Nebraska was picked as the preseason No. 17 team in the country among the College Sports Madness Top 44 women’s basketball programs on Thursday, Oct. 23.

The Huskers return four starters from last season’s Big Ten Tournament championship team that advanced to the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Nebraska, which went 26-7 last year including 12-4 in the Big Ten, returns senior starters Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Tear’a Laudermill, along with junior first-team All-Big Ten point guard Rachel Theriot.

Theriot, who recently was chosen as one of the top 20 players in the nation by College Sports Madness, also will have senior Brandi Jeffery and sophomores Allie Havers and Esther Ramacieri to distribute to as returning players throughout the season.

Laudermill, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in her first season as a starter in 2013-14, was ranked No. 24 in the College Sports Madness player rankings for the 2015 WNBA Draft. Laudermill, a 5-9 guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., has previously been ranked among the top 15 players for the WNBA Draft by another on-line publication.

Nebraska’s seven returning players are being joined by seven newcomers who have been ranked as the best recruiting class in school history.

Nebraska fans will get their first chance to see the new Huskers in action next Wednesday, when Coach Connie Yori and the Husker women join Coach Tim Miles and the Husker men for Big Red Tip-Off at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Doors open for the free event at 5:45 p.m., with action set to start at 6:30.

The Husker women open exhibition play against Wayne State College on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. Season tickets for Nebraska women’s basketball are available now at Huskers.com.