The Big Ten announced today that Northwestern F Nia Coffey was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team.

Coffey, who averaged 20.3 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game last season, was named to both the coaches and the media team. Last season, Coffey scored double digit points in every single game, and collected 18 double-doubles while leading the Wildcats to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. This is the third consecutive year that Coffey has been named preseason All-Big Ten.

Somewhat surprisingly though, Coffey was not named a unanimous selection on either the coaches or the media side. For the coaches, Maryland’s Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Michigan’s Katelynn Flaherty, and Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell were named unanimous selections. On the media side, only Walker-Kimbrough and Mitchell were unanimous selections. 

Ohio State’s Mitchell was named coaches and media preseason player of the year for the second consecutive season, while Maryland was selected by both the coaches and media as preseason favorite. The full polls can be found below

The Wildcats open up their season with an exhibition against Illinois-Springfield on November 6th. The regular season will start on November 11th when the Wildcats battle Hampton in a game that can be heard on WNUR. 

2016-17 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. Maryland

2. Ohio State

3. (tie) Indiana and Michigan State

 

2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

TYRA BUSS, Jr., G, Indiana

Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa

BRIONNA JONES, Sr., C, Maryland

SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland

KATELYNN FLAHERTY, Jr., G, Michigan

Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State

Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska

Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern

KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State

Teniya Page, So., G, Penn State

 

2016-17 COACHES PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State

 

2016-17 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. Maryland

2. Ohio State

3. Indiana

 

2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

Tyra Buss, Jr., G, Indiana

Ally Disterhoft, Sr., G, Iowa

Brionna Jones, Sr., C, Maryland

SHATORI WALKER-KIMBROUGH, Sr., G, Maryland

Katelynn Flaherty, Jr., G, Michigan

Tori Jankoska, Sr., G, Michigan State

Carlie Wagner, Jr., G, Minnesota

Jessica Shepard, So., F, Nebraska

Nia Coffey, Sr., F, Northwestern

KELSEY MITCHELL, Jr., G, Ohio State

 

2016-17 MEDIA PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kelsey Mitchell, Jr., G, Ohio State

 

Unanimous selections listed in ALL CAPS