The College of New Jersey has been selected as the favorite to win the 2006-07 New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship in a preseason poll of the league’s ten head coaches. The defending NJAC Champion Lions will be seeking their fourth conference crown since 2000-01.
 
TCNJ finished the 2005-06 season with a 19-9 overall record and a 13-3 conference mark while winning the NJAC Tournament as the third seed. The Lions, who recorded three tournament victories in a span of five days including road wins at both second-seeded Montclair State and top-seeded Richard Stockton, were selected to finish first in the South Division and received a league-high five overall champion votes from the league’s 10 head coaches. Under the direction of 14th-year head coach Dawn Henderson, TCNJ has posted an overall record of 253-93.  

The Lions, who do not return a single all-conference player from their 2005-06 championship squad, will feature a roster which includes 10 freshmen and sophomores, and just two returning starters in senior guard Megan Hueter and junior guard Sara Best.

Richard Stockton College, which captured the 2005-06 NJAC regular season championship with a conference-best 16-2 league mark, was selected to finish second in the South Division and received two overall champion votes. The Ospreys, who received an at-large bid to last year’s NCAA Tournament and finished 22-6 overall, return a pair of all-conference performers in senior forward Alicia Morris and junior guard Lisa Neira. Under the direction of 15th-year head coach Joe Fussner, Stockton has posted an overall record of 226-143.

Montclair State University, which produced an overall record of 18-10 in 2005-06, was selected to place first in the North Division and received two overall champion votes. The Red Hawks return a pair of all-conference performers from a squad that posted a 14-4 conference record last season including the reigning NJAC Player of the Year in senior forward Stephanie Machin along with all-league junior guard Jessica Garrabrant. In two seasons at the helm of the MSU program, 2005-06 NJAC Co-Coach of the Year Beth O’Boyle has produced an overall record of 33-22.

Kean University, which returns a league-high three all-conference players in junior forward Chari’ Cooper, senior forward Chi Clark, and the 2005-06 NJAC Rookie of the Year in sophomore guard Melissa Beyrutti, was selected to place third in the South Division and received one overall champion vote. In eight seasons as the leader of the Cougar program, head coach Michele Sharp has guided Kean to an overall record of 106-103, including a mark of 17-12 in 2005-06.

Under the direction of 14th-year head coach Erin Monahan, William Paterson University was selected to finish second in the North Division. Monahan, who has accumulated an overall record of 236-113 with the Pioneers, guided Paterson to a 16-11 overall mark in 2005-06. The Pioneers return the reigning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in senior all-conference guard Luci Custis.

Rutgers University-Newark, which finished 15-12 overall in 2005-06, was selected to place third in the North Division. In his sixth-year as head coach of the Scarlet Raiders, 2005-06 NJAC Co-Coach of the Year Kevin Morris has guided Newark to back-to-back ECAC Tournament appearances in the past two seasons.

The coaches’ dark horse selection, Rowan University, was selected to place fourth in the South Division. The Profs return one all-conference performer in senior forward Lauren Byrne. Led by seventh-year head coach Gabby Lisella, Rowan has produced an overall mark of 81-69 during her tenure in Glassboro.

Under the leadership of second-year head coach Ashante Timoll, New Jersey City University was selected to place fourth in the North Division. The Gothic Knights return one all-conference player from a squad that won 10 games in Timoll’s rookie season in senior guard Latrese McNair.

Rutgers University-Camden and Ramapo College were selected to place fifth in the South and North Divisions respectively. The Scarlet Raptors will be led by first-year head coach Jean Gyurics, while the Roadrunners will be led by first-year head coach Jill Fischman.

With the move of the New Jersey Athletic Conference to divisional play in the 2006-07 season, a change in the conference tournament structure will take place as well. The top three regular season finishers in each division will advance to the 2006-07 NJAC Championship Tournament.

First round games on Tuesday, February 20 will feature the second-place finisher in the North Division hosting the third place finisher in the South Division, and the second place finisher in the South Division hosting the third place finisher in the North Division.

Those first round winners will advance to face the first place finishers in the North and South Divisions respectively in the tournament semifinals on Thursday, February 22. The two semifinal winners will advance to the 2006-07 NJAC Tournament Championship Game on Saturday, February 24, to be contested at the site of the highest remaining seed.