by Scott Dean
Special to LSUsports.net
BATON ROUGE — Movement at the top highlights this week’s edition of the Dean’s List of the Southeastern Conference’s women’s basketball elite. With Georgia bombing Tennessee and LSU getting an early win over the Lady Bulldogs in December, the SEC race seems to be getting tighter each week.
THE FAVORITES
SEC Champion – Georgia
Georgia made a big move in the SEC last week with wins over Tennessee and Auburn. They have a very good chance to win out in conference play and finish 13-1, which would be good enough for the SEC title.
SEC Runner-up – Tennessee
Despite the setback, Tennessee is still the second best team in the SEC. They have dates against LSU and Auburn left on the schedule, but they should be able to win both of those games.
SEC Coach of the Year – Sharon Fanning, Mississippi State
She has led the Lady Bulldogs to a top 20 ranking and a probable NCAA tournament bid. All this after a 7-7 finish in the SEC a year ago. It helps to have LaToya Thomas.
SEC Player of the Year – Kelly Miller, Georgia
Led her Lady Bulldogs to a blowout victory over Tennessee and followed that with a solid win over Auburn on Sunday. She is among the league leaders in scoring, steals and assists.
SEC Freshman of the Year – LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State
This is a no-brainer. She is the leading scorer in the league and the main reason Mississippi State is in the top 20 in the nation.
THE TEAMS
1. Georgia 19-2, 4-1
The Lady Bulldogs have hurdled their way into the frontrunner position for the SEC crown. Big wins this past week over Tennessee and Auburn prove that this team is for real and will be tough to beat the rest of the conference season. However, the Bulldogs now must be prepared to take every team’s best shot. That could be tough in a road game at Vanderbilt on Sunday. If Deana Nolen can continue to put up the numbers she has lately, then the Bulldogs will be contending for the national championship come the end of March.
Last Week: 4th
2. Tennessee 14-3, 4-1
Tennessee lost its status as the SEC lone undefeated team last week with a 27-point loss at Georgia. The Lady Vols rebounded well with a six-point win at Kentucky, but they have definitely lost the edge of being the premier team in the SEC. Poor scheduling has Tennessee playing on back-to-back days with the latter game against Kentucky on Sunday, but look for the Lady Vols to win both and keep pace in the SEC race.
Last Week: 1st
3. LSU 14-3, 5-1
The Lady Tigers are probably the most consistent team in the league. They picked up two solid wins over Kentucky by seven and Ole Miss by 10. LSU has not quite put together the killer mentality it needs to put away a team late in the game which could hurt them down the stretch, but don’t expect this team to lose to anyone with less talent. Sunday at Mississippi State will be a huge test for this team as the Bulldogs will be looking for revenge from this season’s earlier defeat. The Lady Tigers have as good a shot as anyone to win the SEC, but they need to win this week.
Last Week: 3rd
4. Auburn 15-3, 4-2
After drilling Florida on Thursday, the Tigers became the second top 10 team of the week to fall to Georgia. The loss drops them to fourth, but they could drop even further with a loss at Mississippi State on Thursday. A win keeps them alive for the SEC title while another defeat would have them playing catch up all year. For them to get that win, somebody must stop LaToya Thomas who has been on fire since the teams loss to LSU two weeks ago.
Last Week: 2nd
5. Mississippi State 15-2, 4-2
The Lady Bulldogs have returned to form after dropping their first two SEC games. Double-digit wins this past week over Arkansas and Alabama have Mississippi State back in the middle of the hunt for the SEC crown. Wins at home this week over Auburn and LSU would boost the Bulldogs even higher into the national spotlight. For them to win though, LaToya Thomas must continue her stellar play and someone else will have to step up to compliment her.
Last Week: 7th
6. Kentucky 11-7, 3-3
Kentucky lost two home games by less than ten points to teams ranked in the top 15 this past week. A win at Alabama this Wednesday is a must for the Lady Wildcats before they travel to Knoxville for a return date with Tennessee on Sunday. Kentucky is still fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid and every game counts for them as the season winds down.
Last Week: 6th
7. Vanderbilt 14-5, 2-3
After its early season run, the Commodores have fallen back to earth and lost three in a row. Two road losses this past week to South Carolina and Arkansas is not a good sign for a team that has the toughest February schedule of anyone in the conference. Their league-worst 54.8 points/game will not be sufficient to knock off any team that is ranked above them later on in the year. They are out-of-conference against Cal-Santa Barbara on Tuesday before a home date with Georgia on Sunday. A win there would greatly ease the pain of the last three losses.
Last Week: 5th
8. Arkansas 10-7, 1-4
The Lady’Backs had lost five straight before the win over Vanderbilt on Sunday. They now have five games, including four conference games, in front of them that are all winnable. For Arkansas to make a run to get in the NCAA Tournament they need to win at least four of those games. For that to happen, Kim Willits needs to be a leader for Arkansas as well as continue to hit from behind the arc.
Last Week: 9th
9. Florida 11-6, 2-3
The Lady Gators picked up a big road win over South Carolina last week after being blown out by Auburn. This week Florida gets a return date with the Lady Gamecocks — a must win. They need Tiffany Travis to continue to play well to compliment the inside game of Tonya Washington.
Last Week: 8th
10. South Carolina 11-7, 1-4
South Carolina got a huge win for them by beating Vanderbilt on Wednesday. However, the Lady Gamecocks were unable to keep the momentum and dropped a big home game to Florida. This week they go on the road to Arkansas and Florida, two places that it is unlikely for them to get a win.
Last Week: 11th
11. Alabama 11-6, 1-3
Alabama came back from 19 points down to Ole Miss to beat the Lady Rebels by two on Wednesday. They followed that with a 20-point loss to Mississippi State. This season Alabama does not have the team it has had in the past and it is showing. This could be the first time in a long time the Crimson Tide is not dancing in March. Home games against Kentucky and Ole Miss this week are crucial to Alabama to right this ship.
Last Week: 10th
12. Ole Miss 11-6, 0-4
The Lady Rebels added two more losses last week to Alabama and LSU. They blew a 19-point lead to Alabama before being outlasted by a better LSU team. The Lady Rebels rely on the three- pointer, which is not good for a team that shoots less than 32% from behind the line. Facing Georgia and Alabama this week, Ole Miss will likely stay winless in SEC play.
Last Week: 12th