Mike Siroky’s SEC Report: Some Stumbling Occurs Out of the Gate

By Mike Siroky

Three losses led to three drops for the ranked teams of the country’s best conference, the Southeastern.

 One dropped out completely.

But league leader Mississippi State has four wins before Thanksgiving.

The league also asserted its national dominance by vacuuming up the major signees East of the Rockies in the early commitment season.

Prayers go out to the West Coast teams with the fire problems. No. 7 Stanford had to cancel the visit by Ohio State. Unhealthy air quality issues were among the main reasons

 

•No. 6 Mississippi State (4-0)

Anriel Howard scored 24 with 13 rebounds, seven defensive, as Mississippi State cruised, 104-53 past Lamar. She had 21 after intermission. 

“I think the first quarter I didn't come out aggressive on offense like I could have,” Howard said. “I felt like I had to help out a little bit more.”

Oh, Teaira McCown got her usual double/double, 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field with 11 rebounds and five blocks, but Howard showed why State is even more dangerous this season, even coming off back-to-back National Championship games. 

She was in foul trouble, with four, and they barely skipped a beat.

Freshman center Jessika Carter stepped up for the Bulldogs. The Georgia native had 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in 18 minutes. A worthy apprenticeship has begun.

Jordan Danberry scored 15 in 11 minutes. They doubled rebounds, 64-32.

Vic Schaefer is among those coaches who sheds his suit jacket in moments of excitement and the coat was off by the first stoppage of play.

“I'm very pleased with the second half and extremely disappointed with the first half,” Schaefer said. “We just turned it over too much. 20 turnovers is way too big a number. We've got to learn to take care of the ball better.”

They raised the second Final Four banner on Sunday and then blasted Coppin State. It was 41-8 at the first stop, was 64-16 at the half and once again everyone got playing time. This makes it hard to analyze individual effort.

McCowan, for instance was 10-of-12 from the field but only had time for six rebounds in 19 minutes

 “She can be the most dominating player in the game if she’ll stay interested, and that’s the thing,” said Schaefer.

“That’s the challenge of any young person, staying interested, staying focused, understanding what it takes to finish. You listen to coaches, football coaches all over the country right now talking about finishing. Basketball is no different. For players individually, it’s staying interested. Everybody’s not as talented

“Those kids have got to stay and keep that edge. I think that’s the challenge. The difference between good and great. That’s part of it.”

Maybe the bench play of sophomore Andra Espinoza-Hunter was the focus, 13 points at halftime.

Still, the crowd of 7,320 appreciated it. That’s the second-best attendance in conference and anywhere else.

“I was really proud of how we came out and started the game,” Vic Schaefer said. “We have been looking at consistency. We wanted play well for four quarters. Really pleased at how we came out and played. We had a high energy level.”

A wonderful early signing date elated Schaefer. He has the most potential incoming.

 The highest-ranked player in program history is Michigan’s Rickea Jackson. The Bulldog staff also went up to Tennessee for guard Jayla Hemingway and forward Esmery Martinez, a Dominican Republic native playing for Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga. It went to the nation’s capital for guard Aliyah Matharu, and Louisiana to sign guard JaMya Mingo-Young.

 ”This class is special!” Schaefer said. “Not only is it highly ranked and will allow us to continue to compete for championships, but these student-athletes will impact our University, our community and our state in many different ways.

 ”I want to thank my staff — Johnnie (Harris), Dionnah (Jackson-Durrett) and Elena (Lovato) for their tireless efforts in securing yet another Top 10 recruiting class. We appreciate so much the trust and confidence given to us by the families of these student-athletes.”

Jayla Hemingway received four stars from ESPN, ranking 88th nationally and 24th at her position.

 Prospects Nation tabbed her No. 19 nationally, giving her four-and-a-half stars as the No. 3 wing in the Class of 2019. She was rated No. 87 overall, the 26th-best guard, by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

 Hemingway averaged 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals and 1.9 assists leading Houston High School in Collierville, Tennessee, to a runner-up finish in the Class AAA state tournament. She shot 49 percent from the floor as the Mustangs ran to a 28-6 record.

 ”Jayla plays the game extremely hard,” Schaefer said. “I love her toughness, and she competes on every possession and rebounds the basketball extremely hard. We are really excited to have a player like Jayla joining our program. She reminds me so much of Dominique Dillingham from a competitive and toughness standpoint.”

 Hemingway will have 2,000 career points. She is on the Naismith watch list.

 ”I have an amazing relationship with the coaching staff,” Hemingway said. “The style of play was a perfect fit for me and how I like to play. I also fell in love with the family atmosphere at MSU. I love to win. If you need me to go and score, I can do that. If you need me to guard the best player, I can do that as well. I believe my high motor, toughness, competitiveness and all-around basketball talent is what made Coach Schaefer offer me in the first place. I hope to have an opportunity to immediately contribute at the highest level.”

Rickea Jackson is the No. 3 player in the nation and No. 2 wing by Prospects Nation. ESPN rates the Detroit native the No. 9 player in the nation and second-best wing prospect.

 Prior to her senior season, Jackson, already the top player in Michigan, is also on the Naismith watch list.

“Rickea is one of the elite players in the country, a Top 10 player,” Schaefer said. “Rickea has the skill set to do it all. She is going to be fun to watch. Not only is Rickea very talented, but she is just a special kid who is driven.

“ We are very excited about what Rickea has the ability to do for our program here at State. She is going to impact it in so many different ways, and she is going to make everyone around her better because she is going to draw a lot of attention. She was the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year last year, and she will have a chance to be the National Player of the Year this season.”

 Jackson, 6-foot-2, averages 21.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks . Detroit Edison Public School Academy went 24-1 record and a second-straight Michigan Class C state title.

 She is Michigan’s Gatorade Player of the Year and the Michigan Class C Player of the Year. She was also tabbed to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Best of the Best All-State for the third-straight year.

 ”The family atmosphere is what really pushed me towards Mississippi State,” Jackson said. “It was just an absolute feeling that I had received. When I came on my official visit, I had this feeling in my gut that this was the place for me.

“I held back on saying so because I wanted to give every school the same opportunity. When I returned on an unofficial visit, I knew for sure this was home and I had to say something.

“My game will help the program in many different ways because I can stretch the floor and I am also a high-energy player. I love to have fun on the court even though most people cannot tell because I have the same face mostly throughout the whole game,” Jackson said laughingly.

 “My mindset throughout the game is to win and nothing less. Offensively and defensively, I bring excitement and am a great teammate, especially when it comes to helping someone understand or improve something.”

 Like fellow signees JaMya Mingo-Young and Esmery Martinez, Jackson also has international basketball experience. She was named a finalist for the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Cup Team, a year after she was selected for the USA U16 National Team Trials.

Martinez joins MSU’s front court from powerhouse Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga.

The 6-foot-1 Martinez is rated 49th nationally by espnW, including the country's eighth-best post prospect. She is tabbed No. 25 by All-Star Girls Report and 16th at her position by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

 ”Esmery is a very talented four-player that can really stretch the floor,” Schaefer said. “She actually plays two-guard on her national team, and we are hoping that she can really be a big guard for us before she leaves here.

“She will be just a tremendous stretch four for us when she gets here because she plays the game extremely hard. She is going to be coming off a knee surgery and we hate that for her. But we know that she is going to work extremely hard to get back.”

 Martinez averages 18.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.9 blocks.

“I wanted to become a Bulldog because I like the family atmosphere and want to play for coach Schaefer,” Martinez said. “I feel my energy and intensity will help the program. Mississippi State is a program of winners, and that's what I do best!”

Martinez also has international basketball experience, with the Dominican Republic’s junior national team. In the 2018 FIBA Caribbean Women’s Championship, Martinez averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while representing her home country.

Matharu, a three-star combo guard by ESPN and four-star recruit by Prospects Nation, enters her senior season rated 66th nationally by ASGR and 27th at her position by ESPN.

 Max Preps tabs the three-star combo guard the sixth-best player in the state of Maryland after averaging 17.3 points in her heralded prep career for Bishop McNamara High School.

“Aliyah is a player who can score at all three levels,” Schaefer said. “She can be that combo guard that we have been missing here for a while. Aliyah can finish at the rim contested, she has a mid-range game and she can stretch you. 

“What is impressive about Aliyah is that she has a great offensive mindset and a tremendous skillset offensively. We are so excited to be adding a player like Aliyah who can score the basketball and has a great competitive spirit.”

 The 5-foot-7 Matharu averaged 18.3 points, with 46 3-s as a junior.

“Everyone was so positive, and they made me feel like they would fully support me the most to guide me successfully through my major,” Matharu said. “Since I started playing basketball, I’ve been dreaming of winning as many championships as possible, and I feel like here at State I have a high possibility of making that dream come true.

 ”The speed that I play combined with the tempo and the pressure defense they already play, that’s what I want to be a part of.”

JaMya Mingo-Young emerged as one of the top players in Louisiana, being named 3A Player of the Year.

A four-star prospect, she is currently listed as the No. 39 prospect overall by HoopGurlz as she returns from injuries that derailed her freshman and sophomore seasons.

 The Loranger High School standout is also Top 100 overall and the country’s 22nd best guard by ESPN, and 70th overall in the 2019 class by All-Star Girls Report.

 ”JaMya is another talented player who has experience with USA Basketball that we are excited to have joining our program,” Schaefer said. “I know that she will have another great year and will be a candidate for player of the year in the state of Louisiana again.

 Mingo-Young, 5-foot-7, averaged 21.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

 ”Mississippi State has one of the best programs and fan bases in the country, and I wanted to be part of that,” Mingo-Young said. “The coaches are great and I just felt at home. I feel like my game could help us compete for more championships.”

 The Bogalusa, Louisiana, native had the opportunity last May to attend USA Basketball U17 national team camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

What is unsaid by State and unacknowledged by the conference opponents, is State is now capable of raiding states with existing programs and bringing them to StarkVegas.

•No. 11 Tennessee (3-0)

The return of Evina Westbrook from a left foot injury was the highlight of a traditional UT win over UNC Asheville, 73­-46.

The Vols never trailed, scoring the final 13 of the first half with its four freshmen on the court and a  44-16 break lead.

The Lady Vols dominated rebounds, 46-24, and outscored the Bulldogs 27-2 in second-chance points.

 Senior Mimi Jackson scored 13, senior Cheridene Green 12, sophomore Westbrook had 11 in the fourth and freshman Rae Burrell 10 eight rebounds off the bench for Tennessee. 

“It was a game of spurts,” UT coach Holly Warlick said. “I thought our rebounding was solid. Our 1-on-1 defense was probably not where we need it to be. Our energy level was kind of up-and-down. I had to step back and realize we are a young team and we are not there yet.

“ So, we are going to continue to work. We did some good things, but when I watch the tape, I am sure there's going to be some things that I understand we need to go back and work through.”

The lead against Florida A&M grew to 20 in the second quarter and Warlick could once again get everyone playing time in game conditions.

 Defense held the Rattlers to less than 19 percent from the field. The lead was 40 at the break after a 24-8 second quarter. UT was headed to an early Thanksgiving. The defense allowed eight points in each of the middle quarters and six in the final. The end was 96-31.

Jackson started 2-of-3 from the field and 3-of-4 on 3s, with three steals. She finished with 19 points and six steals. 

Davis scored 14, 6-of-8 from the field, with 10 rebounds.

 Kasiyahna Kushkituah the tallest Lady Vol at 6-4, scored 13. Burrell scored 14 with six rebounds, five offensive off the bench.

Davis said the defense is packed for this week’s trip to the Bahamas.

"It was really good for the whole team. We have been working on it a lot in practice lately. When we get our hands up, we are a really good zone. We have just been trying to cut down the little things like turnovers or getting another team to make turnovers. I think it will be really effective this year.

"I think we are just learning how everyone is playing, and just getting used to playing with each other. I think the energy everybody brings to the team is going to be very fun to watch in the Bahamas. We are ready to get out there and just prove who we are and what we can do."

UT is 3-0 against a 15-0 start last season. This drew 7,616.

Tennessee also rumbled into a third straight quality signing class as the nation's consensus No. 1 guard and No. 2 overall player, 6-1 Jordan Horston (Columbus, Ohio) 6-5 center Tamari Key (Cary, N.C.) and 6-5 F/C Louisville (Mullens, W.Va.) all signed the early commitment papers.

It must be noted Horston was swooped away from hometown Ohio State. She was in the national Under-16 and Under-27 teams. Recruitment specialist and UT assistant Sharona Reaves was Horston’s primary recruiter – and it made a difference.

“First of all, I built a really good relationship with Coach Reaves,” Horston said. “I feel like one of the main reasons why I chose the school is because of her. Secondly, I prayed about it. I prayed about it every night. I kept getting different signs. I prayed about it, and I asked God to give me a sign every day. He was giving me all these signs.”

Of course, every major program wanted her, including UConn. She verbally committed on her mom’s birthday in September.

Key declined an offer from Final Four regular Louisville, among others. Saunders was also wanted by Lousville as well as Florida.

•No. 13 South Carolina (2-1)

It is always great to defeat a team from the notorious ACC, but doubly so when it is coached by a former SEC coach . 

SC started the stomping of 10-year Florida coach Amanda Butler by besting Clemson.

SC overcame an 18-8 third quarter to hold those Tigers, 69-57, by winning the other quarters.

SC is transitioning from a forward-line offense to one dominated by waves of quality guards.

They ain’t there yet.

The Gamecocks turned the ball over 27 times and shot 36 percent. South Carolina hit 3-of-17 on 3 attempts.

In-game, they heard about their failings from coach Dawn Staley.

''She was stressing everything we didn't do,'' said transfer guard T’ea Cooper. She led South Carolina with 15 points.

South Carolina led Clemson 41-25 at the break, but scored 12 points over the next 15 minutes. They made three shots and turned the ball over 10 times in the third quarter while battling Clemson’s superior zone.

''We didn't handle their zone very well,'' Staley said.

Clemson had missed 15 of 17 shots during one first-half stretch, falling behind by as much as 21 in the second quarter.

Still, given their dominance in the state, South Carolina has won nine in a row over Clemson, the longest streak in the in-state rivalry.

Clemson has lost 90 of its last 91 games against AP Top 25 teams.

The teams combined for 53 fouls, 33 of them by the Tigers.

South Carolina blocked 16 shots, a program record and the most in Staley's 11 seasons. The 28 Clemson turnovers led to 29 points.

The world best attendance for college women’s hoops. 11,539, started another successful season.

No. 9 Maryland was another matter. The Fighting Turtles had won their first three by an average 39. This program has also won a National title in past 15 years.

SC started hot, hitting six of its first eight shots old-school, meaning all inside. That was the home highlight of the night.

Several seasons ago, a crowd of 11,240 would not be expected. But now it is and they liked the start.

It was 18-6

And then SC disaster.

South Carolina suddenly went nine minutes without a basket, including being stuck on 18 to close the quarter while Maryland made had advanced to 22 at the break.

SC was befuddled. Maryland even went on a 9-0 run to close the second quarter and led 45-26 at midgame. SC had cut the deficit to 10 with four and a half minutes left.

Staley stayed seated because what was the point. 

The Maryland coach said the 31-point swing was all about taking what the defense was allowing, which was 28 points in the paint.

The 23-7 second quarter also showed her defense was fine. The home team hardly looked like a team with four starters back plus wonderful additions. They missed 21 of 25 shots.

Everyone could turn back to the NFL. There was little more to see here.

Oh, the Gamecocks didn’t fold. They cut the lead to 10. And lost by 14, 85-61. An 18-8 start of the fourth just showed it was a cat playing with a cat toy.

They had seen the presumptive winner of the Big Ten bash a good team in the SEC on their home court.

"South Carolina came out with the first punch, but I loved the fact we settled in," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said.

Staley would have budgeted court time for senior forward Alexis Jennings even if it hadn’t been a blowout.

She is a little gimpy with a strained knee. The comeback began when she sat down. She played one minute of the second half, 15 overall.

“I wish she could have played more. But we've got a long season. This is real early. We need her healthy for later on in the season more than these first few games," Cooper said.

In her early signing period, Staley got the biggest prize in the nation, 6-3 Laeticia Amihere from Milton, Ontario.

 ”We are thankful to have the opportunity to coach Amihere,” Staley said. “She brings an incredible skill set and, more importantly, an intense passion for the game and competitive spirit. In the image of her mother, Laeticia is wise beyond her years and will have an immediate presence in our locker room.

“ She is being groomed as an important piece to the Canadian National Team, and our fans are going to be happy that she is a Gamecock.”

Amihere gained North American attention in 2017 at age 15 when she became the first Canadian woman to dunk in a game. She was been on the U17 Canadian National Team and led them to a Bronze medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds.

 Amihere was ranked as high as No. 2 in the incoming recruits.

Amihere joins Brea Beal (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island) so far in Staley’s 2019 class.

•No. 20 Texas A&M (2-1)

At No. 18 Syracuse, there are just threads left from the 2016 Final Four team which had 30 wins.

But the Orange and ACC had enough to send coach Gary Blair to his 97th loss at A&M against ranked teams, 75-65. They have 67 wins in such matchups.

The good news is it was played in an almost empty area, Only 211 witnesses.

Because the Syracuse home court was not available this season, both agreed to play at neutral sites for the home and home.

 Syracuse chose the WNBA site in White Plains in the outskirts of New York City, which offered the Aggies a chance to visit Times Square the night before.

 They play at Houston next season.

The Aggies did shave eight points off the deficit in the fourth quarter and did not allow a basket in the final six minutes. Syracuse maintained by hitting the final four free throws. The Orange has a 13-0 run in the third quarter to establish space.

Chennedy Carter led the Aggies with 18, while Aaliyah Wilson added 17. But Carter fouled out in the fourth, the only time that has happened in her Aggie career. She has double figures in all but one game of her 39.

“Our kids fought when we went into a blitz defense and got the steals, we couldn't hit the layups,” Blair said. “If we could have had a little more poise and hit the bunnies, then you get to the collar and choke limit. We couldn't make the layups.”

A&M signed an in-state four star guard, McKinzie Green of Manvel.

“McKinzie gives us the speed, the leadership, the creativity and the ability to make her teams better every time she steps on the court,” said Blair. “She shoots the 3 well, penetrates and has played for a high school team and a summer team that have taken her to state tournaments and national tournaments that have put her against the best players in the country.”

She already has more than 2,000 entering the season. She is on the McDonald’s All-American watch list.

•No. 21 Missouri (2-1)

Missouri Has opted not to participate in our reports for the third consecutive season.

                                                                                                

•Not Ranked Georgia (2-2)

A coast to coast trip started with a loss at UCLA in a morning game. It was way too early for a team from the Eastern Time Zone.

The former No. 14 Bulldogs folded in the final minutes. The Bruins, a 2018 NCAA Elite Eight team, closed with a 31-18 fourth. Taja Cole led Georgia with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Gabby Connally scored 19.

“When they finally took the lead for the first time we panicked,” coach Joni Taylor said. “We did not rely on our offense. I wanted to see what we would do against a good team like this on the road and this was a great test. We did not handle adversity down the stretch.”

Georgia then committed six turnovers in the final two minutes. 

The loss at Georgia Tech knocked them off the national stage. A 13-9 deficit in the first was followed by an 8-2 deficit to start the second. The Bulldogs had led the all-time series, 35-5, including a 12-4 mark in Atlanta. Georgia had won six of the last seven meetings.

Not this time. They only won the third quarter and just didn’t have enough to beat a middle-of-the-pack unranked ACC team, 63-53.

A 20-14 fourth decided it. They drew 2,407.

Cole scored 10, But they committed 24 turnovers.

Georgia was barely ranked last season. It has fallen into that mudhole again, though four of the next five are winnable.

They did get some good recruiting news.

Chloe Chapman, a five-star point guard out of Mitchellville, Maryland , and Javyn Nicholson, a five-star forward from Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville, each signed a national letter of intent. 

Chapman the No. 28 overall recruit and No. 7 point guard in ESPNW's 2019 class is the sixth-best point guard prospect nationally according to Prospects Nation.

“We are thrilled that Chloe has decided to be a Lady Bulldog,” Taylor said.” She is a poised and confident point guard who has a chance to be a very special player at this level. Chloe is an elite athlete who excels defensively and in an up-tempo style of play, which is what our team is built on and what we want to be as a program.” 

Chapman is in her senior season at Our Lady of Good Counsel High She will be a two-sport athlete at Georgia as a member of the basketball soccer teams. In soccer, Chapman has been a part of two state championship teams and was an all-state selection.

Nicholson is ranked No. 6 nationally among forwards and No. 38 overall according to  ESPN.

“We are always excited to sign a player of Javyn’s caliber, but it makes it extra special when it is a homegrown prospect from the state of Georgia,” Taylor said. “She really can do it all on both ends of the floor. She has great hands, she can face up and she plays well defensively. 

“When we recruit a player, it’s important that they fit into our program. Javyn is a high character young lady who works extremely hard on and off the court and will be a great representative of the University of Georgia.” 

Nicholson averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and nearly two blocks a game as the Eagles finished 25-3 .

 She was Class AAAAAAA on several state teams and one of 35 players invited to the USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team Trials.