Coaches pick South Carolina to win SEC, followed by Tennessee, LSU; Boston is player of the year
The SEC women's basketball coaches have picked national champion South Carolina to win the SEC, the league announced Wednesday.
The Gamecocks are followed by Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas tied for fifth with Mississippi State. Aliyah Boston was selected as Preseason SEC Player of the Year, though it wasn't an unanimous choice like the media's votes. LSU's transfer forward Angel Reese received votes as well.
Also on the Preseason All-SEC first team with Boston are: Alabama's Brittany Davis, LSU's Angel Reese and Alexis Morris, Mississippi State's Anastasia Hayes, South Carolina's Zia Cooke and Tennessee's Jordan Horston and Tamari Key.
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South Carolina and Tennessee tied for most players on the preseason teams with three each. Lady Vols forward Rickea Jackson and Gamecocks forward Victaria Saxton were voted to the All-SEC second team.
South Carolina, which won the SEC regular season title last season, has won six SEC championships in the last nine seasons. The Gamecocks return all their starters from last season, except point guard Destanni Henderson, who was drafted by the Indiana Fever.
Tennessee is the team best positioned to challenge the defending champs with key additions out of the transfer portal – such as Jackson, Jasmine Powell, Jillian Hollingshead and Jasmine Franklin – and a strong returning core from the NCAA Sweet 16 run last season. LSU also secured highly rated additions like Angel Reese out of the portal and incoming freshman Flau'jae Johnson.
There are three new coaches in the league with Joni Taylor's move from Georgia to Texas A&M, Sam Purcell's hire at Mississippi State and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson at Georgia.
The season begins Nov. 7 and SEC play begins Dec. 29.
Preseason SEC order of finish
1. South Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. LSU
4. Alabama
T5. Arkansas
T5. Mississippi State
7. Florida
8. Ole Miss
9. Georgia
10. Kentucky
11. Texas A&M
12. Missouri
13. Auburn
14. Vanderbilt
Preseason SEC Player of the Year
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Preseason All-SEC First Team
Brittany Davis, Alabama
Alexis Morris, LSU
Angel Reese, LSU
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Makayla Daniels, Arkansas
Aicha Coulibaly, Auburn
Diamond Battles, Georgia
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Victaria Saxton, South Carolina
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Coaches pick South Carolina as SEC champion, followed by Lady Vols, LSU
