By: Zac Pike
KENNESAW, Ga. – Graduate senior
Amani Johnson was named to the Preseason All-ASUN Conference Team for the third straight season and Kennesaw State was chosen to finish eighth in the preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced Wednesday.
Johnson was a fixture in KSU's backcourt in head coach
Octavia Blue's first year as head coach, starting all 28 games and registering 38.33 minutes per game, the third-highest rate in the country. The graduate senior ranked as the fourth highest scorer in the ASUN last season, chipping in 13.1 points per game while also dishing 4.5 assists per game to rank fourth in the conference as well.
The guard currently ranks fourth in scoring all-time at KSU with 1,350 points and needs just 103 points to become the all-time leading scorer with the Owls. She also holds the Kennesaw State career record for assists (485), steals (209) and minutes played (4,061).
KSU was voted eighth in the ASUN coaches' poll and 10th in the media poll. FGCU received 13 first place votes out of the 14 votes in the coaches' poll. Liberty was second and received the other first place vote. Both teams were atop the media poll as well. FGCU received 22 votes and Liberty earned the other six votes.
The Owls won nine games in the first year under head coach
Octavia Blue and return four of five starters from a season ago. In addition to returning four starters, Blue brought in a mixture of newcomers from the transfer portal and the high school ranks. Four of the five transfers arrive from Power 5 programs:
Lyndsey Whilby (Purdue),
Keyarah Berry (Indiana),
Kyndall Golden (Vanderbilt) and
Taylor Cullinan (Alabama).
Carly Hooks comes from ETSU, where she led the team in points per game as a freshman and sophomore. With the mixture of returners and the influx of talented newcomers, year two of the Blue era looks promising.
Season tickets for the 2022-23 basketball season are available for purchase! Season ticket packages start at $55 and courtside season tickets are available now as well for Owl Fund members. Click
here to secure your seats now! Please call the ticket office at 470-578-6957 to purchase courtside seats.
Don't miss our best combo deals, as fans can purchase the men's and women's basketball season ticket combo for $149 for all games. In addition, the Scrappy Combo is back, with season tickets for men's basketball, women's basketball, and baseball for just $185. All ticket info is available at
KSUOwls.com/tickets.
Preseason Player of the Year: Tishara Morehouse, FGCU
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Skyler Gill, North Alabama
2022-23 Preseason All-ASUN Team
G, *Tishara Morehouse, FGCU, Sr.
C, *Mya Berkman, Liberty, Sr.
G, *Skyler Gill, North Alabama, So.
G, Yamia Johnson, Austin Peay, Gr.
G, Ajah Wayne, Austin Peay, Gr.
G, Alice Recanati, Eastern Kentucky, So.
G, Imari Martin, Jacksonville State, Sr.
G, NeKiyah Thompson, Jacksonville State, Sr.
G, Amani Johnson, Kennesaw State, Gr.
G, Dee Brown, Liberty, Sr.
Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll
1. FGCU (13) 195
2. Liberty (1) 177
3. Jacksonville State 167
4. Stetson 129
5. Eastern Kentucky 114
6. North Alabama 105
7. Jacksonville 102
8. Kennesaw State 101
9. Austin Peay 99
10. North Florida 94
11. Lipscomb 76
12. Central Arkansas 47
13. Bellarmine 36
14. Queens 14
Preseason Women's Basketball Media Poll
1. FGCU (22) 386
2. Liberty (6) 358
3. Jacksonville State 328
4. Stetson 297
5. Austin Peay 234
6. North Alabama 232
7. Jacksonville 222
8. Eastern Kentucky 200
9. North Florida 194
10. Kennesaw State 178
11. Lipscomb 144
12. Central Arkansas 130
13. Bellarmine 68
14. Queens 40
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's basketball news, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsWBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
