BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU senior forward Ayana Mitchell has been named to the 2019-20 SEC Coaches Preseason All-Conference First Team as announced by the conference office on Tuesday morning. Voting was conducted by the 14 SEC women’s basketball head coaches.
In the preseason, Mitchell has also been named to the Katrina McClain Award Watch List by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and the SEC Media Preseason All-Conference First Team.
The Conyers, Georgia, native finished her junior year ranked 24th in the nation and second in the SEC in field goal shooting percentage at 56.3 percent to lead LSU. She averaged a double-double of 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Her rebounding average ranked 30th in the nation and third in the SEC, while she was 20th in the nation with 16 double-doubles. Mitchell ranked 17th in the SEC in scoring and was tied for 11th in steals per game (1.7).
An All-SEC First Team selection in 2018-19, she was 18th in the nation and third in the SEC in offensive rebounds (4.0) and third in the SEC in defensive rebounds with 6.5 per game. Against Auburn on March 3, Mitchell grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds and became the 15th Lady Tiger to crack the 700 career rebounds mark. She is currently 12 points away from becoming the 33rd Lady Tiger to score 1,000 career points.
The coaches also selected a predicted order of finish for 2019-20 and ranked LSU sixth in the league. LSU finished the 2018-19 season at 16-13 overall and 7-9 in SEC action. The Lady Tigers return the top scoring defense in the SEC and 16th in the nation at 56.2 points per game. LSU returns four starters, including Mitchell, juniors Faustine Aifuwa and Khayla Pointer, and senior Jaelyn Richard-Harris. Freshmen Tiara Young and Domonique Davis comprise LSU’s No. 20 recruiting class joining the team in 2019-20.
LSU hosts Mississippi College in an exhibition game on Friday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Admission to the exhibition game is free.
The 2019-20 season officially begins on Tuesday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against New Orleans. LSU will host a total of 14 games in the PMAC during the 2019-20 season. Fans can purchase season tickets at LSUtix.net. There are also two mini-plans available for purchase Half-Season Pick’em Plan and The SEC Pack.
2019-20 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team
First Team
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Amber Smith, Missouri
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Second Team
Cierra Johnson, Alabama
Daisa Alexander, Auburn
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Gabby Connally, Georgia
Chloe Bibby, Mississippi State
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Kayla Wells, Texas A&M
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
Player of the Year: Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
2019-20 Preseason SEC Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
1. Texas A&M
2. South Carolina
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Arkansas
6. LSU
7. Tennessee
8. Auburn
9. Missouri
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
14. Florida
2019-20 Preseason Media All-SEC Team
* announced Oct. 15, 2019
First Team
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Second Team
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
Player of the Year: Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
2019-20 Preseason SEC Media Predicted Order of Finish
* announced Oct. 15, 2019
1. South Carolina
2. Texas A&M
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Arkansas
6. Tennessee
7. Auburn
8. LSU
9. Missouri
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Florida
13. Ole Miss
14. Vanderbilt