by Scott Dean
Special to LSUsports.net
BATON ROUGE — After the first week of the conference season, not a lot of movement has taken place and none in the top five teams. That could change this week with Georgia taking on Tennessee and Auburn while LSU faces Kentucky. It is a big week in the SEC.
THE FAVORITES
SEC Champion – Tennessee
Tennessee is the class of the league. With its only two losses coming to Connecticut and Louisiana Tech, the Lady Vols are still one of the top teams in the nation. That will be tested Monday night with a road game against No. 7 Georgia.
SEC Runner-up – Auburn
Auburn is beating teams by an average of 30 points/game. However, the Lady Tigers squeaked out a win over Vanderbilt in their toughest game so far. They need a win over Georgia on Sunday to stay near the top of the pack.
SEC Coach of the Year – Jim Foster, Vanderbilt
Foster has Vanderbilt playing like one of the top teams in the conference. A tough one-point loss to Auburn last week shows that the Commodores have the ability to compete with anyone in the nation.
SEC Player of the Year – DeTrina White, LSU
White lit up Arkansas last week for a career-high 27 points. And she added 12 rebounds for good measure. She leads the SEC in double-doubles with 6 and rebounding with 9.3/game. If she continues to play the way she has in her last two games, there is nobody in the SEC that can stop her.
SEC Freshman of the Year – LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State
The SECs leading scorer with over 21 points/game, Thomas is the best freshman in the conference by far. She is also the leagues second leading rebounder with 9.1/game.
THE TEAMS
1. Tennessee 13-2, 3-0
The Lady Vols remained the only undefeated team in the conference with wins over Arkansas and South Carolina this past week. Tennessee rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to take a 10-point decision. A 92-76 victory over South Carolina is hardly impressive, but Tennessee will definitely be ready to play on Monday when takes to the road for a showdown with No. 7 Georgia. If center Michelle Snow, who has scored 20 or more points in three of her last four games, can get in a rhythm, the Lady Vols will be tough to stop.
Last Week: 1st
2. Auburn 14-2, 3-1
Led by SEC Player of the Week, LeCoe Willingham, Auburn scored two big victories this past week. First it beat in-state rival Alabama before heading to Vanderbilt and holding on for a one-point victory over the surprising Commodores. The Lady Tigers host Florida this Thursday before a big game with No. 7 Georgia at home on Sunday. Wins this week would be huge for Auburn in their quest for an SEC Championship.
Last Week: 2nd
3. LSU 12-3, 3-1
In the teams only game this past week, LSU held off Arkansas for an 82-69 victory. The win was bitter sweet for the Lady Tigers who avenged last seasons 25-point defeat in Fayetteville. DeTrina White stepped up big time with a career-high 27 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds. With the score tied late in the game, LSUs experience showed as it was able to execute offensively and score the win. Now, the Lady Tigers must visit Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., where Kentucky has already knocked off one top ten team.
Last Week: 3rd
4. Georgia 16-2, 3-1
Georgia scored two road victories, which are always tough to come by in the SEC, this past week over Alabama and Florida. Deana Nolen led the Lady Bulldogs in each game with 18 and 19 points respectively, while the SECs third-best rebounder, Tawana McDonald, led the way inside. The Bulldogs have a pivotal week ahead as they face Tennessee on Monday, in-state rival Georgia Tech on Thursday all before travelling to Auburn on Sunday. If the Lady Bulldogs sweep the week, they will be in the drivers seat for the SEC crown.
Last Week: 4th
5. Vanderbilt 14-3, 2-1
The Commodores dropped its first game since Nov. 24 this past Sunday with a 55-54 heartbreaking loss to Auburn. Even with the loss, Vanderbilt proved that it is ready to compete with the best the SEC has to offer. Taking to the road this week against Arkansas and South Carolina will be big for the Commodores. They need to rebound from the tough loss and pick up two crucial road victories.
Last Week: 5th
6. Kentucky 11-5, 3-1
Kentucky split this past week with a road loss to Vanderbilt followed by a win over Arkansas. With home dates against LSU and Tennessee this week, Kentucky can make a big splash in the race for the SEC Championship. The Wildcats will have a chance to win one of the two games as they have been tough at home, however, dont look for them to win both.
Last Week: 7th
7. Mississippi State 12-2, 1-2
The Lady Bulldogs rebounded nicely from their two-game skid with an 82-58 thumping of in-state rival Ole Miss on Thursday. LaToya Thomas reinforced why she will runaway with the SEC Freshman of the Year vote with 31 points and 15 rebounds. The Bulldogs have two more winnable home games this week with South Carolina and Arkansas visiting.
Last Week: 6th
8. Florida 10-5, 1-2
Florida has dropped three straight, including two conference losses to fall to 10-5 on the season. And things look to get worse for the Lady Gators before they get better. A trip to Auburn on Thursday will most likely see Florida 1-3 in conference play before back-to-back dates with South Carolina.
Last Week: 8th
9. Arkansas 9-6, 0-3
Arkansas has lost six of seven after starting the season 8-0. The LadyBacks led Tennessee at the half only to have the Lady Vols storm back for a 10-point victory last weekend and then couldnt let LSU get away from them late in what was a close game this past Thursday. With games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt this week, Arkansas will very likely be 0-5 to start conference play.
Last Week: 10th
10. Alabama 10-5, 0-2
With their second straight conference loss to a top 15 team (Auburn 69-51), the Crimson Tide will be happy to see Ole Miss on Thursday. However, a victory wont come easy for Alabama who has struggled on the road throughout the season. With Mississippi State coming to Tuscaloosa on Sunday, the rough SEC schedule will continue. The Tide must have at least a split this weekend to keep their hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid alive. But a sweep would go along way towards that goal.
Last Week: 9th
11. South Carolina 10-4, 0-1
South Carolina dropped double-digit defeats last week to Tennessee and Auburn, the leagues top two teams. This week, it must travel to Mississippi State and face Vanderbilt at home. Things havent gotten any easier for the Gamecocks. It will be a long season for South Carolina who could very well finish the season 1-13 in the conference.
Last Week: 11th
12. Ole Miss 11-4, 0-2
Ole Miss split two games last week with a win over Belmont and a loss to Mississippi State. The 24-point loss on the road to the Bulldogs is not a good sign for the Lady Rebels. This week they have a winnable game against Alabama at home before heading to LSU for on Sunday. A win over Alabama would be a big victory for this team that wont have a chance for many more this year.
Last Week: 12th