Women in Another Preseason Top Five

NORMAN, Okla. -- Another poll and another top five ranking for the Oklahoma women's basketball team, which is slotted at No. 4 in the Slam Magazine preseason poll.

The Sooners were No. 3 in Lindy's preseason poll and No. 6 in Athlon Sports preseason poll.

Slam magazine offered this commentary on the team, "The Sooners muscled their way onto the national scene last year thanks to super frosh Courtney Paris and with five starters returning, they are not going away anytime soon."

The highest official preseason ranking on record for OU was No. 4 in the 2001-02 Associated Press preseason poll. The Sooners were also ranked No. 5 in the USA Today/Coaches preseason poll that same season.

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The top-five ranking comes on the heels of the 2005-06 season, which was one of the most successful years in OU history. Last season the Sooners posted a 31-5 record, which included a 19-0 run through Big 12 play and a Sweet 16 appearance.

This season, OU returns five starters and nine letterwinners, including 2006 consensus All-American Paris and 2006 All-Big 12 second team performer Leah Rush. OU also added five true freshman, who are headlined by McDonald's All-Americans Abi Olajuwon and Amanda Thompson.

OU opens its season by hosting the State Farm Tip-Off Classic at the Lloyd Noble Center on Nov. 12. OU will play DePaul (No. 21 in Athlon poll) at 2:30 p.m., while Rutgers (No. 18 and Georgia (No. 8) will meet in the early game at Noon CST. All four teams reached the Sweet 16 last season.

Slam Magazine Preseason Top 10

1. Maryland

2. North Carolina

3. Ohio State

4. Oklahoma

5. Tennessee

6. Stanford

7. Rutgers

8. Duke

9. UConn

10. Georgia

Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25

1. North Carolina

2. Maryland

3. Oklahoma

4. Stanford

5. Ohio State

6. Duke

7. Tennessee

8. Georgia

9. LSU

10. Baylor

11. Arizona State

12. Vanderbilt

13. Connecticut

14. Kentucky

15. UCLA

16. Purdue

17. BYU

18. Rutgers

19. California

20. Bowling Green

21. DePaul

22. NC State

23. Louisiana Tech

24. Texas A&M

25. Western Kentucky

Lindy's Preseason Top 25

1. Maryland

2. North Carolina

3. Stanford

4. Connecticut

5. Tennessee

6. Oklahoma

7. Duke

8. Georgia

9. Rutgers

10. Ohio State

11. Purdue

12. LSU

13. Arizona State

14. Vanderbilt

15. Texas A&M

16. USC

17. New Mexico

18. Kentucky

19. BYU

20. Michigan State

21. Bowling Green

22. St. Johns

23. Louisiana Tech

24. Iowa

25. Cal

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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