In the preseason release of the USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll, Academy of Art received recognition from members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) with a total of 75 votes, the most in program history. The Knights appeared on the national poll five times in 2013-14 and on the first seven releases in 2012-13. Additionally, the Division II Women's Basketball Bulletin Preseason Poll had ART U #18 nationally with Forthan one of two WDIIB Super 16 Selections from the West Region.

The coaches around the Pacific West Conference also held Academy of Art in high regard, selecting the Knights as repeat champion in the 2014-15 PacWest Women's Basketball Preseason poll. ART U received 11 of 13 first place votes to give them a 12-point edge over projected second-place Azusa Pacific. Following a breakout debut as PacWest Player and Newcomer of the Year, Forthan was chosen by the coaches as Preseason Player of Year and one of six on the Preseason All-PacWest Team.

Exiting the PacWest Conference Tournament as champions the past two years (2012-13, 2013-14), Academy of Art upped the ante last year by securing the conference's regular season title as well. The Urban Knights would go on to play in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Coach Larson's second trip there in three years with the program, and also produced its first All-American to date in Forthan. For more on the 2013-14 season, check out the Season in Review!

Women's Basketball begins this year's 28-game campaign with an exhibition contest at NCAA Division I University of Nevada this Friday, Nov. 7. Live coverage will be available via the following links: Live Stats | Live Video. The Urban Knights then officially start their season on November 14. For more information on the 2014-15 schedule, click here!

This season, Academy of Art's senior class features guards Sherelle Williams, Madeline Martin, and Molly O'Brien. Williams, a junior transfer from Tacoma Community College, Martin, a five-year senior with the Knights, and O'Brien, a junior transfer from Division I Wichita State, all contributed to a dynamic bench contingent which supported last year's exclusively sophomore starting lineup.

Those sophomores have now turned into juniors as Forthan, Regina Camera, Jasmin Guinn, Zoie Sheng, and Sha'Nice Storey are all back to defend ART U's titles. A season ago, Forthan averaged 19.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and produced a 13-game double-double streak which led her to be ranked 13th in the country in that category. Camera, All-PacWest Third Team and fourth on the program's all-time scoring list (677), received her second All-PacWest Tournament Team honor along with Forthan, the Tournament Most Valuable Player, last year while Guinn was named PacWest Defensive Player of the Year and also made All-PacWest Third Team as the Knights' steals leader.

An All-PacWest Second Team recipient, Sheng was the only ART U player to start all 31 games and played more minutes than any of her teammates in 2013-14. She boasted a 1.85 assist-to-turnover ratio as she became the only Urban Knight since assistant coach Sondra Stilwell to ever reach triple digit assists in a single season (100). Last year, Storey, an All-PacWest Third Team honoree, displayed her lethal range by knocking down a team-best 45 triples en route to becoming the program's career 3-point field goals made leader (96).

Also joining the Knights' junior class is Southern Miss transfer Caron Brown, a highly touted rebounding and defensive prospect upon her exit from Westlake High School in Georgia. She joins Aleigh Krug, a strong post presence, in the frontcourt while Vianai Austin, a spark off the bench with her energy and versatility, is set to make her break out of a two-year absence due to injury. Sophomores Irene Aranda and D'Andree Galipeau will also provide depth to a squad that carries not a single freshman this year.

How do you follow up two championship seasons with an award-winning core returning? We will soon find out as the ART U Women's Basketball squad takes the floor in 2014-15.