Reviewing the SEC women’s basketball non-conference season

The 16-game SEC schedule begins Sunday. How did each team perform in the nonconference season?

ALABAMA

Record: 11-2

Losses: Tennessee-Martin, Georgia Tech

Key wins: Middle Tennessee, Georgetown

Nobody saw this coming – except Kristy Curry, who knew that a bad season last year was because the Crimson Tide had little experience. Despite not having Ashley Williams, Alabama is hitting over 42 percent of its shots, with Hannah Cook leading the team with 13.5 points per game. The schedule hasn’t been that tough, but Alabama is unbeaten at home and within two wins of its win total of last season.

ARKANSAS

Record: 5-8

Losses: South Dakota State, Tulsa, Louisiana-Lafayette, Oregon State, Missouri State, Rutgers, Butler, Texas

Key wins: Oral Roberts

The Razorbacks are finding out how the other half lives. After last year’s feel-good story, Arkansas is paying the price for aggressive scheduling. Coming into the year with just four returning players, Jimmy Dykes probably knew it would be rough – but he had Jessica Jackson, which might be good enough to get through a bad stretch. Jackson has been magnificent, but the Hogs have been barbecued in their first 13.

Arkansas is hoping to get its legs back, but its first four games are South Carolina, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Tennessee. That NCAA banner from last year is still pretty … it just won’t have company for a little while.

AUBURN

Record: 10-3

Losses: Virginia, Marquette, Florida Gulf Coast

Key wins: Minnesota

They’ve lost to good teams (by a point in overtime to Marquette), but haven’t beaten anybody of note. Still, it’s the kind of start an Auburn team expected to struggle needs. Like Arkansas, the Tigers were handed no favors to start the SEC – Kentucky, Mississippi State and Tennessee. But if Auburn can get through January, there’s only one game in February (Texas A&M) that seems to be a definite loss.

FLORIDA

Record: 12-1

Losses: Temple

Key wins: Florida State, Savannah State, Colorado, Wisconsin, NC State

The coaching changes have helped. While Florida hasn’t played a large number of difficult teams, it knocked off a great FSU team and has won 12 straight. Some were questioning why Amanda Butler got a contract extension after a lousy season, but she’s rewarded the faith by posting an outstanding record and getting her rookies up to speed quicker than expected. The first two SEC games (Mississippi State and Tennessee) will be rough, and the third against Ole Miss is no gimme. But Florida seems ready to rebound.

GEORGIA

Record: 12-1

Losses: Michigan State

Key wins: Stetson, Seton Hall, Cincinnati

Hard to argue with the start – Joni Taylor has reeled off 11 in a row and has Georgia looking good as it prepares for the SEC. Now, Georgia started hot last year, and Shacobia Barbee’s injury derailed the season. But Barbee is healthy this year and Georgia seems equipped to handle any injuries because it has better depth. The first game against Texas A&M (on the road) will tell a lot about this team – was it feasting on weaker competition and about to get its come-uppance, or are the Bulldogs back?

KENTUCKY

Record: 11-0

Losses: None

Key wins: Arizona State, Colorado, Louisville, Middle Tennessee, Duke

No depth, no problem. The Wildcats have soared through their nonconference season despite having little backups, but if the starters have gone this far with no problem, what’s to keep them from doing it for the next 16 games?

Matthew Mitchell’s system has always been to run, run, run, and Kentucky is having no problem doing it. Of course, the SEC is a different animal, but the Wildcats have played a strong schedule and won throughout.

LSU

Record: 6-7

Losses: Wake Forest, Tulane, Purdue, Maine, Rutgers, Connecticut, Samford

Key wins: None

They started off rough last year and made the NCAAs, but then they had the promise of Danielle Ballard returning. She’s not here this season, and the Tigers are looking at SEC play with a big lump in their throats.

There’s not a lot of consistency on either end for LSU, and while Nikki Caldwell has been known to get the best out of her teams late in the season, this year might be too far gone to save. If there’s a positive, it’s that January has only one looks-like-a-loss on it (Texas A&M, Jan. 10). And that game’s at home.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Record: 13-1

Losses: Texas

Key wins: Florida Gulf Coast, South Florida

No, the Bulldogs haven’t played an aggressive schedule, but there’s no doubt how strong this team is. They’ll push South Carolina and Tennessee for the league title, and they play each just once – at home. MSU is second in the league in scoring offense and scoring defense, with Victoria Vivians third in individual scoring. A tough, tough out.

MISSOURI

Record: 13-0

Losses: None

Key wins: Wichita State, Wake Forest, Colorado, Charlotte

The hype was real. Sophie Cunningham already looks like one of the best players in program history, leading the team with 16.6 points per game and proving her prep All-American credentials were legit. She’s led the Tigers to their best start, and while it hasn’t been a tremendously difficult schedule, Missouri is in unique territory. The SEC might provide a rude awakening – Tennessee, at Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi State are the first four games – but if the Tigers can keep their heads above water there, they have a chance to finish strongly.

OLE MISS

Record: 8-5

Losses: Louisiana-Lafayette, Missouri State, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, Tulane

Key wins: Western Kentucky

It’s a schedule that Matt Insell needed to set up. He has a very young team, and it’s been working through its problems in a rollercoaster slate. He could have scheduled much harder and seen his squad get its head kicked in, or he could have done what he did – schedule strong mid-majors with at least a solid chance to win. The SEC does him no favors, but the Rebels will get better by year’s end. Insell’s doing a great job, and will have them back competing for a top-four finish next year.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Record: 12-0

Losses: None

Key wins: Ohio State, Arizona State, UCLA, Duke

No, the Gamecocks haven’t played their best. Dawn Staley continues to preach that this team isn’t last year’s, and there’s a lot of improvement that needs to be done. But the Gamecocks continue to win, against a pretty tough slate, and woe be to the opponent that enters Colonial Life Arena, where USC simply does not lose. Now, that might change if the Gamecocks don’t switch to top gear, considering that Missouri, Texas A&M and Kentucky visit before No. 1 Connecticut. But again, USC is overcoming its issues and still winning. The Gamecocks had a lengthy Christmas break to address any issues, and while "three-peat" hasn’t been brought up, they’ve gotten used to hanging banners. They want that third one beside its two sisters from the past two years … and they really want a second one beside that Final Four banner.

TENNESSEE

Record: 9-3

Losses: Texas, Virginia Tech, Stanford

Key wins: Penn State, Syracuse, Wichita State, Oregon State

Tennessee has lost to good teams, but two have been at home. That is quite unusual for the Lady Vols, but things have been trending in the "never been done at Tennessee before" direction for a few years now. Tennessee still has talent, and Diamond DeShields has been what she’s supposed to be, but it’s apparent the rest of the world has caught up. The Vols will still win most of their games, still be in the top four of the league and still advance in the NCAA Tournament – but they have yet to re-discover what made them so invincible.

TEXAS A&M

Record: 10-3

Losses: Ohio State, BYU, DePaul

Key wins: Duke, California, Oklahoma

Gary Blair keeps churning out winners. While A&M has lost to some good teams, it’s beaten some really good teams and should challenge for the SEC crown. The Aggies aren’t dominant, but they are very talented and led by veterans. Nobody will simply roll over A&M in the SEC.

VANDERBILT

Record: 11-2

Losses: Dayton, Green Bay

Key wins: Ohio, New Mexico State

After missing the NCAAs last year, the Commodores have posted a stellar start – but they haven’t beaten anybody of note and are still a mystery to how good they actually are. Vandy has all-conference talent and a very conducive four-game start to the SEC, but right now its cautious optimism in Nashville. Beat South Carolina in Game 2, and we’ll talk.