Locked on Women’s Basketball: Who will win the Patriot League? Who are the dark horses?

The conference’s preseason poll tabbed Boston University as the favorite, with 16 of 20 first-place votes. Todd explains why the Terriers look so strong this season:

“They bring back all five starters from their playoff team, and they’re just a team with great balance. Head coach Melissa Graves is in her second season. They have size; speed; playmaking in Sydney Johnson, who’s one of the players to keep an eye on in the league; [and] experience. And no one can match up with their post play. Senior Maren Durant is 6’3 and junior Caitlin Weimar [is] 6’4. No one has that in the league. They’re a great shooting team. They clearly are the team to beat.”

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But who could wrest the conference crown from Boston University? “Most of the rest of the league is wide open,” Todd says, but here’s why he thinks Army is a dark horse:

“Missy Traversi’s in her second season there, so they’ve had a chance to adjust to her X’s and O’s and grow that culture for a season. They also brought in a strong recruiting class. And they did lose Alisa Fallon, who was a fantastic player and leader for them last year, but they don’t have to replace a lot. And I like their experience. Coach Traversi likes to play aggressive defense [and] pick you up full [court]. They are really strong on the boards. And those two elements really travel well in playoff time and on the road. And I would look at Army as a team that could go the distance.”

To learn even more about the Patriot League, read Todd’s preview here, and follow his Patriot League coverage all season here! You can also find all of our women’s college basketball conference previews here.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the Locked on Women’s Basketball podcast for even more content!

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