Eastern Oregon Picked to Win Fourth-Straight CCC Trophy
CORVALLIS, Ore. – For the third year in a row, Eastern Oregon University was picked as the preseason Cascade Collegiate Conference favorite, released Tuesday.
The Mountaineers – who last year claimed both the regular-season and tournament championships – finished with an impressive 29-4 overall and 19-1 CCC record. EOU has won three-straight championships and grabbed seven first-place votes, 115 total points in the preseason coaches' poll.
EOU was one of three CCC teams to advance to the NAIA National Tournament, with Corban University and Oregon Tech also earning bids. All three teams advanced to the round of 16 of the tournament.
The Warriors sit second in the preseason coaches' poll after finishing the season as the tournament runner-up, grabbing 110 total points and three first-place votes. The Lady Owls grabbed 94 points in the poll to sit in third place.
Southern Oregon University picked up one first-place vote, finishing with 90 points to stand in fourth. College of Idaho rounded out the top-five with 81 points.
Closing out the remaining six teams in order were: Northwest Christian University (56 points), Northwest University (55 points), Warner Pacific University (54 points), Multnomah University (30 points), The Evergreen State College (22 points), and Walla Walla University (18 points).
The basketball season tips off later this month, with CCC beginning on Dec. 3. Following the regular season, the conference postseason tournament is slated to begin on Feb. 25 with the quarterfinals round. It has an eight-team, single-elimination format, featuring the top eight finishers in the regular-season standings and the top-four teams earning hosting duties.
2019-20 CCC Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
Team (First-place Votes) Points 2018-19 CCC 2018-19 Overall
1. Eastern Oregon University (7) 115 19-1 29-4
2. Corban University (3) 110 16-4 25-10
3. Oregon Tech 94 16-4 24-10
4. Southern Oregon University (1) 90 12-8 16-11
5. College of Idaho 81 11-9 16-14
6. Northwest Christian University 56 7-13 10-19
7. Northwest University 55 8-12 11-20
8. Warner Pacific University 54 11-9 15-13
9. Multnomah University 30 7-13 11-18
10. The Evergreen State College 22 0-18 2-22
11. Walla Walla University 18 1-17 2-27
The NAIA women's basketball preseason poll will be released Oct. 22.