Gators Picked Sixth in SEC Preseason Media Poll
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Florida was selected sixth and Tennessee was predicted to win the 2012 Southeastern Conference women's basketball championship in a voting of a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
The Tennessee women's basketball team returns the bulk of the team despite losing guards Angie Bjorklund (10.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg), Sydney Smallbone (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg) and center Kelley Cain (7.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg) to graduation. A six member senior-laden squad, UT will be led by 6-2 guard/forward Shekinna Stricklen and 6-3 post Glory Johnson (12.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg).
Tennessee tops the order of finish with 264 points, with Georgia (228), Kentucky (212), LSU (189), Vanderbilt (172) and Florida (151) rounding out the top half of the league. Arkansas (142), South Carolina (107), Auburn (94), Alabama (55), Mississippi State (54) and Ole Miss (48) round out the bottom half.
In each of the four years under head coach Amanda Butler, Florida has at least met preseason expectations, exceeding them on three occasions.
For the third time since the 1990-91 season, the Gators return all five starters from the previous year. Florida's 2011-12 roster features five seniors, each of whom boasts starting experience. Of the five seniors, only Azania Stewart (6.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) was recruited by and will have played four years under Coach Amanda Butler. Fifth-year senior Ndidi Madu (7.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg) signed under former coach Carolyn Peck; Jordan Jones (10.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg) played her freshman year at South Carolina before transferring to UF; Deana Allen (6.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Lanita Bartley (8.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg) both played at a junior college before enrolling at UF.
Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen was the overwhelming choice of the media for SEC Women's Basketball Player of the Year with 16 votes, the remaining votes were for Georiga's Jasmine James, LSU's LaSondra Barrett and Tennessee's Glory Johnson. Stricklen, a 2011 State Farm All-American and SEC MVP averaged 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season.
Joining Stricklen on the All-SEC First Team are Georgia's Jasmine James, Kentucky's A'dia Mathies, LSU's LaSondra Barrett and Tennessee's Glory Johnson. Second Team includes Arkansas' C'eria Ricketts, Ole Miss' Valencia McFarland, Tennessee's Meighan Simmons, and Vanderbilt's Stephanie Holzer.
Points were compiled on a 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for one team as an overall conference champion and a five-player All-SEC Team.
The 2011-12 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Days, October 27 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. The SEC Women's Basketball Coaches Poll will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Preseason Media Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
SEC Champion: Tennessee (22)
Player of the Year: Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee (16); Glory Johnson, Tennessee (3); LaSondra Barrett, LSU (2); Jasmine James, Georgia (1)
| Order of Finish | Points |
| 1. Tennessee | 264 |
| 2. Georgia | 228 |
| 3. Kentucky | 212 |
| 4. LSU | 189 |
| 5. Vanderbilt | 172 |
| 6. Florida | 151 |
| 7. Arkansas | 142 |
| 8. South Carolina | 107 |
| 9. Auburn | 94 |
| 10. Alabama | 55 |
| 11. Mississippi State | 54 |
| 12. Ole Miss | 48 |
First-Team
Jasmine James, Georgia
A'dia Mathies, Kentucky
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
Second-Team
C'eria Ricketts, Arkansas
Sarah Watkins, Arkansas
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Stephanie Holzer, Vanderbilt
