SEC 2020-2021 early look/predictions | The Boneyard

SEC 2020-2021 early look/predictions

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I know its still very early but I figured its something to talk about or kill time with no sports going on right now.

A lot of talent returning in 2020 across the SEC. The freshmen class this past year was one of the more impressive things for the conference. A lot of the freshmen and sophomores looked poised to take the next big step next year. Transfers becoming eligible will also be big for a few teams.

1. South Carolina
Dawn has another very strong team poised for a big year next year with the super freshmen class, highlighted by Boston, Beal and Cooke a year older. Losing Herbert Harrigan and Ty Harris are big losses, they were key in helping blend that really strong freshmen class into the team it was last year. But there is still a lot of talent on that bench that can take the next step. Henderson is poised for a really nice year, she provided great minutes and production coming off the bench. Destiny Littleton is now available and will be a nice player to compliment the returning pieces. Eniya Russell is a talented incoming freshmen to keep an eye on.

2. Miss St
Last year was the first year experiencing life without McCowan and they had a tremendous season finishing 2nd in the SEC on the backs of a very talented freshmen and sophomore class. They return the core of the roster that is poised to take the next step. The major shakeup and question mark is how the program transitions now since Vic Schaefer took the Texas job. Will Coach McCray be able to maintain or build onto what the last staff accomplished? She is walking into a great situation from a roster standpoint. Highly coveted transfer Sidney Cooks is now eligible and should be a nice compliment to Carter down in the post. Freshmen Matharu, Jackson and Mingo Young look to further their games after big freshmen seasons.

3. Kentucky
Kentucky was a very strong and solid SEC team last year led by Rhyne Howard. Next year looks to be even better with a much improved supporting cast for Howard to work with. 2019 PAC 12 freshmen on the year Dre'Una Edwards is now eligible. They also bring in more depth with a great incoming freshmen class highlighted by 5 star Wing Treasure Hunt. Kentucky also brings back key role player like Chastity Patterson, Wyatt, Blair Green, and Keke Mckinney. Kentucky has also had a nice offseason so far supplementing their roster in the future with transfers from power 5 programs.

4. Arkansas
Arkansas has improved the last 2 years under coach Neighbors. The loss of Alexis Tolefree is big but Arkansas has found a way to possibly replace her with the addition of Graduate transfer Destiny Slocum. Arkansas returns key contributors such as Dungee, Ramirez, and underclassman Makayla Daniels. Arkansas add highly touted freshmen Elauna Eaton who looks to be contributor early. Arkansas will continue to have a strong punch from its guard but is looking to improve its standing going into next year. Post presence remains a question.

5. Texas AM
A&M spent a great chunk of last season experiencing life without Chennedy Carter, and will do so next season with her departure into the WNBA draft. A&M returns their strong and intimidating post presence with Cierra Johnson and N'Dea Jones. They also return key scoring contributor Kayla Wells. Former highly recruited ND transfer Jordan Nixon is now eligible. It has also been a busy offseason for Coach Blair, supplementing his roster for the future adding Zaay Green and Destiny Pitts. Blair has also supplemented his roster for next years team signing 6-5 JUCO all American Ella Tofaeono. A&M also adds 3 top 100 players who look to contribute next year.

6. Missouri
This prediction may be extremely bold but I anticipate Missouri to make a biggest jump next season of all SEC teams with the eligibility of three highly anticipated transfers including Ladahzia Williams, Shug Dickson, and Shannon Dufficy. Dickson and Dufficy will add experience to the current roster with significant potential scoring punch. Dickson averaged 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Tulsa. Dufficy is one to watch averaging 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Utah State. Rising stars Haley Franks and Aijah Blackwell look to build on their impressive freshmen seasons and look to have a better supporting cast next year. Nadia Green and Haley Troop look to provide depth behind the core group next year.

7. Tennessee
Tennessee has had an eventful offseason so far with the news of Zaay Green and Jasmine Massengil transferring. That leaves some holes and questions going into next year. Most importantly, Tennessee returns Rennia Davis who is poised for a big senior year. Freshmen Jordan Horston and Tamari Key look to take the next steps. Coach harper has been quick to. try to add depth and talent to the roster, after recently signing European wing player Marta Suarez and graduate transfer Keyen Green. Tennessee also looks for incoming freshmen Destiny Salary to be an early contributor next season. Tennesse looks to take the next step under Coach Harper.

8. LSU
LSU experienced life without Ayanna Mitchell early after she went down with a season ending knee injury. LSU looks to replace and build onto the season they had last year, as they looked to be turning the corner before Ayanna Mitchell went down. The loss of Mitchell was rough for the tigers as they lost 5 of their last 7 games showing some vulnerability and holes that will need to be addressed going into next season. LSU will look to lean on Khayla Pointer and Faustin Aifuwa lead the tigers in 2020. Awa Trasi played a more prominent role since the injury of Ayanna Mitchell, giving LSU more range and a scoring threat from 3. LSU is looking for incoming transfer Sarah Shematsi from France and rising sophomore Tiara Young to help turn the page for the tigers. LSU will have a lot of experience having a large senior class to lean on going into next season. LSU looks to try to improve their free throw shooting as it was among the worst in the conference last season.

9. Georgia
Georgia appeared to show improvement towards the end of last season. They return their top 3 scorers, highlighted by Maryland transfer Jenna Staiti. UCONN Mikayla Coombs will now be eligible providing additional depth for next years team. Georgia will need to look for ways to improve their scoring as shooting was a weakness many times throughout the season.


10. Florida
Florida made a big jump from last season moving from 8 to 15 wins on the backs of a very young team highlighted by Freshmen star lavender Briggs. Florida return key scoring contributors with Kiara Smith, Nina Richards and Kristina Moore. Bigger for Florida, Danielle Rainey will be back and available after sustaining a injury that caused her to miss the 19-2020 season. Additional help is on the way with incoming freshmen 5 star recruit Jordyn Merrit who looks to be a contributor early. Florida appears to be trending in the right direction but looks to make a bigger push next season.

11. Alabama
Alabama showed a lot of promise towards the end of the season with key upsets, highlighted by upsetting MSU down in Starkville. They return 3 key senior contributors Jordan Lewis, Jasmine Walker and Ariyah Copeland. Alabama inked three transfers to supplement the roster highlighted by Taylor Sutton, who unfortunately will have to sit for the 2020-2021 season.

12. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt looks to get over the hurdle soon. With improvement last season, a lot was left to be desired. The loss of Briane Alexander to injury was a lot for Vanderbilt to recover from. Freshmen phenom Koi Love returns and will have some helping getting back Brinae Alexander, and Chelsie Hall. The loss of Fasoula leaves a glaring question in who will step up to provide a strong post presence. Stephanie White may be running out of time.

13. Auburn
It has not been a pleasant offseason so far for Auburn as the team is facing mass exodus of players to transfer.
Robyn Benton, Brooke Moore, Lauren Hansen have entered the transfer portal along with backup forward Natalie Kelly.
Benton (10.1 points per game), Moore (8.6 ppg) and Hansen (7.9) were all regular starters last season and made up a large part of their scoring behind junior Unique Thompson (16.2) and senior Daisa Alexander (13.8). Time may be running out for Coach Flournoy. Baylor transfer Honesty Scott Grayson looks to be a major contributor next year replacing a lot of lost production.

14. Ole Miss
Coach Yo still has her hands full trying to rebuild an Ole Miss program that has seen its roster turned over the last few seasons. Ole Miss was by far the worst team in the conference going 0-16 but looks to build towards the future with some continuity. moving forward. Ole Miss will look towards its freshmen class highlighted by two 5 star players Madison Scott and Jacorriah Bracey. Good news for Ole Miss is Valerie Nesbitt will be returning, and was one of Ole Miss's top players last season. Ole Miss will have a lot more potential in the future with the addition of Maryland transfer Shakira Austin but will have to wait a year before that happens. There is. a lot of potential moving forward if they can keep the talented kids they recently brought in.

I know my predictions are whack but I went bold with a few teams. 6-8 could all be interchangeable.
 
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WestCoastPup

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Austin to OLD Miss should shake things up... I would expect them to finish ahead of Vandy and Auburn.
 
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Austin to OLD Miss should shake things up... I would expect them to finish ahead of Vandy and Auburn.


Doesn’t she have to sit out a year? I don’t anticipate Ole miss taking a large step until the following year unless they continue to turn over their roster. I believe ole miss will be improved this year with that nice freshmen class but if they can sign another good class and keep their team together, they could be much better for the 21-22 season
 
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I know its still very early but I figured its something to talk about or kill time with no sports going on right now.

A lot of talent returning in 2020 across the SEC. The freshmen class this past year was one of the more impressive things for the conference. A lot of the freshmen and sophomores looked poised to take the next big step next year. Transfers becoming eligible will also be big for a few teams.

1. South Carolina
Dawn has another very strong team poised for a big year next year with the super freshmen class, highlighted by Boston, Beal and Cooke a year older. Losing Herbert Harrigan and Ty Harris are big losses, they were key in helping blend that really strong freshmen class into the team it was last year. But there is still a lot of talent on that bench that can take the next step. Henderson is poised for a really nice year, she provided great minutes and production coming off the bench. Destiny Littleton is now available and will be a nice player to compliment the returning pieces. Eniya Russell is a talented incoming freshmen to keep an eye on.

2. Miss St
Last year was the first year experiencing life without McCowan and they had a tremendous season finishing 2nd in the SEC on the backs of a very talented freshmen and sophomore class. They return the core of the roster that is poised to take the next step. The major shakeup and question mark is how the program transitions now since Vic Schaefer took the Texas job. Will Coach McCray be able to maintain or build onto what the last staff accomplished? She is walking into a great situation from a roster standpoint. Highly coveted transfer Sidney Cooks is now eligible and should be a nice compliment to Carter down in the post. Freshmen Matharu, Jackson and Mingo Young look to further their games after big freshmen seasons.

3. Kentucky
Kentucky was a very strong and solid SEC team last year led by Rhyne Howard. Next year looks to be even better with a much improved supporting cast for Howard to work with. 2019 PAC 12 freshmen on the year Dre'Una Edwards is now eligible. They also bring in more depth with a great incoming freshmen class highlighted by 5 star Wing Treasure Hunt. Kentucky also brings back key role player like Chastity Patterson, Wyatt, Blair Green, and Keke Mckinney. Kentucky has also had a nice offseason so far supplementing their roster in the future with transfers from power 5 programs.

4. Arkansas
Arkansas has improved the last 2 years under coach Neighbors. The loss of Alexis Tolefree is big but Arkansas has found a way to possibly replace her with the addition of Graduate transfer Destiny Slocum. Arkansas returns key contributors such as Dungee, Ramirez, and underclassman Makayla Daniels. Arkansas add highly touted freshmen Elauna Eaton who looks to be contributor early. Arkansas will continue to have a strong punch from its guard but is looking to improve its standing going into next year. Post presence remains a question.

5. Texas AM
A&M spent a great chunk of last season experiencing life without Chennedy Carter, and will do so next season with her departure into the WNBA draft. A&M returns their strong and intimidating post presence with Cierra Johnson and N'Dea Jones. They also return key scoring contributor Kayla Wells. Former highly recruited ND transfer Jordan Nixon is now eligible. It has also been a busy offseason for Coach Blair, supplementing his roster for the future adding Zaay Green and Destiny Pitts. Blair has also supplemented his roster for next years team signing 6-5 JUCO all American Ella Tofaeono. A&M also adds 3 top 100 players who look to contribute next year.

6. Missouri
This prediction may be extremely bold but I anticipate Missouri to make a biggest jump next season of all SEC teams with the eligibility of three highly anticipated transfers including Ladahzia Williams, Shug Dickson, and Shannon Dufficy. Dickson and Dufficy will add experience to the current roster with significant potential scoring punch. Dickson averaged 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Tulsa. Dufficy is one to watch averaging 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Utah State. Rising stars Haley Franks and Aijah Blackwell look to build on their impressive freshmen seasons and look to have a better supporting cast next year. Nadia Green and Haley Troop look to provide depth behind the core group next year.

7. Tennessee
Tennessee has had an eventful offseason so far with the news of Zaay Green and Jasmine Massengil transferring. That leaves some holes and questions going into next year. Most importantly, Tennessee returns Rennia Davis who is poised for a big senior year. Freshmen Jordan Horston and Tamari Key look to take the next steps. Coach harper has been quick to. try to add depth and talent to the roster, after recently signing European wing player Marta Suarez and graduate transfer Keyen Green. Tennessee also looks for incoming freshmen Destiny Salary to be an early contributor next season. Tennesse looks to take the next step under Coach Harper.

8. LSU
LSU experienced life without Ayanna Mitchell early after she went down with a season ending knee injury. LSU looks to replace and build onto the season they had last year, as they looked to be turning the corner before Ayanna Mitchell went down. The loss of Mitchell was rough for the tigers as they lost 5 of their last 7 games showing some vulnerability and holes that will need to be addressed going into next season. LSU will look to lean on Khayla Pointer and Faustin Aifuwa lead the tigers in 2020. Awa Trasi played a more prominent role since the injury of Ayanna Mitchell, giving LSU more range and a scoring threat from 3. LSU is looking for incoming transfer Sarah Shematsi from France and rising sophomore Tiara Young to help turn the page for the tigers. LSU will have a lot of experience having a large senior class to lean on going into next season. LSU looks to try to improve their free throw shooting as it was among the worst in the conference last season.

9. Georgia
Georgia appeared to show improvement towards the end of last season. They return their top 3 scorers, highlighted by Maryland transfer Jenna Staiti. UCONN Mikayla Coombs will now be eligible providing additional depth for next years team. Georgia will need to look for ways to improve their scoring as shooting was a weakness many times throughout the season.


10. Florida
Florida made a big jump from last season moving from 8 to 15 wins on the backs of a very young team highlighted by Freshmen star lavender Briggs. Florida return key scoring contributors with Kiara Smith, Nina Richards and Kristina Moore. Florida. Bigger for Florida, Danielle Rainey will be back and available after sustaining a injury that caused her to miss the 19-2020 season. Additional help is on the way with incoming freshmen 5 star recruit Jordyn Merrit who looks to be a contributor early. Florida appears to be trending in the right direction but looks to make a bigger push next season.

11. Alabama
Alabama showed a lot of promise towards the end of the season with key upsets, highlighted by upsetting MSU down in Starkville. They return 3 key senior contributors Jordan Lewis, Jasmine Walker and Ariyah Copeland. Alabama inked three transfers to supplement the roster highlighted by Taylor Sutton, who unfortunately will have to sit for the 2020-2021 season.

12. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt looks to get over the hurdle soon. With improvement last season, a lot was left to be desired. The loss of Briane Alexander to injury was a lot for Vanderbilt to recover from. Freshmen phenom Koi Love returns and will have some helping getting back Brinae Alexander, and Chelsie Hall. The loss of Fasoula leaves a glaring question in who will step up to provide a strong post presence. Stephanie White may be running out of time.

13. Auburn
It has not been a pleasant offseason so far for Auburn as the team is facing mass exodus of players to transfer.
Robyn Benton, Brooke Moore, Lauren Hansen have entered the transfer portal along with backup forward Natalie Kelly.
Benton (10.1 points per game), Moore (8.6 ppg) and Hansen (7.9) were all regular starters last season and made up a large part of their scoring behind junior Unique Thompson (16.2) and senior Daisa Alexander (13.8). Time may be running out for Coach Flournoy. Baylor transfer Honesty Scott Grayson looks to be a major contributor next year replacing a lot of lost production.

14. Ole Miss
Coach Yo still has her hands full trying to rebuild an Ole Miss program that has seen its roster turned over the last few seasons. Ole Miss was by far the worst team in the conference going 0-16 but looks to build towards the future with some continuity. moving forward. Ole Miss will look towards its freshmen class highlighted by two 5 star players Madison Scott and Jacorriah Bracey. Good news for Ole Miss is Valerie Nesbitt will be returning, and was one of Ole Miss's top players last season.

I know my predictions are whack but I went bold with a few teams. 6-8 could all be interchangeable.
Thanks! Great job in providing this excellent run-down and your thoughts!!
 
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I know its still very early but I figured its something to talk about or kill time with no sports going on right now.

A lot of talent returning in 2020 across the SEC. The freshmen class this past year was one of the more impressive things for the conference. A lot of the freshmen and sophomores looked poised to take the next big step next year. Transfers becoming eligible will also be big for a few teams.

1. South Carolina
Dawn has another very strong team poised for a big year next year with the super freshmen class, highlighted by Boston, Beal and Cooke a year older. Losing Herbert Harrigan and Ty Harris are big losses, they were key in helping blend that really strong freshmen class into the team it was last year. But there is still a lot of talent on that bench that can take the next step. Henderson is poised for a really nice year, she provided great minutes and production coming off the bench. Destiny Littleton is now available and will be a nice player to compliment the returning pieces. Eniya Russell is a talented incoming freshmen to keep an eye on.

2. Miss St
Last year was the first year experiencing life without McCowan and they had a tremendous season finishing 2nd in the SEC on the backs of a very talented freshmen and sophomore class. They return the core of the roster that is poised to take the next step. The major shakeup and question mark is how the program transitions now since Vic Schaefer took the Texas job. Will Coach McCray be able to maintain or build onto what the last staff accomplished? She is walking into a great situation from a roster standpoint. Highly coveted transfer Sidney Cooks is now eligible and should be a nice compliment to Carter down in the post. Freshmen Matharu, Jackson and Mingo Young look to further their games after big freshmen seasons.

3. Kentucky
Kentucky was a very strong and solid SEC team last year led by Rhyne Howard. Next year looks to be even better with a much improved supporting cast for Howard to work with. 2019 PAC 12 freshmen on the year Dre'Una Edwards is now eligible. They also bring in more depth with a great incoming freshmen class highlighted by 5 star Wing Treasure Hunt. Kentucky also brings back key role player like Chastity Patterson, Wyatt, Blair Green, and Keke Mckinney. Kentucky has also had a nice offseason so far supplementing their roster in the future with transfers from power 5 programs.

4. Arkansas
Arkansas has improved the last 2 years under coach Neighbors. The loss of Alexis Tolefree is big but Arkansas has found a way to possibly replace her with the addition of Graduate transfer Destiny Slocum. Arkansas returns key contributors such as Dungee, Ramirez, and underclassman Makayla Daniels. Arkansas add highly touted freshmen Elauna Eaton who looks to be contributor early. Arkansas will continue to have a strong punch from its guard but is looking to improve its standing going into next year. Post presence remains a question.

5. Texas AM
A&M spent a great chunk of last season experiencing life without Chennedy Carter, and will do so next season with her departure into the WNBA draft. A&M returns their strong and intimidating post presence with Cierra Johnson and N'Dea Jones. They also return key scoring contributor Kayla Wells. Former highly recruited ND transfer Jordan Nixon is now eligible. It has also been a busy offseason for Coach Blair, supplementing his roster for the future adding Zaay Green and Destiny Pitts. Blair has also supplemented his roster for next years team signing 6-5 JUCO all American Ella Tofaeono. A&M also adds 3 top 100 players who look to contribute next year.

6. Missouri
This prediction may be extremely bold but I anticipate Missouri to make a biggest jump next season of all SEC teams with the eligibility of three highly anticipated transfers including Ladahzia Williams, Shug Dickson, and Shannon Dufficy. Dickson and Dufficy will add experience to the current roster with significant potential scoring punch. Dickson averaged 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Tulsa. Dufficy is one to watch averaging 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Utah State. Rising stars Haley Franks and Aijah Blackwell look to build on their impressive freshmen seasons and look to have a better supporting cast next year. Nadia Green and Haley Troop look to provide depth behind the core group next year.

7. Tennessee
Tennessee has had an eventful offseason so far with the news of Zaay Green and Jasmine Massengil transferring. That leaves some holes and questions going into next year. Most importantly, Tennessee returns Rennia Davis who is poised for a big senior year. Freshmen Jordan Horston and Tamari Key look to take the next steps. Coach harper has been quick to. try to add depth and talent to the roster, after recently signing European wing player Marta Suarez and graduate transfer Keyen Green. Tennessee also looks for incoming freshmen Destiny Salary to be an early contributor next season. Tennesse looks to take the next step under Coach Harper.

8. LSU
LSU experienced life without Ayanna Mitchell early after she went down with a season ending knee injury. LSU looks to replace and build onto the season they had last year, as they looked to be turning the corner before Ayanna Mitchell went down. The loss of Mitchell was rough for the tigers as they lost 5 of their last 7 games showing some vulnerability and holes that will need to be addressed going into next season. LSU will look to lean on Khayla Pointer and Faustin Aifuwa lead the tigers in 2020. Awa Trasi played a more prominent role since the injury of Ayanna Mitchell, giving LSU more range and a scoring threat from 3. LSU is looking for incoming transfer Sarah Shematsi from France and rising sophomore Tiara Young to help turn the page for the tigers. LSU will have a lot of experience having a large senior class to lean on going into next season. LSU looks to try to improve their free throw shooting as it was among the worst in the conference last season.

9. Georgia
Georgia appeared to show improvement towards the end of last season. They return their top 3 scorers, highlighted by Maryland transfer Jenna Staiti. UCONN Mikayla Coombs will now be eligible providing additional depth for next years team. Georgia will need to look for ways to improve their scoring as shooting was a weakness many times throughout the season.


10. Florida
Florida made a big jump from last season moving from 8 to 15 wins on the backs of a very young team highlighted by Freshmen star lavender Briggs. Florida return key scoring contributors with Kiara Smith, Nina Richards and Kristina Moore. Florida. Bigger for Florida, Danielle Rainey will be back and available after sustaining a injury that caused her to miss the 19-2020 season. Additional help is on the way with incoming freshmen 5 star recruit Jordyn Merrit who looks to be a contributor early. Florida appears to be trending in the right direction but looks to make a bigger push next season.

11. Alabama
Alabama showed a lot of promise towards the end of the season with key upsets, highlighted by upsetting MSU down in Starkville. They return 3 key senior contributors Jordan Lewis, Jasmine Walker and Ariyah Copeland. Alabama inked three transfers to supplement the roster highlighted by Taylor Sutton, who unfortunately will have to sit for the 2020-2021 season.

12. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt looks to get over the hurdle soon. With improvement last season, a lot was left to be desired. The loss of Briane Alexander to injury was a lot for Vanderbilt to recover from. Freshmen phenom Koi Love returns and will have some helping getting back Brinae Alexander, and Chelsie Hall. The loss of Fasoula leaves a glaring question in who will step up to provide a strong post presence. Stephanie White may be running out of time.

13. Auburn
It has not been a pleasant offseason so far for Auburn as the team is facing mass exodus of players to transfer.
Robyn Benton, Brooke Moore, Lauren Hansen have entered the transfer portal along with backup forward Natalie Kelly.
Benton (10.1 points per game), Moore (8.6 ppg) and Hansen (7.9) were all regular starters last season and made up a large part of their scoring behind junior Unique Thompson (16.2) and senior Daisa Alexander (13.8). Time may be running out for Coach Flournoy. Baylor transfer Honesty Scott Grayson looks to be a major contributor next year replacing a lot of lost production.

14. Ole Miss
Coach Yo still has her hands full trying to rebuild an Ole Miss program that has seen its roster turned over the last few seasons. Ole Miss was by far the worst team in the conference going 0-16 but looks to build towards the future with some continuity. moving forward. Ole Miss will look towards its freshmen class highlighted by two 5 star players Madison Scott and Jacorriah Bracey. Good news for Ole Miss is Valerie Nesbitt will be returning, and was one of Ole Miss's top players last season. Ole Miss will have a lot more potential in the future with the addition of Maryland transfer Shakira Austin but will have to wait a year before that happens

I know my predictions are whack but I went bold with a few teams. 6-8 could all be interchangeable.
Great analysis. Overall I agree but have a few thoughts.
As a Mississippi State fan I have a natural bias against Ole Miss. However I like Coach Yo and think her team got better as the year progressed. Regardless something is causing her to have massive roster turnover after each season. While talented, M Scott and S Austin cant be good for team chemistry. They will be the best players on the floor (when Austin gets eligible) and both have their own ideas as how they can best be used. Coach Yo has to take chances on players like this but I don’t see it paying off.

I could see Alabama and Auburn finishing higher than listed. Alabama needs to play more consistently than last season but has potential to beat some of the upper echelon teams. I’m not sure what is happening at Auburn with all the attrition but U Thompson can do a lot of damage. If the issue is with the players that left then maybe the new supporting cast can push Auburn up the rankings.
 
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I could see Alabama and Auburn finishing higher than listed. Alabama needs to play more consistently than last season but has potential to beat some of the upper echelon teams. I’m not sure what is happening at Auburn with all the attrition but U Thompson can do a lot of damage. If the issue is with the players that left then maybe the new supporting cast can push Auburn up the rankings.

Alabama easily could finish higher above Florida and Georgia. But I really like what Georgia has coming back with Connally, Que Morrison, Staiti, and Caldwell more so than Alabama. Coombs, I am not sure how good of an asset she will be on offense but I can see her athleticism and defense being helpful for them. I was being aggressive with where I placed Florida, it was just a gut feeling from how they played last year and the general trend they are on. Rainey being back is big for them. They return Kiara Smith, Lavender Briggs, Nina Richards, and Kristina Moore. They have a nice freshmen class with Jordyn Merrit, Brynn Farrell and they even added this 6'4 post player from the Netherlands. Downside for them is they lost Ariel Johnson who was a key piece for them the last couple years.

I am not sold on Auburn even with Thompson. Auburn has a lot of issues, especially with the team chemistry. They lose Lauren Hansen (4 star guard), Robyn benton (5 star guard) and Brooke Moore (5 star guard). Daisa Alexander is now gone too. I don't see how Auburn is going to be that much better losing all that talent and experience. The mass exodus after the poor season IMO shows things are trending down for them. Not a good sign and the coach is in deep trouble if it doesn't turn around quick.
 
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I suspect Coach Yo may have to find a middle ground between being a recruit’s friend and their coach, which I think Dawn Staley is very, very good at which is what makes her a great recruiter, coach, and player developer. She builds great relationships with her players, and they find her very relatable, but she’ll also be very hard on them and make them better. Holly Warlick, not so much.

Regardless, recruits seem to love her, and she is going to recruit very well. She hasn’t quite had the caliber of players to be able to truly judge her player development and coaching.

They also have a 6-5 center, Tai-Yanna Jackson, who is playing two years of JUCO, but is very good. She, Austin, and Scott will be a very, very good front court.
 
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Regardless, recruits seem to love her, and she is going to recruit very well. She hasn’t quite had the caliber of players to be able to truly judge her player development and coaching.

Coach Yo is getting the talent, she can recruit and I hear nothing but good things about her. Its a matter of keeping a roster together at this point. I cannot judge her coaching and development when the entire roster flips each offseason. Hopefully moving forward there is some stability.
 

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She's still the 0-16 coach. Any one who pulls an act that bad, I can't get on board with the fact that her rise will ever materialize to anything substantial.
 
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I think South Carolina will be a very different team next year and I'm not sure it will be as good.

There are pieces that could easily lead to another dominant team, but I'm not sure at this point that Miss State might not end up being better.

I think the SEC Champ will not be unblemished this season.
 
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There are pieces that could easily lead to another dominant team, but I'm not sure at this point that Miss State might not end up being better.

From a roster perspective, MSU should be better. But the jury is still out on McCray as a coach. She will have to prove it.

Sidney Cooks IMO will be an upgrade over Bibby and give MSU a better scoring threat from 3. She will be a nice complement to Carter and Morris. While Matharu was super young and at times erratic as a freshmen, she has a higher upside than Danberry with much more range. All those freshmen and sophomores are a year older and more experienced which is exciting if you are a MSU fan.

From listening to McCray talk, it sounds like she wants more out of the current PG position. She specifically mentioned in an interview that all 5 kids on the floor have to be able to score. Idk if thats a hint or indication about potential changes at PG position. She wouldn't mention specific players but you could see what she was trying to say.
 
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From a roster perspective, MSU should be better. But the jury is still out on McCray as a coach. She will have to prove it.

Sidney Cooks IMO will be an upgrade over Bibby and give MSU a better scoring threat from 3. She will be a nice complement to Carter and Morris. While Matharu was super young and at times erratic as a freshmen, she has a higher upside than Danberry with much more range. All those freshmen and sophomores are a year older and more experienced which is exciting if you are a MSU fan.

From listening to McCray talk, it sounds like she wants more out of the current PG position. She specifically mentioned in an interview that all 5 kids on the floor have to be able to score. Idk if thats a hint or indication about potential changes at PG position. She wouldn't mention specific players but you could see what she was trying to say.
I’m trying to respond to both posts. Regarding South Carolina I understand that they had good backups at the four and point. However both M Hebert-Harrigan and T Harris were such outstanding talents but even more outstanding in the leadership arena. I think it’s going to be incredibly difficult to replace that. I’m not saying it can’t be done but that is more my respect for those two players then it is anything derogatory towards whoever comes after them.

Regarding Mississippi State I know the interview that you were referencing. I’m not sure if she is keeping all of her options open but it did seem like she was evasive when committing to any one particular person at the point. I think that that position more so than anything will be one where M Taylor has to earn it again. I’m also curious as to who takes control of the team. J Danbury was a great player and lead by example. However she was not the conductor that drove the team. Hers is more about replacing the talent and experience aspect which I think can be done.
 
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I'm pretty high on Miss State's upside.

I think South Carolina's floor is pretty darn high, but it's definitely short of elite. Henderson will be good, but Ty was nearly flawless last season. There really isn't a replacement for Herbert-Harrigan's skill level. She is my ideal four to play next to Boston.

Miss State will be very big and have a POY candidate and at least one guard that can shoot, plus pretty good overall athleticism everywhere.

I think they could easily be a Final Four threat in a season where I don't think anybody is really a favorite.

Granted, I think Vic was getting a ton out of them.
 

SimpleDawg

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I don't think Henderson is going to be better than Harris. Maybe she doesn't need to be if we see a rise in play from Boston/Cooke, and that might be enough to offset the loss of Harrigan and Harris.

Could Matharu match Danberry? I don't know. But at the beginning of last year, if Danberry wasn't approved, it would've been distrastrous. We would've lost Georgia, Marquette, and possibly one of the two Auburn games as well. But towards the end of the year, we began to see the new generation emerge a little bit.

Danberry would still be a huge loss, but Matharu is ready to take her place. I think that answers the question which most people are thinking about MSU......which is "do they have the superstar players?" It's a balanced team, dudes, and we will be better next year. And I think we'll be more equal to South Carolina than most people think.

The only question mark is coaching. Dawn always figures it out by the end of the year. And during the postseason, an elite coach has the little bit extra to win games. That's where my uncertainty lies. I don't think we'll underwhelm in the regular season, but during the SEC tournment and postseason, does Nikki have the elite coaching to overcome the likes of Louisville and Baylor and South Carolina?
 
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I don't think Henderson is going to be better than Harris. Maybe she doesn't need to be if we see a rise in play from Boston/Cooke, and that might be enough to offset the loss of Harrigan and Harris.

Could Matharu match Danberry? I don't know. But at the beginning of last year, if Danberry wasn't approved, it would've been distrastrous. We would've lost Georgia, Marquette, and possibly one of the two Auburn games as well. But towards the end of the year, we began to see the new generation emerge a little bit.

Danberry would still be a huge loss, but Matharu is ready to take her place. I think that answers the question which most people are thinking about MSU......which is "do they have the superstar players?" It's a balanced team, dudes, and we will be better next year. And I think we'll be more equal to South Carolina than most people think.

The only question mark is coaching. Dawn always figures it out by the end of the year. And during the postseason, an elite coach has the little bit extra to win games. That's where my uncertainty lies. I don't think we'll underwhelm in the regular season, but during the SEC tournment and postseason, does Nikki have the elite coaching to overcome the likes of Louisville and Baylor and South Carolina?
This is where Associate Head Coach K Freeman hopefully will help. Being a head coach for over 25 years he has seen a lot. I was very impressed when Coach McCray-Penson brought him with her to Mississippi State.
 
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I'm pretty high on Miss State's upside.

I think South Carolina's floor is pretty darn high, but it's definitely short of elite. Henderson will be good, but Ty was nearly flawless last season. There really isn't a replacement for Herbert-Harrigan's skill level. She is my ideal four to play next to Boston.

Miss State will be very big and have a POY candidate and at least one guard that can shoot, plus pretty good overall athleticism everywhere.

I think they could easily be a Final Four threat in a season where I don't think anybody is really a favorite.

Granted, I think Vic was getting a ton out of them.

Wonder if we’ll see Beal and Grissett at the 4 some this year? Both are good enough rebounders and defenders to play there. Grissett played there for two years so she should be comfortable. From the looks of the players we are recruiting it seems Dawn wants to continue to be uptempo run and gun with stifling defense. I absolutely expect her to use Beal and Grissett’s versatility this year offensively and defensively. The way Henderson finished the season leads me to believe she’s going to step up and have a good year next year. If Amihere is out of the grace and free to move and play her game she could be most improved player without a doubt.
 

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A lot hinges on Henderson, Amihere and Littleton for SC next year.

If Henderson continues improving then that'll help a lot. IMHO, Henderson is not as floor savvy as Ty. Maybe it comes with being a four year starter but Ty just had this presence that when you knew she was on the floor all is well. Henderson has yet to develop that quality. She needs to find her style of leadership.

The progress of Amihere and Littleton will be what separates SC from very good to elite next season IMHO.
 
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I could see Missouri finishing a spot or two higher than 6th IF things click for them. Finally having size with Williams and Dufficy will do them well. Dickson is also a really great scorer, and I expect sophomore jumps from Blackwell and Frank.

I think MS State should be favored to win the conference based on talent alone. But, it might take a little while for them to gel as well.

Kentucky will be an interesting team to watch, as Howard returns as POY with the supporting class having an extra year of experience.
 
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For the life of me I CANNOT see why everyone continues to downgrade Myah Taylor at PG. I have coached HS basketball for over 20 years and won championships. I was a PG in HS. My PG is my coach on the floor and the player I ask the most out of. I know what a great PG looks like. Myah Taylor has the intangibles for that position. She is deadly on the defensive end (takes charges, lots of steals). On the offensive end, she doesn't turn the ball over much. She executes the offense. She leads. No she doesn't score a lot, but can if she HAS to. I can remember a very diminutive guard named Morgan William who wasn't much of a scorer and then dropped 41 on Baylor. Just wish Myah got more kudos for what she does.

Edited to add: Thanks for the rundown SECbbfan24
 

SimpleDawg

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I agree, G-Dawg. At this point, she's our best option at point guard. It's not like we have Sue Bird in her prime waiting on the bench. So there's the first thing you have to consider.

I know some are like "START MATHARU" and others are like "START MINGO-YOUNG."

Firstly, Matharu has already taken over the first team shooting guard spot, so that's not even a conversation anymore. And as much as I like Mingo-Young and see that she possibly could be the better player, it's not conclusive enough for me based on one year of play. Mingo-Young does disappear at times even when she has a lot of minutes, but there are stretches in which she comes alive. Taylor usually doesn't do a lot offensively because of her teammates doing pretty much everything, but I think she changes the pace of the game a lot. Until there's any proof otherwise, I would start Taylor but give all of the other minutes to Mingo-Young. One getting 25 and the other getting 15 sounds about right.

I don't think anyone who watches the games could conclude Taylor is truly a problem. What games did she cost us? Stanford...? She didn't play a lot there and was yanked fast. West Virginia? That was more about the atrocious free-throwing shoot. Alabama? Weird game, but I think that was just a mental fart of an overall performance, and we couldn't hit any 3s while Alabama was utilizing that as their only way to win because they don't have talent to score from a variety of other ways. Kentucky? That was a collective "everybody was bad" game. And while the two Auburn games were close, I don't think we lacked offense in those games so probably wasn't Taylor's lack of offense that made those games close.

So yeah.... sick of having to defend her on every thread.
 

DefenseBB

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From a roster perspective, MSU should be better. But the jury is still out on McCray as a coach. She will have to prove it.

Sidney Cooks IMO will be an upgrade over Bibby and give MSU a better scoring threat from 3. She will be a nice complement to Carter and Morris. While Matharu was super young and at times erratic as a freshmen, she has a higher upside than Danberry with much more range. All those freshmen and sophomores are a year older and more experienced which is exciting if you are a MSU fan.

From listening to McCray talk, it sounds like she wants more out of the current PG position. She specifically mentioned in an interview that all 5 kids on the floor have to be able to score. Idk if thats a hint or indication about potential changes at PG position. She wouldn't mention specific players but you could see what she was trying to say.
A few comments for you:
Not sure if you saw that your thread made it over on the VolNation board, with the initial posting claiming a scribe overview before they correctly identified this as "post on another board". A bit of chuckle for you and others at their indignation of not listing all the players on the Tennessee roster they think will be big contributors next year!
Color me a skeptic on Cooks, who was the 5th ranked player in the 2017 Class (Meg/Evina's year). In her sophomore year at Michigan State, she only averaged 19.4 min per game, 9.5 pts per game, played in 30 of 33 games and started only 8. This was for a very pedestrian 21-12 (9-9) team. If she couldn't star on a mediocre team, than I am not sold on her being a huge contributor on this MSU team.

McCray absolutely has a lot to prove however I also think the expectations for this MSU team are far too high given the personnel and what the fans expectations are. This is still SC's league and a distant 2nd are Kentucky and MSU. How Texas A&M fits all those newbies will be interesting and Arkansas with Slocum is a curiosity. I did find it amusing that some people are predicting Dungee AND Slocum as All-American's, which I doubt either will get much consideration for the top 10 player list.

Overall, I am not sure what to think of the SEC visa vi the rest of the P5. PAC12 is clearly #1, does the SEC have enough to get to #2 or does the BigTen and ACC still have the talent and depth to stay ahead of them. With Vic now in the Big12, will that help elevate TCU, ISU, OSU, WVU to get better talent and improve their RPI to quasi-compete with Baylor?
 

stwainfan

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A quick thought about Tennessee. Yes lost two players Green who didn't play much due to injury, and Massingill.
I do expect Horston to have a better year. With Davis, Horston and Key I think that a good trio to start.
 
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In her sophomore year at Michigan State, she only averaged 19.4 min per game, 9.5 pts per game, played in 30 of 33 games and started only 8. This was for a very pedestrian 21-12 (9-9) team. If she couldn't star on a mediocre team, than I am not sold on her being a huge contributor on this MSU team.

Averaging close to 10 points a game under 20 minutes is pretty good. MSU has historically played a lot of bodies. I haven't been impressed with how Suzy Merchant has managed her teams over the last few years. Cooks is talented and has plenty of upside.

I still think she is better than Bibby and that in itself will help MSU next year, she doesn't have to be a super star to help them. They have plenty of fire power in other areas to complement each other.
 
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A quick thought about Tennessee. Yes lost two players Green who didn't play much due to injury, and Massingill.
I do expect Horston to have a better year. With Davis, Horston and Key I think that a good trio to start.

Horston and key are very talented. For Horston, Harper will really need to dial in on her decision making and cut the turnovers down, a lot. Key is very raw but tall, lengthy and athletic. They will need her to step up more on the offensive end this year.

As for coach Harper, this recruiting season is pivotal as they lose Davis next year. She is off to a good start though.
 

stwainfan

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Horston and key are very talented. For Horston, Harper will really need to dial in on her decision making and cut the turnovers down, a lot. Key is very raw but tall, lengthy and athletic. They will need her to step up more on the offensive end this year.

As for coach Harper, this recruiting season is pivotal as they lose Davis next year. She is off to a good start though.
I think it also makes a difference. That the same coaching staff is back. So both players and coaches know more of what to expect.
 

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