Gamecocks voted first, where they should be

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The SEC women’s preseason poll came out a couple of days before the women’s piece of SEC Tipoff, and it was no surprise in Columbia. South Carolina, for the third straight year, was picked to win the league and had one of its players honored as preseason player of the year.

That’s what it should have been. The Gamecocks are 45-3 in the league the past three years and have won 22 straight against the SEC. They’re enjoying a Tennessee-esque run and there’s no sign of it slowing down.

Mississippi State will again be a tough out and I don’t think Tennessee is going to have a second straight lousy year. Kentucky, despite losing half the roster, still has Makayla Epps and is used to playing just six or seven women for major minutes. I think Ole Miss will be much better than the predicted last and LSU may be in trouble, but we’ll see where everyone is in March.

Here’s the media poll. Here are my picks:

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. South Carolina

2. Mississippi State

3. Florida

4. Tennessee

5. Kentucky

6. Texas A&M

7. Auburn

8. Vanderbilt

9. Ole Miss

10. LSU

11. Missouri

12. Arkansas

13. Georgia

14. Alabama

The women’s ballot lists five positions (G-G-F-F-C) but I thought the best five players don’t subscribe to that list. So I voted G-F-F-F-C.

Here are my picks:

G Makayla Epps, Kentucky

F Jessica Jackson, Arkansas

F Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State

F A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

C Alaina Coates, South Carolina

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Must be from All-SEC Team)

A‘ja Wilson, South Carolina