Nov. 5, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Five Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball teams earned Top 25 recognition as announced Wednesday by the USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches. The poll was conducted by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches that are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

In addition to being one of only three leagues (ACC, Big East & Big XII) to have five selected within the Top 25 by the Board, the ACC was also the only league to boast more than one in the top six of the poll as North Carolina and Duke earned spots No. 5 and No. 6, respectively. Florida State (12), Virginia (18) and Maryland (21) were all ranked among the Top 25, while Georgia Tech and NC State received votes to the preseason poll.

Fifth-ranked North Carolina, led by head coach Sylvia Hatchell, the third-winningest active coach in Division I, trailing only Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer, returns 69 percent of its scoring from last year's squad that ranked second nationally in points per game. Five of Carolina’s six leading scorers from a year ago are back, while the squad also returns its three primary ball handlers in juniors Cetera DeGraffenreid and Italee Lucas and sophomore She'la White.

The sixth-ranked 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, junior Jasmine Thomas and senior Bridgette Mitchell, off a squad which posted a 27-6 overall and 11-3 ACC record in 2008-09. The Blue Devils will also welcome back 58.5 percent of their scoring and 63.3 percent of their rebounding from a year ago.

Florida State, which earned a No. 12 ranking, is coming off one of its best seasons in school history as the Seminoles went 26-8 en route to earning a share of the ACC regular season title. The Seminoles went to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year and advanced to the second round. Senior Jacinta Monroe, who set both FSU single-season and career mark in blocks last year, will anchor one of the top post tandems in the ACC along with sophomore Cierra Bravard.

The No. 18 Cavaliers return six letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished with a 24-10 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Virginia will be led by senior guard Monica Wright, who was named a candidate for the Wade and Naismith Trophies and Wooden Award. Wright also became a member of the 2009-10 Associated Press’ All-America team, the first UVa player to earn the honor from the AP since current assistant coach and former Cavalier great Wendy Palmer earned it in 1995-96.

Maryland advanced to the Elite Eight in the 2009 NCAA Tournament for its third Elite Eight appearance in the past four years. The 21-ranked Terrapins enter the 2009-10 campaign on a 36-game home court win streak, a school-record, and are coming off their winningest four-year run in school history, compiling a record of 126-19 (.869). The squad will be led by 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year Lynetta Kizer.

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