Hamden In Top 5 of Girls Basketball Preseason Poll

HAMDEN, CT — Defending Class LL Mercy topped the preseason balloting of sports media members and coaches in the first high school girls basketball poll of the 2018-19 season.

The Tigers garnered 11 of 18 first-place votes to edge 2018 Class M champion East Haven, with New London winding up third.

Hamden collected three first-place votes in finishing fifth.

Here are the top 10, with first-place votes in parentheses, plus all other teams receiving votes.

1. Mercy (11)
2. East Haven
3. New London (1)
4. Trumbull (2)
5. Hamden (3)
6. Daniel Hand
7. Hall
8. RHAM
9. Farmington (1)
10. Coginchaug

Also receiving votes: Norwalk, Stamford, Career Magnet, Notre Dame-Fairfield, Simsbury, Enfield, Cromwell, Newtown, St. Paul, Trinity Catholic, SMSA, Wethersfield, Bacon Academy, Southington, Capital Prep, Berlin, Bethel, Fairfield Warde, Norwich Free Academy, Ridgefield, E.O. Smith, Staples, Amity, Windsor, Rocky Hill, Weston, East Lyme, Fairfield Ludlowe, Canton, Sacred Heart, Waterford.

Voters: Tim Jensen, Patch Media Corp.; Jimmy Zanor, Norwich Bulletin; Ryan Lacey, Danbury News-Times; Lori Riley, Hartford Courant; Erik Dobratz, WTNH/Sportzedge.com; Scott Ericson, Stamford Advocate; Noah Finz, Frontier Cable/Vantage Sports Network; Mike Madera, Walter Camp Foundation/New Haven Register; Pete Paguaga, GametimeCT; Dave Phillips, Shoreline Newspapers; Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report; Dave Danko, Fairfield Warde; Scotty Nails, Rye Country Day School; Brian Medeiros, Canton; Kevin Roberts, Southington Observer; Adam Betz, Journal Inquirer; Rich Zalusky, The Chronicle; Eric DeMarco, Notre Dame-Fairfield.

File photo credit: Tim Jensen

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