Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCLA on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 70
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Duke Picked No. 2 in ACC Poll; Thomas Named All-ACC
10/26/2009 5:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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GREENSBORO, N.C. - In a vote by the Blue Ribbon Panel, the Duke women's basketball team was selected No. 2 in the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) poll, which was released on Monday. The panel is a contingent of national and local media, as well as school representatives
Duke received 10 first place votes, while North Carolina earned 30 first place votes on its way to being picked No. 1. Florida State was third followed by Virginia, Maryland, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
The panel also selected a preseason All-ACC squad which included Monica Wright (Virginia), Carolyn Swords (Boston College), Jasmine Thomas (Duke), Jacinta Monroe (Florida State) and Jessica Breland (North Carolina). Wright was also selected Preseason ACC Player of the Year, while North Carolina newcomer Tierra Ruffin-Pratt earned Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year.
Thomas, who is a product of Fairfax, Va., came on strong for the Blue Devils as a junior averaging 10.2 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals, while starting 28 of 30 games played. Over the final 16 contests of the season, Thomas stepped up her game even more towards the end of the season as she averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals the final 16 games of the year. Thomas collected double-figure scoring in 10 out of the final 16 games.
Some of her top contests were against Duke's toughest opponents as she notched 19 points at 13th-ranked Tennessee, 22 points at 15th-ranked Virginia, 19 points versus ninth-ranked North Carolina, 16 points against fourth-ranked Maryland and 16 points versus 18th-ranked Florida State.
Head Coach Joanne P. McCallie enters her third year with the Blue Devils, after guiding Duke to a 52-16 overall record in two years, including two NCAA Tournament appearances and a No. 1 seed in 2009. The Blue Devils are coming off registering only their second undefeated home season in school history by notching a 14-0 mark.
As a team, Duke returns two starters -- Thomas and senior Bridgette Mitchell -- off a squad which posted a 27-6 overall and 11-3 ACC record in 2008-09. Overall, the Blue Devils return five players who started at least two contests last year as senior Joy Cheek (16), Jackson (16) and junior Karima Christmas (2) also played key minutes. Duke will also welcome back 58.5 percent of its scoring and 63.3 percent of its rebounding.
The Blue Devils return a total of nine letterwinners including junior Krystal Thomas, Selby, sophomore Chelsea Hopkins and sophomore Kathleen Scheer. McCallie also welcomes a stellar recruiting class, which includes Alexis Rogers of West Chester, Ohio, Johnson of Matthews, N.C., and Allison Vernerey of Alsace, France.
In three preseason polls for 2009-10, Duke has been selected No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6. The Blue Devils were selected fourth in the Athlon Sports Magazine, No. 5 in the Sporting News College Basketball Preview issue and sixth in the Lindy's College Basketball Magazine. Thomas, a product of Fairfax, Va., has also been selected a preseason second team All-America by The Sporting News.
The Blue Devils will once again play a very challenging slate with a schedule made up of 11 teams that advanced to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, including two that advanced to the NCAA Final Four and are listed as No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the Athlon, Sporting News and Lindy's Magazine polls -- National Champion Connecticut and Stanford. Ohio State is also listed No. 3 in all three publications.
The home non-conference schedule is highlighted by the 2009 NCAA Champion Connecticut Huskies, who will make its first trip back to Cameron Indoor Stadium since Feb. 1, 2003. The contest in 2003 was Duke's first sellout in school history for a women's basketball game. Duke and Connecticut will play on Monday, Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m., on ESPN2. The Blue Devils will also host preseason No. 3 ranked Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Southern California and the always difficult ACC.
Duke opens the season with a road trip at Houston Baptist and Texas A&M on Nov. 13 and 15. Prior to opening the season, the Blue Devils will host two exhibition contests - Nov. 5 versus Wingate and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., against Alaska Anchorage. Both exhibition games will be free admission.
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2009-10 Predicted Order of Finish
1. North Carolina (30)
2. Duke (10)
3. Florida State (2)
4. Virginia
5. Maryland (3)
6. Boston College
7. Georgia Tech
8. Miami
9. NC State
10. Wake Forest
11. Clemson
12. Virginia Tech
2009-10 Preseason All-ACC Team
Jessica Breland, Sr., F, North Carolina
Jacinta Monroe, Sr., F/C, Florida State
Carolyn Swords, Jr., C, Boston College
Jasmine Thomas, Jr., G, Duke
Monica Wright, Sr., G, Virginia
Preseason Player of the Year: Monica Wright, Sr., G, Virginia
Preseason Rookie of the Year: Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, Fr., G, North Carolina
Players Mentioned
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