South Carolina women’s basketball comes close to the top of SEC preseason poll

Ahead of the conference’s media day this week in Birmingham, Ala., the SEC released its preseason media poll for women’s basketball on Tuesday, and South Carolina checked in at No. 2

Ahead of USC, Mississippi State was picked to repeat as regular season champions despite losing four starters from last year’s national runner-up squad. Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri rounded out the top five.

If that poll turns out to be accurate, South Carolina will finish 2018-2019 in the top two of the league in the regular season for the sixth consecutive season.

The Gamecocks are also seeking to extend their SEC record of four conference tournament titles in a row.

South Carolina senior forward Alexis Jennings was named to the preseason all-conference team. In 2017-2018, the Kentucky transfer finished second on the team in points and rebounds per game, at 11.4 and 6.6, respectively. She is expected by many to lead Dawn Staley’s squad now that program legend A’ja Wilson has graduated.

Jennings was voted to the SEC’s all-freshman team while at Kentucky in 2014-2015. This is her first all-conference honor.

SEC PRESEASON POLL

Order of finish

1. Mississippi State

2 South Carolina

3. Tennessee

4. Georgia

5. Missouri

6. Texas A&M

7. Kentucky

8. Auburn

9. LSU

10. Alabama

11. Arkansas

12. Florida

13. Vanderbilt

14. Ole Miss

All-SEC team

Caliya Robinson, Georgia

Anriel Howard, Mississippi State

Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State

Sophie Cunningham, Missouri

Alexis Jennings, South Carolina

Rennia Davis, Tennessee

Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M

Player of the Year

Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State

This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 2:57 PM.