MIAMI, Fla. - The Thomas University Women's basketball team was recently picked to finish ninth in the Sun Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's coaches and released on Thursday morning. 

The Night Hawks received 9 total points as Southeastern was picked to take first in the Sun Conference. The Fire tallied 63 total points, including conference-most seven first-place votes. St. Thomas was tabbed second, tallying two first-place votes and coming in with 58 total points.

Despite the unfavorable preseason poll, the Night Hawks made offseason changes, including both freshmen and transfers who will help strengthen the depth as the schedule has nearly doubled in games from a season ago. But, in addition to the upgraded roster, the Night Hawks were also able to favorably restructure the team's schedule, which will now include non-conference matchups dispersed throughout. 

Last season, the Night Hawks were only able to organize one non-conference opponent throughout the entire season, which led to struggles throughout Conference play as the team endured three multi-game loss streaks to SUN powerhouses. The new upgraded schedule could potentially help TU figure out bumps along the road before the team faces SUN Conference opponents in eight of their last ten contests down the stretch. 

Fifth-year Head Coach Myron Brown will be assisted by a new-comer this season, as Assistant Coach Raynard Fuller joins the Women's Basketball staff after a three-year stint at Central Georgia Technical College as an assistant. 

The New-Look Night Hawk season will begin at home Thursday, October 28 when the team hosts the Bears from Truett-McConnell University. Tip-off at the TU Gymnasium is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

For up-to-date information on TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of TU women's basketball follow them via Twitter at @NightHawksWBKB.