INDIANAPOLIS - The Oakland women's basketball team was picked ninth in the 2020-21 Horizon League Preseason Poll, announced by the league office and voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. Junior guard Kahlaijah Dean, last season's Sixth Player of the Year, was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.
 
Defending Horizon League regular season and tournament champion IUPUI was picked the repeat earning all 12 first-place votes with 144 points. Regular season and tournament runner-up Green Bay was selected second with 120 points. 2018-19 champion Wright State was picked third with 118 points followed by Northern Kentucky (105 points) in fourth and new League member Robert Morris (88 points) to round out the top five.


 
Last season, Dean led the team in scoring (12.0 - 9th HL) and tied for the lead in assists (3.0 – 6th HL) coming off the bench while ranking second on the team and fourth in the league in free throw percentage (80.4). She scored in double figures 17 times including 11 consecutive games from UIC (1/4) through Milwaukee (2/14) and recorded her second career double-double scoring a game-high and season second-best 22 points with 10 rebounds just missing her career mark by one board at Wright State (1/25).
 
Oakland opens the 2020-21 League schedule with a pair of home games against UIC on Friday, Dec. 12 and Saturday, Dec. 13.
 
2020-21 #HLWBB Preseason Poll Results
Pl.  School – Points (1st-place votes)
1.    IUPUI – 144 (12)
2.   Green Bay – 120
3.   Wright State – 118
4.   Northern Kentucky – 105
5.   Robert Morris – 88
6.   Youngstown State – 84
7.   Milwaukee – 76
8.   Cleveland State – 64
9.   Oakland – 54
10.  Detroit Mercy – 38
11.  Purdue Fort Wayne – 24
12.  UIC – 21
 
2020-21 #HLWBB Preseason Teams
 
Preseason Player of the Year
Macee Williams, IUPUI
 
Preseason All-Horizon League First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Mariah White, Cleveland State
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Ally Niece, Northern Kentucky
Angel Baker, Wright State
Chelsea Olson, Youngstown State
 
Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Caitlyn Hibner, Green Bay
Rachel McLimore, IUPUI
Brandi Bisping, Milwaukee
Kahlaijah Dean, Oakland
Shamarre Hale, Wright State
 
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