AP All-SEC honors (POY: A'ja Wilson)

[Plebe]

sports.yahoo.com/news/scarolinas-wilson-repeats-ap-sec-womens-player-180545189--ncaaw.html

FIRST TEAM
u-Makayla Epps, Kentucky, G, 5-10, Sr. , Lebanon, Kentucky
u-A'ja Wilson, South Carolina, F, 6-5, Jr., Hopkins, South Carolina
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri, G, 6-1, So., Columbia, Missouri
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State, F, 6-1, Jr., Carthage, Mississippi
Ronni Williams, Florida, F, 6-0, Sr., Daytona Beach, Florida

SECOND TEAM
Alaina Coates, South Carolina, C, 6-4, Sr., Irmo, South Carolina
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee, G, 6-1, Jr., Norcross, Georgia
Curtyce Knox, Texas A&M, G, 5-7, Sr., Humble, Texas
Evelyn Akhator, Kentucky, F, 6-3, Sr., Lagos, Nigeria
Mercedes Russell, Tennessee, C, 6-6, Jr., Springfield, Oregon
Morgan William, Mississippi State, G, 5-5, Jr., Birmingham, Alabama

Player of the Year - u-A'ja Wilson, South Carolina
Coach of the Year - u-Robin Pingeton, Missouri
Newcomer of the Year - Jordan Lewis, Alabama

 

[DaddyChoc]

its cool that Coates and Wilson stayed home to play ball

 

[SCGamecock]

its cool that Coates and Wilson stayed home to play ball

And even cooler that both grew up no more than 30 minutes from campus... to have talent like that in your backyard and so close together age-wise.. then you keep them both home. That was another key to South Carolina's ascendency from a middling program to top of the SEC.. Recruiting success, yes.. but also pure luck.

Now, Dawn has used that success to branch out and recruit more skilled players nationally. Wilson and Duckett (2014) were the last players to sign to SC that are actually from SC.

 

[Phil]

I am curious about five on the first team and six in the second team. Has this always been the case?

I thought I saw an example (but can't put my finger on it) of a conference that selected five to the first team plus a player of the year so effectively six on the first team and then five on the second team but I don't recall this makeup.

 

[Plebe]

I am curious about five on the first team and six in the second team. Has this always been the case?

I thought I saw an example (but can't put my finger on it) of a conference that selected five to the first team plus a player of the year so effectively six on the first team and then five on the second team but I don't recall this makeup.

There was probably a tie in the voting for second team, hence six players.

 

[Orangutan]

its cool that Coates and Wilson stayed home to play ball

The whole first team plays in their home state. That's pretty cool.

That was another key to South Carolina's ascendency from a middling program to top of the SEC.. Recruiting success, yes.. but also pure luck.

On the same subject, see also: Diggins, Skylar. I can certainly appreciate the role of luck in a program's ascendancy.

On the other hand, it's got to be brutal to lose a hometown kid and watch them tear it up elsewhere. For example, if I'm a Cal fan I'm wondering how it's possible that a bay area kid like Ionescu ended up in Oregon rather than in Berkeley.

 

[triaddukefan]

I would guess that the SEC is the only conference that all the first team players play for their home state schools.

 

[stwainfan]

Diamond was on coaches first team. I agree more with that.

 

[Plebe]

Diamond was on coaches first team. I agree more with that.

That was an 8-member first team.

 

[stwainfan]

That was an 8-member first team.

Yes I just think she is better than. She is better than Vivians or Cunningham.

 

[Plebe]

Yes I just think she is better than. She is better than Vivians or Cunningham.

More talented, no doubt.