BOSTON ? University of Hartford’s Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and Stony Brook University’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Trenton/Cheshire Academy) were unanimous selections to the 2006-07 America East Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team. Both players received eight votes from the coaches around the league (coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players) and were all-conference selections from a year ago.
Joining Hood and Ford on the preseason squad is junior center Laine Kurpniece (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) of Binghamton, 2006 Rookie of the Year Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral) of Hartford, and senior forward Jessica Smith (Butler, N.J./Butler) of Stony Brook. All three were second-team all-conference selections last season.
One of two unanimous selections, Hood was a first-team all-conference selection in 2005-06, helping lead Hartford to a second-straight America East Championship. The 6-1 forward was the Hawks’ top scorer from a year ago, averaging 13.9 points per game, which was fifth-best in the conference. She led Hartford to a program-best 27-4 record last season and was crucial in an unpresidented win over sixth-seeded Temple in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Another unanimous selection, Ford was a first-team all-conference selection in 2005-06. The 5-8 guard helped lead Stony Brook to its best season at the Division I level. The Seawolves finished 20-10 overall last season and represented America East in the Women’s NIT. It was Stony Brook’s first-ever trip to the postseason. She is America East’s top-returning scorer as she averaged 15.4 points per game in 2005-06. Ford led all of America East with 4.41 assists per game and also ranked in the top 10 in three-point field goals made (1.52 - 8th) and steals (1.59 - 9th).
Beverly, the 2006 America East Rookie of the Year, was a second-team all-conference and an all-rookie team selection. She won the league’s Rookie of the Week award a conference-record 10 times and ranked 20th in the league in scoring (10.2 ppg) and was the conference’s second-leading rebounder (8.7 rpg).
Smith, a second-team all-conference selection, ranked in the top five in America East in scoring (14.9 - 4th) and rebounding (7.4 rpg - 5th). She is the only returner in America East to be named an all-conference selection in the past three seasons.
Kurpniece, a second-team all-conference selection, led the Bearcats in scoring, averaging 12.2 ppg (11th AE) and pulled down a team-high 7.0 rpg (7th AE). She earned America East Player of the Week honors three times during the 2005-06 season.