SEC Regular Season 2023

[LwrcasefaN]

South Carolina looked great against Tennessee.

TN is in BIG trouble next year.

 

[cancontent]

Goforth has some stomach ailment. Saylor needs to play better defense and work on shot selection and Jersey is not a guard no matter how many times she says it.

Thanks. That's unfortunate. I have had a few co-workers with Crohn's and it's a struggle. Not saying that's this is the case, but anything related to the stomach can't be easy.

 

[amb3096]

What is going on in Fayetteville? There's a decent amount of talent on that Arkansas team. There's no reason a team with Makayla Daniels, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Sasha Goforth, Samara Spencer and Saylor Poffenbarger can't finish top 5 in the SEC, especially this year.

Sasha Goforth sat out the year. But I agree...this is a down year for the SEC and Arkansas has a lot of talent. They are going to be really good next year IMO if Goforth comes back healthy. They lose Carr, but will return everyone else. Now Mike just needs to figure out how he wants to use Wolfenbarger. She's not a perimeter player. He needs to move her inside.

EDIT: didn't see @LwrcasefaN 's reply, which is basically exactly how I feel about it.

 

[militarydog]

I feel like this game cemented Miss State as a NCAA tournament team while simultaneously removing any prayer for Arkansas. Good game!

Before the game last night Mississippi State had a NET Ranking of 35 and Arkansas with 48. Probably will move up 1 or 2. However regardless of what happens Sunday and in the SEC Tournament Mississippi State should be fine. Further, Mississippi State is going to finish in the upper half of the SEC and have two very good recent wins over Tennessee (NET 16) and Alabama (NET 22).

 

[bballnut90]

What is going on in Fayetteville? There's a decent amount of talent on that Arkansas team. There's no reason a team with Makayla Daniels, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Sasha Goforth, Samara Spencer and Saylor Poffenbarger can't finish top 5 in the SEC, especially this year.

Neighbors has never been a very good coach IMO. He rode the Plum/Osahor train to success at Washington, left for Arkansas once the talent dried up and left UDub in abysmal shape (they went from 15-3 to 1-17 the following year). He hasn't achieved much at Arkansas despite recruiting well and pulling some really good players from the portal. The team usually underperforms relative to expectations or bows out in the first round. Not sure they're tournament worthy this year.

 

[GoChips20]

Neighbors has never been a very good coach IMO. He rode the Plum/Osahor train to success at Washington, left for Arkansas once the talent dried up and left UDub in abysmal shape (they went from 15-3 to 1-17 the following year). He hasn't achieved much at Arkansas despite recruiting well and pulling some really good players from the portal. The team usually underperforms relative to expectations or bows out in the first round. Not sure they're tournament worthy this year.

He runs some very creative sets on offense but has openly admitted in interviews they don’t work on defense or rebounding. That’s not a recipe for success in the SEC. Arkansas almost finished the game against South Carolina with single-digit rebounds.

I mean, even Iowa works on defense!

 

[JellyBean]

What is going on in Fayetteville? There's a decent amount of talent on that Arkansas team. There's no reason a team with Makayla Daniels, Jersey Wolfenbarger, Sasha Goforth, Samara Spencer and Saylor Poffenbarger can't finish top 5 in the SEC, especially this year.

What I think is happening in Fayetteville is, the players are getting out played. Plus, I think Coach Neighbors hit the nail on the head, I think after the shocking loss to Vandy a few games back. There is a lack of confidence amongst the team. The players don't have confidence in their shooting even though they spend a great amount of time shooting the ball. We all know that the staple of Coach Neighbors teams is the three-point shot. Right now, over the last six games, Arkansas three-point shooting is 22% (38/170). Not good.

Plus, if you watched Arkansas at all this season, they are not ball sharing team. You mentioned Samara, MaKayla, Saylor, Jersey, and Sasha. Solid talents indeed but it is a rough core. There are games when I am watching and the players are forcing shots. Samara is a great example. I have not watched the MSU game yet, but I will. But in the games that I have watched, Samara will be on a fastbreak and it is 1 v 2 and just throw up a shot! Not to just pick on Samara. MaKayla does the same thing. Or when they are in their secondary break actions or offensive sets, players are wide open and either they don't like the player or the player smells bad, they don't even look to pass to the open player. It is like, I see you on the wing/deep corner on that left side, but I am going to pass the ball over to the right side where there is a pack of defensive players and hope that the ball does not get picked off.

But Arkansas has Texas A&M next up. Hopefully Arkansas beats them. We will see.

 

[JellyBean]

Neighbors has never been a very good coach IMO. He rode the Plum/Osahor train to success at Washington, left for Arkansas once the talent dried up and left UDub in abysmal shape (they went from 15-3 to 1-17 the following year). He hasn't achieved much at Arkansas despite recruiting well and pulling some really good players from the portal. The team usually underperforms relative to expectations or bows out in the first round. Not sure they're tournament worthy this year.

Oh my. I don't think he left Washington because the talent dried up, but you have a right to your opinion. I think he left because he had the chance to coach (and it was in his Washington Huskies contract) at his "dream job", Arkansas, if the position came available. It was just the timing of everything. Also, he is doing pretty good at Arkansas. He has Arkansas in the postseason three times in his six years at Arkansas. That Covid year would have been year four in the postseason. This year, they will be in the post season. Just depends or if it is the WNIT or the NCAA.

 

[bballnut90]

Oh my. I don't think he left Washington because the talent dried up, but you have a right to your opinion. I think he left because he had the chance to coach (and it was in his Washington Huskies contract) at his "dream job", Arkansas, if the position came available. It was just the timing of everything. Also, he is doing pretty good at Arkansas. He has Arkansas in the postseason three times in his six years at Arkansas. That Covid year would have been year four in the postseason. This year, they will be in the post season. Just depends or if it is the WNIT or the NCAA.

I phrased it poorly and agree that Neighbors left for his dream job first and foremost. I don't think he left because Washington was set up for a huge decline. My point was that he didn't have Washington set up to be competitive going forward despite having a Cinderella Final Four run and riding the success of Plum/Osahor in 2016-17.

As for his success at Arkansas--I thought he did a nice job early on but has had disappointing results for 3 straight years now. He's had some good talent but his players often give inconsistent effort and the program doesn't appear to be going anywhere. The SEC is probably the worst that it's ever been and they're currently in 8th place.

 

[SCGamecock]

He runs some very creative sets on offense but has openly admitted in interviews they don’t work on defense or rebounding. That’s not a recipe for success in the SEC. Arkansas almost finished the game against South Carolina with single-digit rebounds.

I mean, even Iowa works on defense!

A D1 P5 head coach actually admitting to the fact is the bigger shock. So you’re admitting that you’re not preparing your players for the next level?

 

[Coler]

TN is in BIG trouble next year.

Especially if they don’t win the portal championship again.

 

[TC22]

A D1 P5 head coach actually admitting to the fact is the bigger shock. So you’re admitting that you’re not preparing your players for the next level?

Think of his players who have been drafted and lasted 1 year in the pros.

 

[JstVisiting]

Tenn. is 49-10 against South Carolina all time .. just to put it into perspective. Coach Staley has 9 of those wins. the only other win coming in 1981. As dominate as we are-Tenn. is the standard in the SEC. with everybody else in the SEC we have a winning record or the margin is very close.

That’s neat, but unless they find some WNBA talent in the transfer portal, it’s going to become more and more like, “Gather round, children, while I tell you a story about the mighty Lady Techsters…”

 

[nwhoopfan]

I phrased it poorly and agree that Neighbors left for his dream job first and foremost. I don't think he left because Washington was set up for a huge decline. My point was that he didn't have Washington set up to be competitive going forward despite having a Cinderella Final Four run and riding the success of Plum/Osahor in 2016-17.

To give him a little bit of slack, there were 4 players who were out with injury that year and eventually retired medically, including 3 veteran guards. Plus somebody named Aari McDonald transferred out, and we all know what she did at Arizona. Not that they would've been contenders for the conference championship, but that 1-17 season would've looked a whole lot better if all those players had been available. I still day dream about how unguardable the McDonald/Melgoza combo would've been for 3 seasons if they stayed together.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sorry for the side track. Question for SEC fans--who was the bigger disappointment, Kentucky or Texas A&M? A season to forget for both. I thought giving Coach Elzy an extension when they did was completely nonsensical, and it just looks worse and worse with every passing day.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Sorry for the side track. Question for SEC fans--who was the bigger disappointment, Kentucky or Texas A&M? A season to forget for both. I thought giving Coach Elzy an extension when they did was completely nonsensical, and it just looks worse and worse with every passing day.

I would say Kentucky. Despite losing Howard and Edwards, there is still some talent on the team that should be more competitive than they have. They are just poorly coached to me, sloppy and there is no sense of organization.

A&M has been atrocious this year especially on the offensive end that definitely should be a bit better than it has been. But they lost Nixon preseason and their best players are freshmen (Bowles and Barker) and half the team has been mostly injured this year. I am more so willing to give Joni a pass as this is her first year and there was a bit of transition between the coaching change. A&M wasn't exactly very good the year prior

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Sorry for the side track. Question for SEC fans--who was the bigger disappointment, Kentucky or Texas A&M? A season to forget for both. I thought giving Coach Elzy an extension when they did was completely nonsensical, and it just looks worse and worse with every passing day.

Kentucky.

Wasn't much reason to expect anything out of Texas AM in year one.

A fall off for UK seemed likely but now it looks like th le coach is in trouble.

 

[visitingcock]

Ole Miss and Bama tied with 7 minutes remaining in battle for 4th place .

 

[SECbbfan24]

Preseason Poll:

Final SEC Standing:

 

[JstVisiting]

What’s going to happen to Tennessee next year?

 

[Coler]

What’s going to happen to Tennessee next year?

 

[SECbbfan24]

What’s going to happen to Tennessee next year?

Unless Jackson/Horston comes back, impossible to answer without seeing who they get from the portal.

Hollingshead will be a very nice piece for them next year. Darby plays her role as a spot up shooter, but the surrounding cast is a bit more up in the air. No doubt its going to be a lot of pressure on Harper to dig deep in the portal if they do lose their 2 star SEC players to the WNBA. Jackson was an outstanding grab last offseason but transfers like those don't grow on trees and the chances of anyones program landing that star fish are even less. Much like LSU who landed Reese, getting those caliber players don't happen very often.

 

[JstVisiting]

Unless Jackson/Horston comes back, impossible to answer without seeing who they get from the portal.

I can’t imagine why they would. Both are first half of the 1st round.

Tennessee fans claim they got “outbid” for every HS recruit they offered, but (1) that’s the excuse for every school in every sport now, and (2) if the University of Tennessee can’t invest in women’s basketball enough to sign a single prospect, what are you even doing. Tennessee athletics in general was widely known as one of the Big Cheaters in the pre-NIL era (as opposed to the little cheating everybody was doing) and the program is as high profile and widely beloved as any in the nation. If it was just who can scrounge up the most NIL sponsorships, you’d think the Lady Vols would coast to a top 5 class.

I just don’t see how they’re anything but bad next year, and I can’t figure out why it has to be like that. Although I do appreciate it.

 

[TC22]

He runs some very creative sets on offense but has openly admitted in interviews they don’t work on defense or rebounding. That’s not a recipe for success in the SEC. Arkansas almost finished the game against South Carolina with single-digit rebounds.

I mean, even Iowa works on defense!

You aren’t going to survive very long in the SEC if you don’t play defense.

 

[TC22]

Tenn and SC and LSU are all going to be looking at the portal to fill some needs this year. If all of SC players (7) leave they will only have a 10 player roster. LSU will need to replace Morris and L Williams…