I am happy that we won another regular season SEC title and wasn't sure we would be this good when the season started. McCowan hasn't looked all world some games but she had a good year. I think her sophomore to junior leap was so significant it caught a lot of people off guard and the expectations were even higher for this year. Her game isn't flawless and she may have reached her ceiling at MSU but she's got room to grow still.
Howard was better than I expected. She's definitely emotional and can get carried away sometimes but I shudder to think where we would be without her. She and McCowan never really seemed to click together during the same game but fit together nicely overall. AEH played well in a few games down the stretch and while she's no defensive stopper she has a nice shot when she can get open. Danberry, like Howard, was better than I expected and while her shot has been missing a few games her numbers this year were solid. Holmes was what she's been since day one: a solid, not flashy guard who gets the ball in good spots and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I've rarely seen her get frustrated or make silly plays. This team misses Bibby, a lot. Bibby looked fantastic early in the year and was making shots but also providing size and toughness. There isn't much in the way of depth however and hopefully they will play this year out without any more injuries.
The SEC tournament won't be easy. I see potential games with TN, KY, Missouri and SC if we make it that far. TN is Jekyl and Hyde but we all know the pieces are there. KY gave us a good game, Mizzou flat out beat us in a shooting contest on our home court and SC is a tough out. The location of the tournament will benefit SC and Dawn will learn from these losses.
I think we are firmly the 6th best team in the country but not sure we are as good as the top 5. I wouldn't want to play any of them with the F4 on the line. It's shaping up to be a great NCAA tournament.