Excerpts from www.thesunconference.com
TAMPA, Fla. – Florida Memorial University has been voted to finish third as voted on by the head coaches in the 2024-25 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The inaugural season for first-year head coach Kevin Herod and his new look Lions begins tonight as FMU travels to Austin, Texas, to face Huston-Tillotson in the season opener at the Inaugural Tiffany Jackson HBCU Women's Classic.
"Last year, the FMU women's basketball team finished seventh overall with a record of 3-11 in the SUN Conference," said Herod. "We are appreciative of the coaches preseason ranking as we're picked to finish third in conference. However, our players are also aware that we have not earned that ranking nor do we want to be third. As a women's basketball program, our aspirations as a team are much higher than conference rankings. We look forward to the challenge of competing in the SUN and representing our school at the highest levels of the NAIA," Herod explained.
Southeastern, coming off a strong 2023-24 season, where they posted an 11-3 SUN Conference record and finished 22-8 overall, sits atop this year's preseason poll. The Fire, 2023-24 Regular Season and Tournament Champions, secured 62 points and seven first-place votes, making them the preseason favorites to defend their dominance this year.
St. Thomas follows closely in second place, with 55 points and two first-place votes. The Bobcats, who were the 2023-24 SUN Tournament Runners-Up and National Tournament Qualifiers, finished last season with a 10-4 SUN record and an impressive 21-9 overall mark, positioning them as serious contenders for the upcoming season.
Florida Memorial claims the third spot in the poll with 46 points. Despite a challenging 3-11 conference record and an overall 11-16 finish last season, the Lions are expected to bounce back and make a significant push this year by adding a key piece to lead their squad; first-year head coach Kevin Herod, who has enjoyed success in the NAIA at programs like Talladega and most recently Langston.
Ave Maria follows closely in fourth with 45 points after a strong 2023-24 season where they finished 10-4 in the conference and 21-10 overall. Keiser rounds out the top five with 40 points, boasting a similar 10-4 conference record and an 18-11 overall finish from last season.
Webber International, coming off a 6-8 conference campaign and an 8-18 overall record, finds themselves in sixth place with 31 points. Coastal Georgia, with a 1-13 conference mark and an 8-18 overall finish, earns seventh place with 20 points.
Warner is slotted in eighth with 15 points after finishing last season 5-9 in the SUN and 10-17 overall. New College of Florida, entering the Sun Conference this season, rounds out the poll in ninth place with 10 points.
Conference play begins Saturday, November 16 with the conference tournament to begin Tuesday, February 26. Scores for all games can be found on
The Sun Scoreboard and stayed tuned into SUN live action all season long on
The Sun Digital Network.
| 2024-25 SUN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL |
| Pos. |
Team |
Points (First Place Votes) |
2023-24 SUN Record |
2023-24 Overall Record |
| 1. |
Southeastern |
62 (7) |
11-3 |
22-8 |
| 2. |
St. Thomas |
55 (2) |
10-4 |
21-9 |
| 3. |
Florida Memorial |
46 |
3-11 |
11-16 |
| 4. |
Ave Maria |
45 |
10-4 |
21-10 |
| 5. |
Keiser |
40 |
10-4 |
18-11 |
| 6. |
Webber Int'l |
31 |
6-8 |
8-18 |
| 7. |
Coastal Georgia |
20 |
1-13 |
8-18 |
| 8. |
Warner |
15 |
5-9 |
10-17 |
| 9. |
New College of Florida |
10 |
- |
10-12 |
