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SEC Preview: South Carolina, Mississippi State, Tennessee and much more

By Blake DuDonis

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 16: Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Holly Warlick is interviewed by former Lady Vol, now ESPN commentator, Kara Lawson after a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Tennessee Lady Volunteers on January 16, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Tennessee upset the Irish 71-69. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 16: Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Holly Warlick is interviewed by former Lady Vol, now ESPN commentator, Kara Lawson after a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Tennessee Lady Volunteers on January 16, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. Tennessee upset the Irish 71-69. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Image result for raigyne moncrief
Image result for raigyne moncrief /

LSU Tigers
Predicted finish: 7th  

Key returners (last season’s stats)
G- Raigyne Moncrief- 5’10 SR- 15.8 PPG, 41%FG, 3-18 from three, 5.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 3.3 SPG, 33 MPG, Second Team All-SEC, All Defensive, Defensive Player of the Year
G- Chloe Jackson- 5’9, JR- 13.1 PPG, 41%FG, 31% 3pt, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 34 MPG
F- Ayana Mitchell- 6’2 S)- 8.1 PPG, 60%FG, 5.4 RPG, 20 MPG

Biggest losses (last season’s stats)
F/C- Alexis Hunter, 5’11- 8.9 PPG, 50%FG, 5.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 27 MPG

Newcomers
G- Khayla Pointer, 5’7, (Kennesaw, GA), FR- Ranked #72 in 2017 class, #18 point guard
C- Faustine Aifuwa, 6’5, (Dacula, GA), R-FR- Ranked #72 in 2016 class, #31 center, injured knee prior to last season
F- Raven Farley, 6’4 (Elizabeth, NJ), FR- Ranked #117 in 2017 class, #21 power forward
G- Dekeriya Patterson, 5’9, (Lehigh Acres, FL), FR- Ranked #146 in 2017 class, #38 point guard
G- Jailin Cherry, 5’9, (Pascagoula, MS), FR

Head Coach- Nikki Fargas, 7th season
It’s year seven of the Nikki Fargas era at LSU and the results have been mixed depending on how you look at it. One one hand, Fargas took the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen in both her second and third seasons as the head coach. On the other hand, the three seasons since then have seen two first round exits and one season of no postseason play at all. Regardless of which side of the argument you fall on, it is indisputable that Fargas has proven to be a coach who can win (see her 72-26 record at UCLA in addition to her many successful seasons at LSU). Another inarguable fact is the Tigers toughness. Considered one of the more feisty teams in the SEC, LSU is not afraid to use their athletes to attempt to force turnovers and get out in the fast break. Fargas has a really good class of freshmen on the team and looks to have the team in a good place to make the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season.

Key non-conference games
Nov. 24- Texas (neutral site)
Nov. 25- St. Louis (neutral site)
Dec. 20- @ Arkansas-Little Rock

Outlook
Raigyne Moncrief will be itching to get her team beyond the first round of the tournament in her senior season. The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SEC Second Team member certainly is good enough to do it. The return of Chloe Jackson and Ayana Mitchell helps as well, as does the addition of freshman guard Khayla Pointer, Nikki Fargas’ niece and highest ranked guard to come to LSU in some time. The Tigers beat several good teams last season, the most notable being NC State (1 point), Missouri (9 points) and Texas A&M (4 points). As was alluded to earlier, the recruiting class brought in this season is probably the best of Fargas’ time in Baton Rouge and several of those players will be asked to make an immediate impact. If they can do that, LSU could easily climb up into the upper part of the SEC. This team appears to have a high floor and a high ceiling, a great thing for a coach at any level.

Best Case Scenario- Moncrief continues to wreck havoc all season long, Pointer contends for Rookie of the Year, the team clicks on offense and has the best season under Fargas yet, landing in 4th place and putting them in a great position to advance in the tournament

Worst Case Scenario- The team struggles offensively and can’t score consistently from the perimeter, the freshmen don’t make as big as an impact as needed, team sputters to 9th and misses the tournament

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