BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference unveiled its ninth annual women’s basketball preseason All-SEC first and second teams, Tuesday, to tip off the 2012-13 season of SEC women’s basketball. In addition, the coaches voted on a predicted order of finish, overall champion and a preseason Player of the Year.
Kentucky was predicted to win the Southeastern Conference women's basketball regular season championship with 167 votes. Tthe reigning SEC regular season champions returns 10 letterwinners and four starters from last season’s NCAA Elite Eight squad, including 2012 SEC Player of the Year A’dia Mathies, 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year Bria Goss and 2012 NCAA Tournament Kingston All-Region team member Samarie Walker.
Kentucky, Georgia, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU round out the top half of the league with Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Alabama, Missouri and Ole Miss rounding out the lower half.
Kentucky’s A’dia Mathies was the choice of the coaches for SEC Women's Basketball Player of the Year with eight votes, the remaining votes were for Vanderbilt’s Christina Foggie and Georgia’s Anne Marie Armstrong.
Joining Mathies, Foggie and Armstrgon on the All-SEC First Team were Sarah Watkins (Arkansas), Jennifer George (Florida), Jasmine Hassell (Georgia), Meighan Simmons (Tennessee), Kelsey Bone (Texas A&M), and Jasmine Lister (Vanderbilt).
Second team consists of Jasmine James (Georgia), Bria Goss (Kentucky), Samarie Walker (Kentucky), Adrienne Webb (LSU), Valencia McFarland (Ole Miss), Ieasia Walker (South Carolina), Ariel Massengale (Tennessee) and Tiffany Clarke (Vanderbilt).
Points were compiled on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for order of prediction, while each player received two points for a first-team vote and one point for a second-team vote. Ties were not broken and coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or players.
The complete listing of all honors follows.
School POINTS
1. Kentucky 167
2. Georgia 149
3. Texas A&M 145
4. Vanderbilt 143
5. Tennessee 117
6. South Carolina 102
7. LSU 96
8. Florida 92
9. Arkansas 72
10. Auburn 57
11. Mississippi State 51
t12. Alabama 33
t12. Missouri 33
14. Ole Miss 17
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
Sarah Watkins, Arkansas
Jennifer George, Florida
Anne Marie Armstrong, Georgia
Jasmine Hassell, Georgia
A’dia Mathies, Kentucky
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt
Jasmine Lister, Vanderbilt
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
Jasmine James, Georgia
Bria Goss, Kentucky
Samarie Walker, Kentucky
Adrienne Webb, LSU
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Ieasia Walker, South Carolina
Ariel Massengale, Tennessee
Tiffany Clarke, Vanderbilt
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
A’dia Mathies, Kentucky 9
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt 3
Anne Marie Armstrong, Georgia 1