[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team is once again being held in high regard as the 2018-19 season is set to open.

For the 10th-consecutive season, the Blue Dragons are ranked in the preseason of the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Rankings, which were released on Monday.

The Blue Dragons open the season at No. 13. While in the preseason rankings for 10-straight years, this is the second-straight season that Hutchinson isn’t ranked in the Top 10.

Hutchinson has been ranked in nine-consecutive polls dating back to last season and in 110 of the last 115 national ranking releases.

New Mexico Junior College is the preseason No. 1 pick in Division I women’s basketball, followed by Northwest Florida State, Gulf Coast State, Trinity Valley and Tallahassee.

Seward County is the highest-ranked Jayhawk Conference team at No. 10. Butler is No. 16. The Blue Dragons have two non-conference opponents in the preseason rankings. Iowa Western is No. 19 and NEO is No. 20.

The Blue Dragons have five players back from a 27-7 season that ended in the opening round of the NJCAA Tournament after Hutch earned a tournament berth as an at-large team.

Five players are back from that team led by bookend forwards Jada Mickens and Dejanae Roebuck. Mickens averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds. Roebuck averaged 13.0 points and 9.1 rebounds.

Sara Cramer, Hutch’s top 3-point threat from last season, is also back. She averaged 8.4 points and shot 39 percent from long distance. Tia Bradshaw averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 assists as the point guard. Reserve guard Kelsey Brett averaged 4.7 points and shot 40 percent from long range.

The Blue Dragons will open the 2018-19 season at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday against the Bethany College JV.

 

NJCAA WOMEN’S DIVISION I PRESEASON BASKETBALL RANKINGS

Record Points

1. New Mexico 0-0 200

2. Northwest Florida State 0-0 192

3. Gulf Coast State 0-0 184

4. Trinity Valley 0-0 176

5. Tallahassee 0-0 168

6. Shelton State 0-0 160

7. Chipola 0-0 152

8. Jones 0-0 144

9. Walters State 0-0 136

10. Seward County 0-0 128

11. South Georgia Tech 0-0 120

12. Florida SouthWestern State 0-0 112

13. Hutchinson 0-0 104

14. Southern Idaho 0-0 96

15. South Plains 0-0 88

16. Butler 0-0 80

17. Salt Lake 0-0 72

18. Georgia Highlands 0-0 64

19. Iowa Western 0-0 56

20. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 0-0 48

21. Wabash Valley 0-0 40

22. Odessa 0-0 32

23. Cochise 0-0 24

24. Tyler 0-0 16

25. Pensacola State 0-0 8