2015-16 women's basketball campaign tips off this weekend

• Download Complete Release (PDF)

OPENING WEEKEND
The 2015-16 women’s basketball season gets underway on Friday and marquee matchups are slated soon after the first tip. A top-20 showdown takes place in Tempe with No. 15/15 ARIZONA STATE hosting No. 18/17 Kentucky in the Sun Devils’ season opener on Sunday on the Pac-12 Networks. CALIFORNIA and OREGON also are looking at early tests on Sunday as the Ducks travel to No. 22/20 North Carolina, while Cal heads to No. 8/8 Louisville. The Golden Bears’ game will be live streamed on ESPN3.

IN THE PRESEASON RANKINGS
Three Pac-12 teams start the season with preseason rankings. Pac-12 favorite and defending regular-season champion OREGON STATE earned its highest-ever preseason nod, coming in at No. 10 in the Associates Press polling and No. 9 in the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches poll. Defending Pac-12 Tournament Champion STANFORD is ranked No. 16 by the writers and No. 14 by the coaches. ASU is also ranked No. 15 in both rankings.

PRESEASON PLAUDITS
Four Pac-12 players were among ESPNW’s Top-25 Players of 2015-16 including a pair of Beavers in Ruth Hamblin (No. 10) and Sydney Wiese (No. 23). WASHINGTON’s Kelsey Plum was the highest-rated league player at No. 10 and the Ducks’ Jillian Alleyne was No. 16 ... Eight All-Pac-12 honorees from a year ago return this season, including Hamblin, who was also the 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Hamblin, along with Alleyne, were also third team AP All-Americans.

RECORD WATCH
Already there is a record watch as Alleyne, who currently sits second all-time in Conference history in total rebounds, is just 223 boards from the all-time mark.