Taylor Simpson Named Preseason Player of the Year; Maroons Ranked #2 Nationally

Oct. 11, 2011 - Women's Basketball
Taylor Simpson Named Preseason Player of the Year;
Maroons Ranked #2 Nationally



CHICAGO -- Women's Division III News has tabbed University of Chicago senior forward Taylor Simpson (Lee's Summit, Mo./ Lee's Summit) as its Preseason Player of the Year and ranked the Maroons #2 in its 2011-12 NCAA Division III preview edition.

Last season, Simpson earned inclusion on three All-America Teams -- Women's Basketball Coaches Association (first team), Women's Division III News (second team), and D3hoops.com (third team) -- as she helped lead the Maroons to the University Athletic Association championship and their first trip to the Division III Elite Eight.

The 2010-11 UAA Player of the Year, Simpson averaged 14.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6% from the field and 78.6% from the free throw line. She scored double figures in 23 of 29 contests, grabbed double digit rebounds on 16 occasions, and notched 13 double-doubles.

Senior guard Meghan Herrick (Cedarburg, Wis./ Cedarburg) joined Simpson on the preseason All-America Team as an honorable mention pick.

Herrick was a Women's Division III News honorable mention All-American last winter after she averaged 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with a school-record 146 free throws made. She was the Maroons' leading scorer in NCAA tournament play with 19.5 points per contest.

Chicago captured the #2 spot in the Women's Division III News preseason poll, finishing behind defending national champion, Amherst College.

Head Coach Aaron Roussell's team returns all five starters from last year's national quarterfinalist squad, which won its final 18 regular season games and finished the campaign with a 25-4 record.

Chicago tips off its 2011-12 season at home Nov. 18 against Fontbonne University.