HAWK CENTRAL

Iowa women's basketball: Kathleen Doyle named to preseason all-Big Ten team

Dargan Southard
Hawk Central

Iowa guard Kathleen Doyle has been named to the Big Ten's preseason all-conference team, the league announced Monday afternoon.

The Big Ten divvies up its voting between media and coaches — and Doyle was listed on both preseason squads. She was a unanimous selection by the coaches.   

Doyle returns as Iowa's most seasoned option, having averaged 12 points per game while leading the conference in assists per game (5.9) as a junior. Last season, she was named to the Big Ten's first team by the coaches and second team by the media. 

On a Hawkeye team that graduated Tania Davis, Hannah Stewart and Megan Gustafson from its Elite Eight run, Doyle's leadership and poise will be pivotal in her senior year. She returns after a summer spent at the Pan American Games with Team USA.

The Big Ten also released the top-five in its two preseason polls. Both the media and coaches had Maryland at No. 1. Things differed from there. The media went Michigan (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 3), Indiana (No. 4) and Minnesota (No. 5). The coaches went Michigan State (No. 2), Indiana (No. 3), Michigan (No. 4) and Purdue (No. 5).

Iowa women's basketball media day is Thursday, followed by an exhibition game Nov. 3 versus Winona State. The regular season starts Nov. 7 against Florida Atlantic.    

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.