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Celeste Taylor Tabbed to ACC Newcomer Watch List
10/20/2021 7:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DURHAM – Duke University women's basketball junior Celeste Taylor was one of five selections on the ACC Newcomer Watch List Wednesday as voted by the league head coaches.
A native of Valley Stream, N.Y., Taylor is coming off starting 52-of-58 contests over the last two seasons at Texas. She helped lead the Longhorns to an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight a year ago. As a sophomore, Taylor averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 steals as she earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades. She ranked second in the Big 12 in steals and 21st in scoring. She collected 20 or more points on four different occasions and scored double-digits in 20 contests. Taylor was a 2020 Big 12 All-Freshman selection, after averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. She is a three-time USA Basketball Gold Medalist.
As a team, Duke was picked No. 8 in the ACC preseason poll by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and head coaches.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson enters her second season as head coach of the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils added nine new student-athletes to go along with five returners ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. Duke's roster includes five players who were McDonald's All-Americans, six who were Jordan Brand All-Americans and seven who represented their respective countries as members of junior or senior national teams in FIBA tournaments.
The Blue Devils will host Wingate on Thursday, Nov. 4 in an exhibition contest, before opening the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., against Winthrop.
#GoDuke
Head Coaches & Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team (57 voters)
Taylor Soule, Boston College, Sr., F (1)
Delicia Washington, Clemson, Gr., G
Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech, Sr., F (1)
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, Georgia Tech, Sr., G
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville, So., G (1)
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State Jr., G (1)
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C (42)
Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame, So., F
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, Jr., C (10)
Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech, Gr., G (1)
() Indicates preseason player of the year votes
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
Payton Verhulst, Louisville, Fr., G
Teonni Key, North Carolina, Fr., F
Diamond Johnson, NC State, So., G
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (57 voters)
NC State (50 first-place votes) – 847 points
Louisville (7) - 789
Georgia Tech - 691
Virginia Tech - 644
Florida State - 607
Notre Dame - 580
North Carolina - 488
Duke - 464
Miami - 355
Clemson - 324
Boston College - 297
Wake Forest - 250
Syracuse - 227
Pittsburgh - 160
Virginia - 117
() Indicates first-place votes
Head Coaches Preseason All-ACC Team
Taylor Soule, Boston College, Sr., F
Delicia Washington, Clemson, Gr., G
Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech, Sr., F
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, Georgia Tech, Sr., G
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville, So., G
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State Jr., G
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C (13)
Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame, So., F
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, Jr., C (2)
Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech, Gr., G
() Indicates preseason player of the year votes
Head Coaches Newcomer Watch List
Celeste Taylor, Duke, Jr., G
Payton Verhulst, Louisville, Fr., G
Diamond Johnson, NC State, So., G
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Head Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
NC State (14 first-place votes) - 224 points
Louisville (1) - 207
Georgia Tech - 192
Virginia Tech - 172
Florida State - 152
Notre Dame - 149
North Carolina - 127
Duke - 125
Miami - 92
Clemson - 83
Boston College - 78
Syracuse - 60
Wake Forest - 59
Pittsburgh - 47
Virginia - 33
() Indicates first-place votes
A native of Valley Stream, N.Y., Taylor is coming off starting 52-of-58 contests over the last two seasons at Texas. She helped lead the Longhorns to an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight a year ago. As a sophomore, Taylor averaged 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.1 steals as she earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades. She ranked second in the Big 12 in steals and 21st in scoring. She collected 20 or more points on four different occasions and scored double-digits in 20 contests. Taylor was a 2020 Big 12 All-Freshman selection, after averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds. She is a three-time USA Basketball Gold Medalist.
As a team, Duke was picked No. 8 in the ACC preseason poll by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and head coaches.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson enters her second season as head coach of the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils added nine new student-athletes to go along with five returners ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. Duke's roster includes five players who were McDonald's All-Americans, six who were Jordan Brand All-Americans and seven who represented their respective countries as members of junior or senior national teams in FIBA tournaments.
The Blue Devils will host Wingate on Thursday, Nov. 4 in an exhibition contest, before opening the regular season Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m., against Winthrop.
#GoDuke
Head Coaches & Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason Player of the Year
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C
Blue Ribbon Panel Preseason All-ACC Team (57 voters)
Taylor Soule, Boston College, Sr., F (1)
Delicia Washington, Clemson, Gr., G
Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech, Sr., F (1)
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, Georgia Tech, Sr., G
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville, So., G (1)
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State Jr., G (1)
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C (42)
Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame, So., F
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, Jr., C (10)
Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech, Gr., G (1)
() Indicates preseason player of the year votes
Blue Ribbon Panel Newcomer Watch List
Payton Verhulst, Louisville, Fr., G
Teonni Key, North Carolina, Fr., F
Diamond Johnson, NC State, So., G
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Blue Ribbon Panel Predicted Order of Finish (57 voters)
NC State (50 first-place votes) – 847 points
Louisville (7) - 789
Georgia Tech - 691
Virginia Tech - 644
Florida State - 607
Notre Dame - 580
North Carolina - 488
Duke - 464
Miami - 355
Clemson - 324
Boston College - 297
Wake Forest - 250
Syracuse - 227
Pittsburgh - 160
Virginia - 117
() Indicates first-place votes
Head Coaches Preseason All-ACC Team
Taylor Soule, Boston College, Sr., F
Delicia Washington, Clemson, Gr., G
Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech, Sr., F
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, Georgia Tech, Sr., G
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville, So., G
Jakia Brown-Turner, NC State Jr., G
Elissa Cunane, NC State, Sr., C (13)
Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame, So., F
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, Jr., C (2)
Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech, Gr., G
() Indicates preseason player of the year votes
Head Coaches Newcomer Watch List
Celeste Taylor, Duke, Jr., G
Payton Verhulst, Louisville, Fr., G
Diamond Johnson, NC State, So., G
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Head Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
NC State (14 first-place votes) - 224 points
Louisville (1) - 207
Georgia Tech - 192
Virginia Tech - 172
Florida State - 152
Notre Dame - 149
North Carolina - 127
Duke - 125
Miami - 92
Clemson - 83
Boston College - 78
Syracuse - 60
Wake Forest - 59
Pittsburgh - 47
Virginia - 33
() Indicates first-place votes
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