Jennifer George Named Preseason First Team All-SEC
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 | Women's Basketball
The University of Florida's Jennifer George was tabbed a preseason First Team All-Southeastern Conference honoree and the Gator women's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in the league in a voting of a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
A 2012 First Team All-Southeastern Conference performer, George headlines a very young and inexperienced 2012-13 Florida squad that is coming off its fifth consecutive postseason berth. George, who also was among the four players receiving votes for the league's Player of the Year, is the lone senior on the 12-player roster that features eight newcomers, including six freshmen.
George, who led Florida in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg) last year, will be joined on the court by junior guard Jaterra Bonds, who was the only Gator who played and started all 33 games a year ago when Florida compiled its third 20-win season in five years with coach Amanda Butler at the helm and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where it bowed out to eventual national champion Baylor.
The Gators graduated five players from last year's team, including 2012 Olympian Azania Stewart, who used her 6-foot-4 frame to rank third all-time among the program's shot blockers. While Florida will miss Stewart's size inside, the Gators welcome 6-foot-7 transfer Vicky McIntyre and 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman Viktorija Dimaite to the paint to help George in the front court. Florida also welcomes the nation's 20th-ranked signing class to campus, as the Gators will be young in 2012-13 but very talented.
Kentucky was predicted to win the 2013 Southeastern Conference women's basketball championship in a voting of a select panel of both SEC and national media members.
As the reigning SEC regular season champions, Kentucky returns 10 letterwinners and four starters from last season's NCAA Elite Eight squad, including SEC Player of the Year A'dia Mathies, SEC Freshman of the Year Bria Goss and NCAA Tournament Kingston All-Region team member Samarie Walker. The Wildcats also welcome back sophomore guard Jennifer O'Neill, who sat out the 2011-12 season due to injury, and junior forward DeNesha Stallworth, an All-Pac-10 selection, will see her first action after sitting out last season due to transfer regulations.
Kentucky tops the order of finish with 376 points, with Georgia (352), Vanderbilt (336), Tennessee (316), Texas A&M (284), LSU (251) and South Carolina (194) rounding out the top half of the league. Arkansas (168), Florida (144), Auburn (124), Mississippi State (116), Ole Miss (47), Missouri (39) and Alabama (36) round out the bottom half.
Kentucky's A'dia Mathies was the overwhelming choice of the media for SEC Women's Basketball Player of the Year with 20 votes, the remaining votes were for Vanderbilt's Christina Foggie, Florida's Jennifer George and Georgia's Anne Marie Armstrong.
Joining Mathies on the All-SEC First Team are Jennifer George, Florida; Anne Marie Armstrong, Georgia; Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M; and Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt.
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 2012-13 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Days, October 25 at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. The SEC Women's Basketball Coaches Poll will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Florida tips-off its 2012-13 season on Fri., Nov. 9, when the team plays host to Fairfield in the O'Connell Center beginning at 4 p.m.
Preseason Media Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
SEC Champion: Kentucky (20)
Player of the Year: A'dia Mathis (20); Christina Foggie (4); Anne Marie Armstrong (1); Jennifer George (1)
Order of Finish
1. Kentucky (20) 376
2. Georgia (1) 352
3. Vanderbilt (2) 336
4. Tennessee (2) 316
5. Texas A&M (1) 284
6. LSU 251
7. South Carolina 194
8. Arkansas 168
9. Florida 144
10. Auburn 124
11. Mississippi State 116
12. Ole Miss 47
13. Missouri 39
14. Alabama 36
First-Team
Jennifer George, Florida
Anne Marie Armstrong, Georgia
A'dia Mathies, Kentukcy
Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt
Second-Team
Sarah Watkins, Arkansas
Jasmine Hassell, Georgia
Samarie Walker, Kentucky
Ieasia Walker, South Carolina
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
