Oct. 8—The Missouri Southern State University women’s basketball team was picked to finish fourth in both the MIAA media and coaches polls, announced Monday at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City.
Pittsburg State University was selected first by the coaches and Fort Hays State by the media. PSU was selected second in the media poll, followed by Northwest Missouri and then MSSU. In the coaches poll, FHSU was tabbed to finish second, in front of Northwest Missouri and Southern.
Missouri Western, which claimed the MIAA regular season title last year, was selected fifth in the media poll and seventh among the league’s 14 teams in the coaches poll this year.
The Lions will be looking for their fourth straight 20-win season after finishing the 2023-24 campaign at 20-9 overall and 16-6 in the MIAA.
Southern head coach Ronnie Ressel, who is entering his ninth season, returns six seniors and welcomes nine newcomers — four transfers and five freshmen.
Among Ressel’s returning seniors are guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt and redshirt sophomore center Ryan Franklin. Franklin was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in the MIAA last season and both Franklin and Hunnicutt were All-MIAA Honorable Mention selections last season.
“She’s going to be one of the better big kids in the league,” Ressel said of Franklin. “She has really taken a step up for us, especially on the offensive end.”
Ressel talked about how the mix of newcomers and veterans is working early into the practice season.
“Im really excited. The energy and effort so far in our preseason has been really good,” Ressel said. “There is a lot of competition, especially at the guard spot. That makes it challenging for me, which I like. Coach Porter (Bryant Porter) and Coach Straw (Kailyn Strawbridge) did a great job so far as recruiting on the perimeter for us.”
Ressel was also positive about the rapport he said he sees developing among his players.
“Our team chemistry feels better than it has in the past couple of years and it has been pretty good in the past couple of years,” he said.
He also said off-the-court, the players are making sure they are building bonds necessary to form a cohesive unit.
“The nice thing is they take it upon themselves to do things as a team without us coaches having to push them to do things, which I think is huge.”
The Lions have a challenging schedule early, taking on nationally recognized programs in the first few games.
Southern opens this season against last year’s NCAA D-II national runner-up, Texas Women’s University, on Nov. 2, and 2023-24 DII semifinalist Ashland on Nov. 3 in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in St. Joseph. Ashland finished 31-2 and 20-0 in the Great Midwest Conference. Texas Women’s University finished 34-5 and 20-2 in the Lonestar Conference and returns its top nine players.
“We’re going to find out real quick if we belong in that Top 25,” Ressel said.
Southern opens the home part of its schedule Nov. 12 against Missouri S&T, and begins MIAA play Dec.4 against Rogers State in Claremore, Oklahoma.
2024-25 MIAA women’s preseason coaches poll
1. Pittsburg State
2. Fort Hays State
3. Northwest Missouri
4. Missouri Southern
5. Central Missouri
6. Nebraska Kearney
7. Missouri Western
8. Emporia State
9. Northeastern State
10. Washburn
11. Central Oklahoma
12. Arkansas-Fort Smith
13. Rogers State
14. Newman
2024-25 MIAA women’s preseason media poll
1. Fort Hays State
2. Pittsburg State
3. Northwest Missouri
4. Missouri Southern
5. Missouri Western
6. Central Missouri
7. Emporia State
8. Nebraska Kearney
9. Washburn
10. Northeastern State
11. Central Oklahoma
12. Arkansas-Fort Smith
13. Rogers State
14. Newman
