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[COLOR=#000000][B][I]Wildcats ranked in back-to-back preseason polls for the first time in school history[/I][/B][/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000]LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the first time in school history, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team is ranked in back-to-back preseason [I]USA TODAY[/I]/ESPN coaches’ polls. The Wildcats were picked to start the 2011-12 season at No. 15 by the 31-member Board of Coaches.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000]UK returns 10 letter winners and four starters from a team that went 25-9 overall last season, including a school-record tying 11 Southeastern Conference victories. The Wildcats advanced to their second-straight NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. Last season, UK was picked No. 10 in the preseason coaches’ poll, the Cats’ highest preseason ranking in school history.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000]Baylor was ranked No. 1, followed by Notre Dame, Tennessee, UConn and Stanford, respectively. UK was one of four SEC schools ranked in the top 25, along with Tennessee (No. 3), Georgia (No. 12) and LSU (No. 22). Other Kentucky opponents in the coaches’ poll are Notre Dame (No. 2), Duke (8) and Louisville (9).[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#000000]The Wildcats’ lone exhibition game of the season is free, and scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 6 against Coker College at 2 p.m. ET. Coker College is coached by former Wildcat Jenny Pfeiffer (2003-04, 2006-07). The season opener is Friday, Nov. 11 at Morehead State at 7 p.m. ET while the home opener is Tuesday, Nov. 15 vs. Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. ET.[/COLOR]
| [CENTER][CENTER][B]Rank[/B][/CENTER][/CENTER] | [B]School (2010-11 record)[/B] | [CENTER][CENTER][B]Points[/B][/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]1[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Baylor (34-3) | [CENTER][CENTER]745[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]2[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Notre Dame (31-8) | [CENTER][CENTER]728[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]3[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Tennessee (34-3) | [CENTER][CENTER]686[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]4[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Connecticut (36-2) | [CENTER][CENTER]683[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]5[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Stanford (33-3) | [CENTER][CENTER]681[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]6[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Texas A&M (33-5) | [CENTER][CENTER]635[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]7[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Miami (Fla.) (28-5) | [CENTER][CENTER]557[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]8[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Duke (32-4) | [CENTER][CENTER]553[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]9[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Louisville (22-13) | [CENTER][CENTER]482[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]10[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Maryland (24-8) | [CENTER][CENTER]416[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]11[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Georgetown (24-11) | [CENTER][CENTER]415[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]12[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Georgia (23-11) | [CENTER][CENTER]376[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]13[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Florida State (24-8) | [CENTER][CENTER]332[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]14[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Penn State (25-10) | [CENTER][CENTER]320[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER][B]15[/B][/CENTER][/CENTER] | [B]Kentucky (25-9)[/B] | [CENTER][CENTER]296[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]16[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Oklahoma (23-12) | [CENTER][CENTER]262[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]17[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Rutgers (20-13) | [CENTER][CENTER]245[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]18[/CENTER][/CENTER] | DePaul (29-7) | [CENTER][CENTER]182[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]19[/CENTER][/CENTER] | North Carolina (28-9) | [CENTER][CENTER]172[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]20[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Texas (19-14) | [CENTER][CENTER]161[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]21[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Purdue (21-12) | [CENTER][CENTER]149[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]22[/CENTER][/CENTER] | LSU (19-13) | [CENTER][CENTER]143[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]23[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Southern California (24-13) | [CENTER][CENTER]129[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]24[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Wisconsin-Green Bay (34-2) | [CENTER][CENTER]127[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
| [CENTER][CENTER]25[/CENTER][/CENTER] | Michigan State (27-6) | [CENTER][CENTER]88[/CENTER][/CENTER] |
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