Media Picks Mississippi State to Finish Second, Ole Miss Last in SEC Women’s Hoops

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WCBI/SEC) – South Carolina was predicted to win the 2017 Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship in a voting of a select panel of both SEC and national media members.

The Gamecocks enter the 2016-17 campaign as the three-time reigning SEC regular-season champions, including last season’s perfect 16-0 league record. South Carolina is returning multiple All-Americans this season in senior center Alaina Coates and junior forward A’ja Wilson. South Carolina added five newcomers to the roster with the four freshmen ready to take the court this season, led by FIBA U18 Americas Championship gold medalist Tyasha Harris.

South Carolina tops the order of finish, with Mississippi State, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Texas A&M and Auburn rounding out the top half the league. Missouri, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss round out the bottom half.

South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson was the overwhelming choice for SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Wilson’s teammate Alaina Coates also received votes, as did Kentucky’s Makayla Epps and Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians.

Those four players also make up the bulk of the All-SEC team with Tennessee’s Diamond DeShields being the fifth player.

Order of Finish:
1. South Carolina
2. Mississippi State
3. Tennessee
4. Kentucky
5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. Auburn
8. Missouri
9. Vanderbilt
10. Georgia
11. Arkansas
12. LSU
13. Alabama
14. Ole Miss

Player of the Year
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee