NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s basketball was predicted to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference for the second year in a row, while Peyton McDaniel was tabbed as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year, as announced by the conference on Monday afternoon. Additionally, Kseniia Kozlova and Ro Scott earned All-Sun Belt honors.
The Dukes, who have appeared in the Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship final in the last two seasons, received 12 first-place votes and 191 points to be named league favorites. Since taking over the reins of the program in 2016, Head Coach Sean O’Regan has seen his squads picked to finish first seven times.
Troy collected the two remaining first-place votes for second with 169 points, followed by Old Dominion (167), ULM (150) and Louisiana (122).
McDaniel, an All-Sun Belt First Team selection, is coming off a 2023-24 season that saw her average a team-best 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The guard is the third JMU player to garner conference Preseason Player of the Year status while O’Regan has been at the helm of the program (2016-Pres.), joining Precious Hall (2016) and Kamiah Smalls (2018-2019). Moreover, three Dukes have earned the title of conference Player of the Year at the end of the season during that span: Hall (2017), Smalls (2020) and Kiki Jefferson (2023)
The Birdsboro, Pa. native recorded 27 double-digit scoring outings – including 11 of 20-plus points – and eight contests rebounding in double figures to give her seven double-doubles on the year. A threat from deep, McDaniel shot a league-best 46.4 percent (45-of-97) from three in conference play, finishing the season 81-for-229 (.358). She joined JMU’s 1,000-point club last season and moved into fifth in program history in three-point makes (191).
Kozlova earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt Second Team after posting 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game a season ago. The forward led the league in field goal percentage (.607) in conference play and recorded the second-most efficient season from the field in program history, shooting 129-for-218 (.592). Moreover, the Moscow, Russia native registered five double-doubles and four outings of 20+ points in 2023-24.
Scott, playing in her first season for the Dukes, was selected to the All-Sun Belt Third Team. The guard appeared in six games and made three starts, averaging 21.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in 2023-24 for Marshall. The graduate student boasts a career scoring average of 18.0 for 1,308 career points across her stops at SEMO and Marshall.
The Dukes’ 2024-25 campaign will begin on the road at Mid-American Conference Champion Kent State for the first leg of the MAC-SBC Challenge on Monday, Nov. 4.
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2024 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Emily Carver, App State [Sr. | G | Asheville, N.C.]
Aislynn Hayes, Marshall [Sr. | G | Murfreesboro, Tenn.]
Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [So. | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Jakayla Johnson, ULM [Sr. | G | Clinton, Miss.]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-Jr. | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [Sr. | G | Melbourne, Fla.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
En’Dya Buford, Old Dominion [Gr. | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [5th Yr. | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
Jaylyn James, Louisiana [Jr. | G | Madisonville, La.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-Sr. | C | Moscow, Russia]
Katlyn Manuel, ULM [Sr. | F | Lawtell, La.]
Shaulana Wagner, Troy [Sr. | G | Detriot, Mich.]
*Ties were not broken
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Ramsey Alancia, Coastal Carolina [So. | F | Delray Beach, Fla.]
Zay Dyer, Troy [Jr. | F | Atlanta, Ga.]
Anna Griffin, Arkansas State [Sr. | G | Aurora, Ill]
Kelsey Thompson, Old Dominion [Jr. | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Ro Scott, James Madison [Gr. | G | Earle, Ark.]
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison (12) – 191
2. Troy (2) – 169
3. Old Dominion – 167
4. ULM – 150
5. Louisiana – 122
6. Marshall – 118
7. Southern Miss – 113
8. Georgia State – 107
9. Coastal Carolina – 77
10. Texas State – 67
11. App State – 61
12. Georgia Southern – 53
13. Arkansas State – 50
14. South Alabama – 25
*Parentheses indicate first-place votes
— JMU Athletics —
