Quentori Alford of Alabama State women's basketball team was selected to the preseason Southwestern Athletic All Conference Second Team, while the Lady Hornets were predicted to finish fourth during 2012-13.  Preseason honors and order of prediction was announced today during the 2012 basketball teleconference. 
 
Alford, a junior center who was selected as the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year was selected to the 2012-13 preseason second team. The 6-3 native of Atlanta, Ga. finished the 2011-12 season leading the conference with 44 blocks averaging 1.5 blocks per game.  She averaged 7.3 points per contest.  She also averaged 8.1 rebounds per game finishing second in the SWAC.
 
“I feel as though “Q” (Quentori) will do a good job for us this season,” said head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson.  “I am glad that she has returned for her junior year, because towards the end of the last season right before the tournament “Q” hurt her knee and was only able to play a short time during the tournament.  Now she's back healthy and strong, and I just need her to work more on the offensive boards as well as the defense end of the court.  I am glad that she is back healthy.”
 
The Lady Hornets finished 14-14 overall and 11-7 in the conference last season, Alabama State will look to improve this record.
 
“I think that we have a really good group of young ladies coming back,” said Freeman-Jackson.  “Although we were picked to finish fourth it is way too early to say how we will finish up this season.  It doesn't matter where you are picked it just matters on how we finish up.  We are going to try to compete this year and try to do the best that we can do.”
 
“I expect for us to do better on the defensive end of the court and not just on the offensive end.  I know that we have good offensive players, but we have to play both ends of the court in order to compete, preseason, conference play and post season.”
 
For the complete Southwestern Athletic Conference picks, go to www.swac.org.
 
Alabama State is set to open their season on Nov. 8 with an exhibition match-up against cross town opponent Faulkner University.  The game is slated for 6 p.m. at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
GO HORNETS