Another Poll Season Looms

By Mel Greenberg

With the 35th season of AP voting about to get underway with the release of the Associated Press preseason poll later this week the Guru presents from the history files for you people of CoSIDA and other stat freaks a few preseason poll categories.

Incidentally, poll No. 600 is only six voting weeks away.

Here we go and more will be rolled out, perhaps, from a Raleigh-Durham hotel near the airport in North Carolina Monday night to start a trip to media day in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In other quick loose notebook news, former Immaculata types such as Marianne Stanley and Theresa Grentz will be at the 76ers Wednesday night on a tie-in or sorts at The Wells Fargo Center. And you all thought LeBron was the attraction.

Also in world of WNBA, San Antonio general manager Dan Hughes said the organization will wait until after the league meets which begin next week in New York before ramping up the search for a new coach.

Penn State held auditions Sunday for a new public relations announcer for women's games at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Tina Hay, who had been there forever dating back to Rec Hall days, departed in a move amicable to herself and the school according to a source in the athletic department.

Speaking of behind-the-scenes, Rutgers media day will be Thursday morning early -- though some would say close to coach Stringer's bedtime -- as Hasim Phillips makes his debut for the year as the women's media contacgt in the wake of Stacey Brann's departure for a similar job at Pittsburgh, assuming someone actually has a live sighting that she has left the office.

Now here's some preseason poll categories. Remember to add one after the poll is released. -- Mel

Most Top 10 appearances in Preseason poll (thru 2010)

Tennessee 32
Georgia 20
Louisiana Tech 20
Stanford 18
Connecticut 17
Texas 14
Duke 11
LSU 11
North Caro. 11
Old Dominion 11
Long Beach St. 10
Rutgers 10
Virginia 10
Purdue 9
Auburn 8
Maryland 8
Penn St. 8
Iowa 7
North Caro. St. 7
Southern Cal 7
Vanderbilt 7
Ohio St. 6
UCLA 6
Notre Dame 5
Texas Tech 5
Cheyney 4
Mississippi U. 4
Oklahoma 4
Steph. F. Austin 4
Western Ky. 4
Alabama 3
Baylor 3
Delta St. 3
Iowa St. 3
Kansas St. 3
Wayland Baptist 3
Arkansas 2
Immaculata 2
La.-Monroe 2
Michigan St. 2
Montclair St. 2
South Carolina 2
California 1
Cal-St. Fullrtn 1
Florida 1
Illinois 1
Kansas 1
Kentucky 1
Louisville 1
Mercer 1
Mississippi Col. 1
Queens 1
St. Joseph's 1
Tennessee Tech 1
UNLV 1
William Penn 1


Top 5 Preseason Appearances (thru 2010)

Tennessee 27
Louisiana Tech 15
Connecticut 13
Georgia 12
Texas 10
Stanford 9
Old Dominion 7
Duke 6
LSU 5
Maryland 5
Rutgers 5
Southern Cal 5
Auburn 4
Vanderbilt 4
Long Beach St. 3
North Caro. 3
Oklahoma 3
Purdue 3
UCLA 3
Virginia 3
Wayland Baptist 3
Delta St. 2
Iowa 2
Kansas St. 2
North Caro. St. 2
Ohio St. 2
South Carolina 2
Western Ky. 2
Alabama 1
Cal-St. Fullrtn 1
Immaculata 1
La.-Monroe 1
Notre Dame 1
Penn St. 1
Steph. F. Aust. 1
Tennessee Tech 1

Preseason No. 1s (Thru 2010)

Tennessee 12
Connecticut 7
Louisiana Tech 3
Duke 2
Southern Cal 2
Stanford 2
Texas 2
Delta St. 1
Georgia 1
Old Dominion 1
Virginia 1
Maryland 1

Tennessee and Louisiana Tech tied for No. 1 one seasson.
The Vols have been in 33rd preseason polls, missing just the very first one in 1976-77 and only 14 weeks overall.

More to come.

-- Mel