Coaches predict South Carolina will win 2015-16 SEC title
From the SEC:
South Carolina was predicted to win the 2016 Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship in a vote of the league’s coaches. This is the second consecutive season the coaches have positioned the Gamecocks at the top of the league.
Last season, South Carolina won a school-record 34 games and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the first time. The Gamecocks also won their first SEC Tournament title in their first appearance in the championship game. South Carolina returns its top three scorers and top two rebounders from last season’s squad.
South Carolina tops the order of finish with 168 points, with Tennessee (158), Texas A&M (138), Mississippi State (134), Kentucky (125), Missouri (94), and Ole Miss (81) rounding out the top half the league. Arkansas (77), Georgia (75), LSU (64), Vanderbilt (61), Florida (54), Auburn (29), and Alabama (16) frame the bottom half.
South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell was voted as SEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Mitchell’s teammate A’ja Wilson and Tennessee’s Diamond DeShields also received votes.
Joining Mitchell, Wilson, and DeShields on the All-SEC Preseason First Team are Makayla Epps, Kentucky; Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State; Alaina Coates, South Carolina; Bashaara Graves, Tennessee; Courtney Walker, Texas A&M and Courtney Williams, Texas A&M.
The Preseason Second Team All-SEC is comprised of Jessica Jackson, Arkansas; Ronni Williams, Florida; Shacobia Barbee, Georgia; Raigyne Moncrief, LSU; Jordan Frericks, Missouri; Mercedes Russell, Tennessee; Jordan Jones, Texas A&M; and Rebekah Dahlman, Vanderbilt.
Points for order of finish were compiled on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each coach also voted for an eight-player All-SEC first team, an eight-player All-SEC second team and the Player of the Year. Coaches cannot vote for their own team or players and ties are not broken.
Preseason Coaches’ Predictions
| PLACE | SCHOOL | POINTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Carolina | 168 |
| 2. | Tennessee | 158 |
| 3. | Texas A&M | 138 |
| 4. | Mississippi State | 134 |
| 5. | Kentucky | 125 |
| 6. | Missouri | 94 |
| 7. | Ole Miss | 81 |
| 8. | Arkansas | 77 |
| 9. | Georgia | 75 |
| 10. | LSU | 64 |
| 11. | Vanderbilt | 61 |
| 12. | Florida | 54 |
| 13. | Auburn | 29 |
| 14. | Alabama | 16 |
Player of the Year: Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
First Team All-SEC
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee
Bashaara Graves, Tennessee
Courtney Walker, Texas A&M
Courtney Williams, Texas A&M
Second Team All-SEC
Jessica Jackson, Arkansas
Ronni Williams, Florida
Shacobia Barbee, Georgia
Raigyne Moncrief, LSU
Jordan Frericks, Missouri
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee
Jordan Jones, Texas A&M
Rebekah Dahlman, Vanderbilt
