Elon WBB Phoenix Ends 2016-17 Receiving Votes in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

ELON, N.C. – With the 2016-17 college basketball season in the books, Elon University women’s basketball checked in among those receiving votes in the final USA TODAY Coaches Poll this week.

Final USA TODAY Coaches Poll

With two votes in the poll, Elon tied with WNIT runner up Georgia Tech for No. 36 in the nation. This season, Elon received votes in the poll for the first time in program history back in February and got as many as four in the poll released ahead of the NCAA Tournament in March. Since Feb. 21, Elon received votes each week down the stretch of the season.

Throughout the year, the Phoenix climbed as high as No. 21 in the NCAA RPI on multiple occasions. Elon entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 21 team in the list following its CAA Tournament championship in Harrisonburg, Va., over James Madison.

Though losing five seniors from this year’s NCAA Tournament team, Elon returns a solid group in 2017-18, including back-to-back All-CAA First Team honoree Shay Burnett and center Malaya Johnson, who shot 54.4 percent from the floor to lead the CAA in shooting percentage on the year.

2016-17 Final USA TODAY Coaches Poll:
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Connecticut
4. Stanford
5. Notre Dame
6. Baylor
7. Florida State
8. Maryland
9. Oregon State
10. Ohio State
11. Washington
12. Louisville
13. UCLA
14. Texas
15. Duke
16. Oregon
17. NC State
18. DePaul
19. Miami
20. West Virginia
21. Oklahoma
22. Syracuse
23. Quinnipiac
24. Drake
25. Kentucky
Receiving Votes: Arizona State 57; Temple 52; Michigan 36; Kansas State 20; Creighton 17; South Florida 13; Tennessee 7; Florida Gulf Coast 7; Marquette 6; Missouri 3; Georgia Tech 2; Elon 2; Virginia 1.