By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA Roadrunners senior forward Idara Udo has been picked as one of the five best players in the American Conference, a key contributor to a team that ranks behind only the Rice Owls as one of the teams to beat in women’s basketball.

In the league’s preseason coaches’ poll released Friday, the Owls are projected to defend their regular-season title, with the Roadrunners coming in second place. Udo, a 6-1 senior from Plano East High School, was named as one of five members to the all-conference first team.

Rice guard Victoria Flores is named as the preseason player of the year.

American Conference Women’s Basketball
Preseason Coaches Poll
1 Rice (10) 142
2 UTSA (2) 125
3 South Florida (1) 121
4 Tulsa 117
5 Temple 96
6 UNT 87
7 East Carolina 82
8 Florida Atlantic 60
9 Memphis 54
10 Charlotte 44
11 Tulane 41
12 UAB 26
13 Wichita State 19

Note: First-place votes denoted in parenthesis

Individual honors

Player of the Year: Victoria Flores, Sr., G, Rice

All-Conference First Team: Victoria Flores, Sr., G, Rice; Stefanie Ingram, 5th, G, South Florida; Kaylah Turner, Sr., G, Temple; Idara Udo, Sr., F, UTSA; Mady Cartwright, Sr., G, Tulsa

Second Team: Daejah Richmond, Sr., G, Memphis; Tamya Smith, Jr., F, Memphis; Hailey Adams, R-Sr., G, Rice; Saniyah Craig, Sr., F, Temple; Kanija Daniel, Sr., G, Tulane