By STEVE CARPENTER - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
For the 12th consecutive season, the Hutchinson Community College women's basketball team is part of the NJCAA Division I Preseason Rankings.
The Blue Dragons start the 2021 season ranked No. 13 in the preseason rankings, which were released on Tuesday. The season begins on Friday against the Bethany College Junior Varsity at 5:30 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The preseason pick to win the 2021 Jayhawk West Championship, the Blue Dragons are the only ranked Jayhawk Conference team in the preseason national rankings. Seward County and Butler were in the Receiving Votes list.
Trinity Valley is the preseason No. 1 pick in this year's preseason rankings. Northwest Florida State is second, followed by South Plains, Shelton State and Chipola.
Hutchinson has now been ranked in 36-straight and 137 of the last 142 rankings.
The Blue Dragons were 28-4 last season and outright Jayhawk West champions. Hutchinson was upset in the semifinals of the Region VI Tournament, but received an at-large bid and No. 12 seed in the 2020 NJCAA Tournament, which ultimately was canceled by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Guard Tor'e Alford and post player Nafatoumata Haidara are the only returning players from last season.
Alford averaged 11.6 points per game as a freshman. She shot 40.5 percent overall and 40.1 percent from 3-point range. Alford also averaged 3.5 assists last season. Haidara, who missed the final nine games of 2020 with an injury, averaged 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent.
The rest of the roster is made up of three transfers and six freshmen.
Posted: Jan 19, 2021Information Box
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL<br>PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Trinity Valley (4)
2. Northwest Florida State
3. South Plains
4. Shelton State
5. Chipola
6. Central Arizona
7. South Georgia Technical
8. Jones
9. Gulf Coast State
10. Tyler JC
11. Wabash Valley
12. Casper
13. Hutchinson
14. Florida Southwestern State
15. Western Nebraska
16. Blinn
17. Moberly Area
18. Chattanooga State
19. Midland
20. Vincennes
21. Wallace State
22. Southern Idaho
23. Eastern Florida State
24. Iowa Western
25. Three Rivers
Receiving votes: Tallahassee, Salt Lake, Butler, Seward County, Murray State.