Media picks South Carolina as 2020 SEC women’s basketball champs

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 04: South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tyasha Harris (52) against the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs during the first period between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs in a SEC Women's Tournament game on on March 4, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 04: South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tyasha Harris (52) against the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs during the first period between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs in a SEC Women's Tournament game on on March 4, 2018, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A Dawn of another championship season?

South Carolina is predicted to win the 2020 Southeastern Conference women’s basketball championship, the league announced this week. Voters comprised of SEC and national media members made the selection.

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Though the Gamecocks will be without Bianca Cuevas-Moore, Te’a Cooper and Doniyah Cliney, they return two starters and senior leaders, Tyasha Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and usher in the nation’s top recruiting classes, featuring Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, Aliyah Boston and Olivia Thompson.

South Carolina will face an early non-conference test on November 10, when the Gamecocks head to College Park to take on Maryland.

Last season’s regular season and SEC tournament champions Mississippi State, featuring Jordan Danberry in a fifth year of eligibility but missing 2019 SEC Player of the Year Teaira McCowan, was picked to finish third. Texas A&M, starring Chennedy Carter – the 2019 near unanimous pick for 2020 Player of the Year, is predicted to finish second.

Texas A&M’s Gary Blair is already in midseason form, as this exchange with Andy Landers, former Georgia head coach, proves definitively:

Here is the full order of finish:

"1. South Carolina2. Texas A&M3. Mississippi State4. Kentucky5. Arkansas6. Tennessee7. Auburn8. LSU9. Missouri10. Georgia11.  Alabama12. Florida13. Ole Miss14. Vanderbilt"

Carter, along with Arkansas’ Chelsea Dungee, LSU’s Ayana Mitchell along with South Carolina’s Harris were named to the All-SEC First-Team. On the Second Team are Auburn’s Unique Thompson, South Carolina’s Herbert Harrigan, Tennessee’s Rennia Davis, A&M’s Ciera Johnson and Vanderbilt’s Mariella Fasoula.

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