Coaches tab South Carolina 2016 champion

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.(SEC) – South Carolina was predicted to win the 2016 Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship in a vote of the league’s coaches. This is the second consecutive season the coaches have positioned the Gamecocks at the top of the league. Last season, South Carolina won a school-record 34 games and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the first time. The Gamecocks also won their first SEC Tournament title in their first appearance in the championship game. South Carolina returns its top three scorers and top two rebounders from last season’s squad. South Carolina tops the order of finish with 168 points, with Tennessee (158), Texas A&M (138), Mississippi State (134), Kentucky (125), Missouri (94), and Ole Miss (81) rounding out the top half the league. Arkansas (77), Georgia (75), LSU (64), Vanderbilt (61), Florida (54), Auburn (29), and Alabama (16) frame the bottom half. South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell was voted as SEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Mitchell’s teammate A’ja Wilson and Tennessee’s Diamond DeShields also received votes. Joining Mitchell, Wilson, and DeShields on the All-SEC Preseason First Team are Makayla Epps, Kentucky; Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State; Alaina Coates, South Carolina; Bashaara Graves, Tennessee; Courtney Walker, Texas A&M and Courtney Williams, Texas A&M. The Preseason Second Team All-SEC is comprised of Jessica Jackson, Arkansas; Ronni Williams, Florida; Shacobia Barbee, Georgia; Raigyne Moncrief, LSU; Jordan Frericks, Missouri; Mercedes Russell, Tennessee; Jordan Jones, Texas A&M; and Rebekah Dahlman, Vanderbilt. Points for order of finish were compiled on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each coach also voted for an eight-player All-SEC first team, an eight-player All-SEC second team and the Player of the Year. Coaches cannot vote for their own team or players and ties are not broken. Order of Finish PLACE

SCHOOL

POINTS 1.

South Carolina

168 2.

Tennessee

158 3.

Texas A&M

138 4.

Mississippi State

134 5.

Kentucky

125 6.

Missouri

94 7.

Ole Miss

81 8.

Arkansas

77 9.

Georgia

75 10.

LSU

64 11.

Vanderbilt

61 12.

Florida

54 13.

Auburn

29 14.

Alabama

16 Player of the Year: Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina First Team All-SEC Makayla Epps, Kentucky Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State A’ja Wilson, South Carolina Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina Alaina Coates, South Carolina Diamond DeShields, Tennessee Bashaara Graves, Tennessee Courtney Walker, Texas A&M Courtney Williams, Texas A&M Second Team All-SEC Jessica Jackson, Arkansas Ronni Williams, Florida Shacobia Barbee, Georgia Raigyne Moncrief, LSU Jordan Frericks, Missouri Mercedes Russell, Tennessee Jordan Jones, Texas A&M Rebekah Dahlman, Vanderbilt