Oct. 24, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team was chosen to finish fourth in the Southeastern Conference by a poll of regional and national media members, the league office announced Wednesday.
The Commodores return nine players, including two starters, from 2007’s SEC Tournament Championship squad. Head Coach Melanie Balcomb’s squad won 28 games last season while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight year.
Individually, junior forward Christina Wirth was a second-team preseason All-SEC selection. Wirth averaged 11.4 points per game in 2006-07, and ranked second in the SEC in three-point shooting percentage.
Tennessee was predicted to win its 15th Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship, with Lady Vol Candace Parker earning Preseason Player of the Year recognition.
LSU and Georgia also ranked ahead of the Commodores. The top four regular season finishers earn a bye in the SEC Tournament, which will be played at Nashville’s Sommet Center this year. Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Ole Miss were picked five through eight, with Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina and Alabama rounding out the 12-team conference.
Each SEC school selected two media members that cover their team, and six additional writers from across the nation were selected by the conference office to form the 30-member voting panel.
The 2007-08 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Days, October 24-25 at the Birmingham Marriott in Alabama. The 2007-08 season begins November 6, with conference play set to begin January 10. The 2008 SEC Tournament will be held March 6-9 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Preseason Media Poll:
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses; *-unanimous selection)
Media Predictions:
1. Tennessee (28)
2. LSU (2)
3. Georgia
4. Vanderbilt
5. Auburn
6. Kentucky
7. Mississippi State
8. Ole Miss
9. Arkansas
10. Florida
11. South Carolina
12. Alabama
Player of the Year:
Candace Parker, Tennessee (28)
Tasha Humphrey, Georgia (1)
Sylvia Fowles, LSU (1)
First Team All-SEC:
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn
Tasha Humphrey, Georgia
Sylvia Fowles, LSU*
Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee
Candace Parker, Tennessee*
Second Team All-SEC:
Lauren Ervin, Arkansas
Sha Brooks, Florida
Ashley Houts, Georgia
Erica White, LSU
Christina Wirth, Vanderbilt