South Carolina women's basketball: SEC Preview (Part 2)

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC Standings • NCAA Polls • Scholarship Chart

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Conference play begins Thursday with all 14 SEC teams in action. Catch up on how each team faired in the first half of the season with part two of GamecockCentral’s SEC Preview.

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 3 here.

(NET rankings are as of January 2, 2024.)

Kentucky (7-7)
Preseason projection: 13
NET ranking: 171
Best win: 83-81 vs Boston College
Worst loss: 68-63 vs Austin Peay
Player to watch: Maddie Scherr missed four games due to injury and Kentucky is 1-3 in those games. It’s pretty clear that for Kentucky to be competitive, Scherr has to play and play well. She is averaging 15.8 points, 3.9 assists, and shooting 34% from three.
Overview: Little was expected from Kentucky this season and the Wildcats have been worse than that. They have the SEC’s worst offense and second-worst defense. If there is any silver lining to be found, it’s that Kentucky’s low point came while Scherr was out and the Wildcats clearly scheduled too tough for this team. It’s hard to imagine Kyra Elzy surviving this season.

LSU (13-1)
Preseason projection: 1 
NET ranking: 16
Best win: 82-64 vs Virginia Tech
Worst loss: 92-78 vs Colorado
Player to watch: Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, and Aneesah Morrow soak up most of the spotlight, but freshman Mikaylah Williams is probably LSU’s X-factor. Williams is averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and is LSU’s most reliable three-point threat, hitting 45.5% from three. She exploded for 42 points against Kent State, demonstrating just how high her ceiling is. 
Overview: It’s hard to know exactly how good LSU is, both because of the laughably weak schedule and because LSU has rarely had its full team together. That being said, the SEC still looks like a two-team race between the Tigers and Gamecocks. 

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Mississippi State (13-2)
Preseason projection: 5
NET ranking: 32
Best win: 63-62 at Belmont
Worst loss: 59-53 at Chattanooga
Player to watch: Mississippi State has a deep and talented backcourt, but let’s talk about Jessika Carter. The 6-5 super senior is averaging 15.1 points and 9.6 rebounds, both career-highs. Carter gives Mississippi State a post presence that not a lot of opponents can match.
Overview: Mixing home-grown veterans, key transfers, and high school recruits, Sam Purcell has quickly rebuilt the Bulldogs. On any given night, there are about six different players capable of taking over a game, and Mississippi State is a contender for being the third-best team in the league.

Missouri (9-4)
Preseason projection: 11
NET ranking: 75
Best win: 69-66 at Illinois
Worst loss: 93-84 at Saint Louis
Player to watch: Freshman Grace Slaughter appears to be the real deal. She became the first Missouri player since Sophie Cunningham to notch a double-double in her debut game. Slaughter is averaging 11.3 points and 3.8 rebounds while hitting 34.9% from three. It will be fun to see how she handles her first SEC season.
Overview: In the offseason, Robin Pingeton was given an ultimatum: make the NCAA Tournament or it’s your job. Right now, the Tournament looks unlikely. That could hang over the rest of the season, and how players respond may determine how the season goes.

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Ole Miss (10-3)
Preseason projection: 4
NET ranking: 62
Best win: 60-49 vs Michigan
Worst loss: 61-59 at Southern Miss
Player to watch: Ole Miss needs to get more from Madison Scott. Scott was a preseason All-SEC nominee, but her production has dropped from last season. Someone needs to step up as a playmaker for Ole Miss, and although Scott is definitely not the only candidate, she is the most likely.
Overview: Ole Miss had a somewhat disappointing start to the season as the Rebels were hit hard by injuries. The most serious was a season-ending injury suffered by senior guard KK Deans. Without Deans, Ole Miss has struggled offensively, ranking 13th in the SEC in scoring offense, field goal percentage, and assists. The Rebels are, as always, solid on defense, but they need to improve on the offensive end to make noise in the postseason.

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