BETHLEHEM, Pa. - With 160 points and 16 first-place votes the Boston University women's basketball team was selected as the 2022-23 Patriot League women's basketball preseason favorite when the honors were announced on Thursday morning.
Lehigh was second in the preseason poll with 136 points and two first-place votes, followed by Holy Cross with 127 points and two first-place votes. Bucknell received 115 points, followed by Army West Point, which garnered 93 points. Lafayette nabbed 78 points for sixth, followed by Colgate (64). American (58), Loyola Maryland (39) and Navy round out the poll with 30 points.
BU swept the major awards as senior guard Sydney Johnson was named the Patriot League Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year and senior forward Maren Durant earned preseason defensive player of the year.
Joining Johnson on the preseason All-League team are Bucknell sophomore guard Cecelia Collins, Lehigh senior guard/forward Frannie Hottinger and junior guard Mackenzie Kramer, and Loyola Maryland sophomore forward Lex Therien. Johnson was named to the 2021-22 All-Patriot League First Team, while Collins, Kramer, and Therien were all second-team recipients. Collins and Johnson were also placed on the women’s basketball all-tournament team last year, while Therien earned All-Rookie Team honors.
Voting for the Patriot League women's basketball preseason poll, player of the year and All-League team was conducted by League head coaches and sports information directors. Neither group was permitted to vote for their team or student-athletes.
2022-23 Patriot League Women's Preseason Player of the Year
Sydney Johnson, Boston University, Sr., G
* Johnson enters the 2022-23 season averaging a team-leading 15.7 points and 2.5 boards per game after guiding the Terriers to a 12-6 League mark last season.
* The senior also led BU in total assists (96) and steals (50).
* She ended last season third in the Patriot League in assist/turnover ratio (1.5) and steals per game (1.8), fourth in field goal percentage (.419), fifth in scoring average and minutes per game (34.1).
* Johnson is going into her senior year with 846 career points, 223 assists and 212 rebounds.
2022-23 Patriot League Women's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Maren Durant, Boston University, Sr., F
* Durant finished the regular season averaging nine rebounds, the sixth-best mark in the Patriot League. Her nine rebounds per game mark also tied for sixth in program history at BU.
* Durant ranked third last season in the Patriot League in both total blocks (52) and blocks per game (1.7).
* Durant was named to the All-Patriot League Third Team and the All-Defensive Team last season.
* In her career at Boston U, Durant has recorded 535 points, 576 rebounds, 125 blocks and a .581 field goal percentage.
2022-23 Patriot League Women's Basketball Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Sydney Johnson, Boston University, Sr., G
2021-22 Stats: 28 GP/27 GS, 15.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg, .419 FG%, .747 FT%
Career Honors: All-Patriot League First Team (2022); All-Patriot League Tournament Team (2022); All-Patriot League Second Team (2021); All-Patriot League All-Tournament Team (2021); All-Patriot League Rookie Team (2020)
Cecelia Collins, Bucknell, So., G
2021-22 Stats: 34 GP/34 GS, 11.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, .442 FG%, .742 FT%
Career Honors: All-Patriot League Second Team (2022); All-Patriot League Rookie Team (2022); All-Patriot League All-Tournament Team (2022)
Frannie Hottinger, Lehigh, Sr., G/F
2021-22 Stats: 20 GP/16 GS, 11.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .804 FT%
Career Honors: All-Patriot League Second Team (2021); All-Patriot League Tournament Team (2021)
Mackenzie Kramer, Lehigh, Jr., G
2021-22 Stats: 30 GP/30 GS, 15.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, .449 FG%, .760 FT%
Career Honors: All-Patriot League Second Team (2022), Patriot League Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2022); All-Patriot League Rookie Team (2021)
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, So., F
2021-22 Stats: 28 GP/25 GS, 12.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 1.5 spg, .447 FG%, .638 FT%
Career Honors: Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year (2022); All-Patriot League Second Team (2022), All-Patriot League Rookie Team (2022)
2022-23 Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Boston University – 160 (16 first-place votes)
Lehigh – 136 (2)
Holy Cross – 127 (2)
Bucknell – 115
Army West Point – 93
Lafayette – 78
Colgate – 64
American – 58
Loyola Maryland – 39
Navy – 30
2022-23 Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year: Sydney Johnson, Boston University, Sr., G
2022-23 Women’s Basketball Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Maren Durant, Boston University, Sr., F
2022-23 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Sydney Johnson, Boston University, Sr., G
Cecelia Collins, Bucknell, So., G
Frannie Hottinger, Lehigh, Sr., G/F
Mackenzie Kramer, Lehigh, Jr., G
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, So., F
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.