10. Marshall - 91
11. Georgia State - 50
12. Coastal Carolina - 45
13. South Alabama - 38
14. ULM - 17
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Da'Nasia Hood, Texas State
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Keya Patton, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Brandi Williams, Louisiana
Janay Sanders, App State
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Lauryn Pendleton, Arkansas State
Jashanti Simmons, Troy
Faith Alston, App State
Players Mentioned
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