Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Picked Sixth in SEC by Media

Coach Matt Insell at SEC Media Days / Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy Ole Miss Athletics

Coming off an outstanding 2014-15 season in which the Rebels returned to the postseason, Ole Miss was picked to finish sixth in the SEC standings in a voting panel of both SEC and national media members. It is the first time the Rebels have been picked in the top half of the media poll since the league expanded four years ago.

South Carolina was predicted to win the 2016 Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship .The Gamecocks are coming off the first NCAA Final Four appearance in program history, posting a school-record 34 wins last season and falling just one point shy of a spot in the national championship game.

South Carolina tops the order of finish with 265 points, with Tennessee (248), Mississippi State (215), Texas A&M (207), Kentucky (205), Ole Miss (169), and Missouri (165) rounding out the top half the league.  Arkansas (138), Georgia (128), LSU (128), Vanderbilt (80), Florida (78), Auburn (65) and Alabama (34) round out the bottom half.

South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell was the overwhelming choice for SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year with 11 votes, Mitchell’s teammates A’ja Wilson and Alaina Coates also received votes, as did Tennessee’s newcomer Diamond DeShields.

Joining Mitchell, Wilson, Coates and DeShields on the All-SEC Team are Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State and Mykala Epps, Kentucky. A tie pushed the team to six members this year.

Points were compiled on a 14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.  Each media member also voted for a five-player All-SEC Team and the Preseason SEC Player of the Year.

The SEC Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll will be released the Wednesday prior to the season.

Fans can get their first look at the 2015-16 Ole Miss women’s basketball squad on Friday, Nov. 6 when they take on Christian Brothers in exhibition action starting at 5 p.m. The Rebels open regular-season action on Nov. 13 when they take on Mississippi Valley State in the annual School Kids game. Tipoff is at 11 a.m. at the Tad Smith Coliseum.

Women’s basketball season tickets are available for purchase and are just $50. For additional ticket information, go to OleMissTix.com or call the Ole Miss Ticket Office at 1-888-REB-TKTS (732-8587.)

For all Ole Miss women’s basketball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole Miss_WBB.   Fans can also follow Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell

Preseason Media Poll

SEC Champion

South Carolina

Order of Finish

1. South Carolina                       265

2. Tennessee                              248

3. Mississippi State                   215

4. Texas A&M                             207

5. Kentucky                                 205

6. Ole Miss                                   169

7. Missouri                                   165

8. Arkansas                                  138

T9. Georgia                                  128

T9. LSU                                          128

11. Vanderbilt                               80

12. Florida                                       78

13. Auburn                                     65

14. Alabama                                   34

Player of the Year

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina

Preseason All-SEC

Mykala Epps, Kentucky

Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State

Alaina Coates, South Carolina

Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina

A’ja Wilson, South Carolina

Diamond DeShields, Tennessee

Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics