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Message: [QUOTE="SCGamecock, post: 2499859, member: 6132"] Coming into this season most people that follow SECWBB closely enough knew that A&M and a few others would be improved. The SEC will be tighter this year and I’m not expecting there to be any unblemished conference records this year. Originally, I thought that South Carolina would have a few losses because of vast improvements across the board but now I’m rethinking that.. while some teams in the SEC did get better, a lot of them are playing about where they are used to, or even worse. Now, I’m not so sure the conference is better overall.. instead, it’s just beginning to become obvious that the talent gap that South Carolina had over its peers is quickly shrinking, which can be expected when you lose 4 first rounders and several very good key role players over a two year period (while the roster spots were replaced mostly, the overall talent wasn’t replaced IMHO).. and it doesn’t help that Tennessee is recruiting lights out and others, like A&M, Georgia, Miss State, Kentucky are getting more talent now as well.. so tighter games will become the norm. I wouldn’t be surprised if SC wins the SEC this year.. but they won’t make it look as easy as it has the last 2/3 years. There is no overwhelmingly more talented team in conference.. and that won’t change next season either. After this season, SC loses Wilson and Miss State loses Vivians, Schaefer and William. Tennessee loses Russell and Nared. All three teams will lose BIG pieces. SC will return Harris/Jennings/Cliney/Cuevas/Cooper.. a strong enough core to continue being a top 3 team. Miss State will return McCowan (likely next year’s SEC POY and no doubt the best post in conf) and the steady Roshunda Johnson. Tennessee will return it’s stellar freshman class that will now be battle tested and very good and will bolster their team with another very strong freshman class. And for the sake of brevity, I won’t go into detail about what other teams will lose and return (Cunningham will be back for example).. but all of this to say one thing, the days of SC beating down the SEC and always having the most talented individual player (SEC POY) are likely over after Wilson leaves. She’s a transcendent talent within this conference. And I’m not saying that SC will suddenly slide to the lower half of the conderence (we won’t, in case you’re wondering).. we’ll still be a top 3 or 4 team in conference but just expect more games like the SC/A&M game going forward.. As far as A&M this season.. yes, Chennedy Carter is very good. She has ELITE scoring ability, easily the best in her class (most of us knew this before the season even began).. but A&M will live and die with her scoring. They will play up to teams in big games and lay down for teams in others. They are not a particularly strong team overall.. Carter just has an elite ability to elevate and play hero ball.. and some nights that’s going to work but most nights it won’t. The losses will gather once teams get more tape on her and she begins coming down from the clouds.. [/QUOTE]

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