BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Senior All-American candidate Chastity Gooch has been named the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com, the outlet announced on Friday.
Gooch's selection as the Preseason Player of the Year in the league comes following her selection by CollegeSportsMadness.com as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and a Mid-Major Second Team All-American in 2013-14.
In addition, freshman Ivy Brown was named the Preseason Freshman of the Year in Conference USA by the outlet. Gooch, senior Alexis Govan and junior Micah Jones also took up three slots on the ten-member Preseason All-Conference USA First and Second Team from the outlet.
Gooch averaged 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per contest for WKU last season, leading the team to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship and WKU's 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She enjoyed one of the most productive seasons in WKU history, placing 10th on WKU's single-season scoring record book and moving into the top 20 in career scoring and top 10 in both rebounds and blocks at WKU. Gooch, a two-time winner of the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, is the leading active career point scorer in Conference USA with 1,322 career points, one of just four active players in the league with 1,000 career points or more entering the 2014-15 season.
The Lady Toppers will take the floor in front of the public on Saturday, Oct. 18 when WKU hosts Hilltopper Hysteria in E.A. Diddle Arena at 6:00 p.m. CT. Hilltopper Hysteria includes individual player and coach introductions for both the men's and women's program, scrimmages by both teams, a slam dunk contest, three-point contest and an autograph session with both teams to end the night. Hilltopper Hysteria will also feature performances from the WKU Pep Band, the WKU Topperettes, the WKU Cheerleaders and Big Red.
WKU takes the floor for their lone exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT when the Lady Toppers host Bellarmine before hosting the opening round of the 2014 Preseason Women's NIT on Friday, Nov. 14 against Central Arkansas at 7:00 p.m. CT in E.A. Diddle Arena.
Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at WKUSports.com or by calling the WKU Ticket Office at 1-800-5-BIG RED or 745-5222 locally.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE LADY TOPPERS: For complete information on Lady Topper Basketball, visit www.wkusports.com, follow the program on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball, follow the program on Instagram via "LadyTopperHoops" or follow the program on Twitter via @LadyTopperHoops.
Upcoming Events in Lady Topper Basketball
October 18: Hilltopper Hysteria at E.A. Diddle Arena from 6:00-8:00 PM (CT)
November 4: Open Practice for Season Ticket Holders and Donors in E.A. Diddle Arena 2:30 PM (CT)
November 7: Exhibition game vs. Bellarmine at E.A. Diddle Arena at 7:00 PM (CT)
November 14: vs. Central Arkansas in Preseason WNIT at E.A. Diddle Arena at 7:00 PM (CT)
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