INDIANAPOLIS (10/17/2019) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball squad was voted to finish ninth in the 2019 Horizon League Preseason Poll that was released on Thursday afternoon by the league office. The poll and preseason All-Conference teams were voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.

The Titans earned 19 points in the preseason poll. Green Bay and the defending Horizon League champions, Wright State, each received four first-place votes and finished in a tie-for-first with 91 points as the favorites to win the league. IUPUI picked up the other two first-place votes and followed in third place, with Youngstown State and Milwaukee rounding out the top-five.

The red, white and blue enter their fifth season under head coach Bernard Scott. The Titans have 27 league victories in four seasons under coach Scott and are looking to improve upon their ninth-place finish a season ago. Detroit Mercy has eight new players on the roster -- five freshmen and three transfers that have been added to the squad.

Senior Zoey Oatis is among the returners for the Titans after ranking in the top-five in steals per game (1.8) and top-15 in blocks per game (0.7) in the Horizon League a season ago. She is the Titans' top returning scorer at 8.1 points per game. Also among the returners is sophomore guard Jess Bicknell, who led the squad in scoring during Horizon League contests at 8.2 points per game.

IUPUI's Macee Williams, last year's Horizon League Player of the Year, was selected as the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Green Bay's Frankie Wurtz, Milwaukee's Megan Walstad, Wright State's Michal Miller and Youngstown State's Mary Dunn completed the All-Horizon League Preseason First Team.

2019-20 #HLWBB Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
T1. Green Bay – 91 (4)
T1. Wright State – 91 (4)
3. IUPUI – 85 (2)
4. Youngstown State – 71
5. Milwaukee – 57
6. Northern Kentucky – 51
7. Cleveland State – 37
8. Oakland – 31
9. Detroit Mercy – 19
10. UIC – 17
 
HL Preseason Player of the Year
Macee Williams, IUPUI
 
HL Preseason First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Frankie Wurtz, Green Bay
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Megan Walstad, Milwaukee
Michal Miller, Wright State
Mary Dunn, Youngstown State
 
HL Preseason Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Savanna Crockett, Cleveland State
Mariah Miller, Cleveland State
Molly Glick, Northern Kentucky
Angel Baker, Wright State
Chelsea Olson, Youngstown State