SEC Women's Basketball

SEC Women's Basketball Update:

One of Florida's best women basketball players has been named to their Olympic team and she will be sure to catch a lot of attention this summer. Her play throughout the SEC this year was great and she will be able to showcase this with a chance to play under bright lights and on a big stage as team Brittain has an exciting team. Azaria Stewart is going to make waves as she moves up in status as a star this summer. The young woman is just hitting her stride and will no doubt be showing some things that they didn't know they had coming.

Pat Summitt got the Lady Vol's of Tennessee to the Elite Eight, but they were stopped by the eventual champion lady Bears of Baylor. They proved to be too tough for anyone with a 40-0 season. Summitt left to a standing ovation and questions of a return.

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The SEC women have a winning tradition in basketball, and it begins with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. However, last season proved that the Lady Vols are not the only talented team that the SEC plays host to after 10 of the 12 teams in the SEC played in the postseason. Seven of those 10 were invited to the NCAA Tournament as well.

The odd part out of last season was that for the first time in women's basketball history, an SEC team did not make the Elite Eight in either tournament. Tennessee was upset by a Baylor team that went on to the National Championship game. This is an anomaly that just does not seem to be likely to be repeated this season.

Tennessee is the perennial choice for the number one team in the league, and the Lady Vols look to be the class of the league once again. After them, there are a slew of teams that are looking to break Tennessee's hold on the top spot in the SEC. Kentucky, Georgia, LSU, and Vanderbilt all look to have great teams this season, and should all be dancing in March.

Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball boxout for rebound. Thanks to majorvols at flickr.com for the picture.

The depth of the SEC this season seems to be confined to the SEC East, with LSU being the only major known player in the West at this point. Pat Summitt will have her team on the cusp of the SEC Championship once again, but the road may be difficult with Kentucky and Georgia both coming on strong as the season begins. The SEC has been the class of women's basketball for many years now. Last season, they sent more teams to the postseason than any other conference in the nation. Also, the SEC has had a representative in the Final Four in every NCAA Tournament except for four; this is by far the best streak in the nation. The SEC has been represented in the title game 16 of those times as well, another streak that is unmatched by any other conference in the sport.

The season before last, Tennessee won the entire NCAA Tournament and took home the national title. This title was their 8th national title, which is more than any other program in the nation.

The SEC averages a consistent winning percentage against all other conferences, proving that the SEC is by far the best conference in women's basketball. This is not to say that other conferences are not catching up, especially with the way UConn has played these past few seasons. The rankings of the other conferences may change over the course of the season, but here they are as of right now:

1. SEC - Obviously the cream of the crop in women's college basketball, the SEC is statistically supported as the best conference in the sport. Tennessee competes every year, and the rest of the SEC is just as talented overall. IT is not just a one team league anymore.
2. Big East - The Big East is number two simply because it is where the defending champion UConn Huskies reside. UConn has been absolutely dominant these past few seasons, and they deserve respect for their successes. With teams such as Rutgers and Georgetown staying competitive, there is plenty of depth in this conference as well.
3. ACC - The ACC is in a close race of the number two slot, but they do not host a dominant team the way the Big East does. They do, however, hold statistics that are second only to the SEC in women’s college basketball. Duke and North Carolina both look like competitors this season.
4. Big 12 - The Big 12 has a few teams in the Top 25 this season, and Texas A&M and Oklahoma could both be legitimate contenders this season if the chips fall right. The conference should have at least four teams in the NCAA Tournament this season.
5. PAC-10 - The PAC-10 has just two teams in the Top 25 right now, but one of them is Stanford. The Cardinal has been dominant the past few seasons, and is ranked number three right now. UCLA looks to be the PAC-10’s only other consistent team this season.
6. Big Ten - The Big Ten has a severe lack of depth this season. They only have two teams in the Top 25, and Iowa just barely scraped into the rankings. Ohio State looks to be the only team to carry the Big Ten banner right now.
   

Thanks to utsports.com for photos 1, 2, 3, and 7 above. Thanks to ukathletics.com for photos 4, 5 and 6 above. All rights are reserved for these photos.

Kentucky Women's Basketball Player Dives for the Ball. Thanks to ukathletics for the photo.

Here's our current ranking of the SEC Woman's Basketball Programs:

1. Tennessee Volunteers -- We think Pat Summitt's early-onset Alzheimers disease will be a huge motivation for the Lady Vols in 2012. Look out for them. Last season, they were knocked out by Notre Dame in the "Great 8." But won the SEC title and all in all; another strong season for the Lady Vols. Pat Summitt has her team competing every year, and Tennessee starts the season ranked in the Top 5. They are looking to claim yet another championship this season.

2. Kentucky Wildcats - Kentucky put up a mighty effort last season, but could not get over the hump when it counted. This team is a great threat in the SEC East to upset Tennessee, as long as they can stay healthy.

3. Georgia Bulldogs - Made it to "Sweet 16" of March Madness. The Bulldogs find themselves at number three, and should put together a great season. A deep tournament run is not out of the realm of possibility if things go their way.

4. LSU Tigers - The Tigers have a lot going for them this season. Their best players from a year ago return, and they have a great amount of experience. They are the favorites in the West and are a dark horse contender in the SEC this year.

5. Vanderbilt Commodores - Vanderbilt is built for a run at the SEC championship. The biggest problem for the Commodores is that they play in a tough division, and heir overall record might not indicate just how good they really are.

6. Auburn Tigers - Auburn is the only team in the West that should seriously challenge LSU, and they certainly have the talent to surprise a few teams in the postseason. They just need to catch a few breaks if they want to make any legitimate pushes.

7. South Carolina Gamecocks - The Gamecocks are looking to break into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a while. However, they have the unfortunate luck to play in the same division as Tennessee and Kentucky, so their record may keep them from advancing that far.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide - The Crimson Tide could make a run for the postseason this year, and they will be helped by the weakness of their division. If they can steal a couple wins, who knows where they might end up in March.

9. Ole Miss Rebel Black Bears - Ole Miss will have its sights set on making it back to the WNIT this year, with a chance to finish third in the SEC West if they can outpace Alabama.

10. Florida Gators - The Lady Gators have been depleted of their talent in recent years, and they may wind up staying home for the postseason if they cannot put together an impressive non-conference record.

11. Arkansas Razorbacks - The Razorbacks are in the same boat as Florida; they could easily miss the postseason if they do not win their non-conference games impressively. They will need significant help for any kind of NCAA Tournament bid.

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs - The Bulldogs look to be a lock for the cellar this season in the SEC, unless they can put some wins together in the early season and win one or two shockers in the conference.

Kentucky Lady Wildcat basketball layup. Thanks to ukathletics for the photo.

SEC Women's Basketball Coaches Biographies

• Wendell Hudson Biography -- Alabama Coach
• Tom Collen Biography -- Arkansas Coach
• Nell Fortner Biography -- Auburn Coach
• Amanda Butler Biography -- Florida Coach
• Andy Landers Biography -- Georgia Coach
• Matthew Mitchell Biography -- Kentucky Coach
• Van Chancellor Biography -- Lsu Coach
• Sharon Fanning Biography -- Mississippi Coach
• Renee Ladner Biography -- Ole Miss Coach
• Dawn Staley Biography -- South Carolina Coach
• Pat Summit -- Tennessee coach
• Melanie Balcomb Biography -- Vanderbilt Coach
• Robin Pingenton Biography -- Missouri coach
• Gary Blair Biography -- Texas A&M coach

SEC Women's Basketball Articles

• Top NCAA Women's Basketball Program
• Best All-Time Women's College Basketball Player
• Best Coach Ever

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