RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Following a magical season that featured a Great American Conference regular-season title, a GAC Tournament championship, an NCAA Central Region crown and a trip to the NCAA Elite 8, Harding will enter the 2017-18 women's basketball season as the preseason favorite, following a vote of the league's head coaches, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

The Lady Bisons, who went 31-4 a season ago, picked up the first-place vote from each of the other 11 coaches. They return the core of their frontcourt in Caroline Hogue, the GAC Newcomer of the Year; Sydney Layrock, a...