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Hawai‘i Hilo’s Hurley named Preseason Player of Year; GCU expected to repeat as champion

Hillary Hurley PHOENIX, AZ – Hawai‘i Hilo senior forward Hillary Hurley (Anderson, CA/Enterprise) has been selected the 2011-12 Pacific West Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, while Grand Canyon University has been chosen to repeat as the PacWest Champion.

The preseason predicted order of finish and all-conference team were announced by the PacWest during its Women’s Basketball Media Day broadcast live on www.KQCKlive.com on Thursday, Nov. 3, from its studios in the San Tan Valley.

The Antelopes received seven of 10 first-place votes and totaled 97 points in getting the coaches’ nod to repeat as the league champions.

Dixie State College earned 86 points and one first-place vote to take the runner-up spot, while newcomer California Baptist earned the third-place seed with 70 points and one first-place vote. BYU-Hawaii, tabbed sixth by the coaches, claimed the final first-place vote.

The following is the complete predicted order of finish:

  1. Grand Canyon – 97 points (7 first-place votes)
  2. Dixie State – 86 (1)
  3. California Baptist – 70 (1)
  4. Hawai‘i Pacific – 65
  5. Academy of Art – 59
  6. BYU-Hawaii – 51 (1)
  7. Hawai‘i Hilo – 38
  8. Notre Dame de Namur – 34
  9. Dominican (CA) – 32
  10. Chaminade - 16

Mana Hopkins Hurley was one of seven players named to the Preseason All-PacWest Team. She averaged 15.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 56.9% from the floor.

The preseason squad included a pair of Hawai‘i Pacific players in senior forward Mana Hopkins (Kona, HI/Konawaena) and senior guard Paris Gravely (Fairfield, CA/Fairfield).

Hopkins averaged 12.1 points per contest while shooting 74.7% from the line. Gravely averaged 11.9 points per game.

Hopkins earned her third All-PacWest selection in 2010-11, claiming First Team honors last year.

She also was a First Team selection in 2009-10 and a Second Team choice in 2008-09. Gravely claimed her third straight All-PacWest Second Team selection last season.

Sheila Adams Grand Canyon sophomore guard Maylin Smith (Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite) and senior forward Jallisa Butler (Las Vegas, NV/Cimarron) also were named to the All-PacWest Preseason Team. Smith averaged 10.6 points per game and shot 83.7% from the line.

She had 32 three-pointers, 59 assists and 41 steals to go along with a 4.3 rebounds-per-game average. Last season she earned All-PacWest Honorable Mention accolades.

Butler averaged 8.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest.

Dixie State senior guard Sheila Adams (Layton, UT/Layton) was named to the preseason team as well. Last year she claimed All-PacWest Honorable Mention accolades after averaging 12.3 points and amassing 62 assists. She shot 37.0% (67 for 181) from beyond the arc and posted 36 steals.

Notre Dame de Namur senior center Emily Vore (San Bernardino, CA/Redlands) rounds out the Preseason All-PacWest Team. She was an Honorable Mention in 2010-11 after contributing 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest.