Mike Siroky’s SEC Report: Non-Conference Play Finishes Ahead Of the Battles to Come

By  Mike Siroky

 

As we start the last teen year all of us will ever have, the Southeastern Conference of women’s basketball is already ready for the NCAA eliminations, with likely eight entrants coming in March.

The SEC tradition has it, never does a team win 20 and not get in. Sometimes, a 19-game winner fills out the great eight. 

No other conference can say that. 

Winning 10 before the league battles helps get to 20 a lot easier. 

Ranked teams Mississippi State, Tennessee,  Kentucky and Texas A&M  have all done it. Three others have as well, unranked Auburn with 12. If you project to include in South Carolina as an NCAA entrant. there’s your eight, already identified.

Surely, the top-ranked teams in the league – those three  – will also get first-round hosting gifts, even if Tennessee and Georgia muffed it last season.

The 16 first-round hosts are surely headed to the Sweet 16.

SEC sorority wants to land in the Greensboro Regional or Chicago Regional for the travel convenience of fans. A 1 or 2 seed in each is acceptable, even if Notre Dame get its usual favored placement in Chicago.

 Monster Mississippi State has fared quite well in the West. Nobody wants to go to Albany, where UConn will lurk, but two from the SEC will. 

The playoff reality with the traditional eight entrants, the NCAA will place two in each Regional.

Everyone except Vanderbilt, the new coach at Ole Miss and the second-year coach at Florida will be in the NCAAs. 

The pressure is on and will likely launch Vanderbilt into another coaching search. The new athletic director will not make it a priority but it will get there. ADs generally have some favorites in their personal history owe nothing to incumbents. 

Home attendance is hovering around 3,000.

The big news this season is Arkansas under second-year coach Mike Neighors has shown what a difference a coach can make.

 He is playing with the majority of another man’s recruits, but has gone from 13-18 to  11-3 already. God bless the holdovers who suffered under a gym coach for one or two seasons. The leading scorer is from his first recruiting class. He is the league coach of the year.

Alabama could actually win a couple of NCAA games, on the road. Auburn is finally having a breakout season and could catch a better team in the regular season visiting them setting up confidence in the eliminations. 

Missouri and Alabama also had 10 wins before Christmas.

The way to win the league is proven as simply defending the home court. Do that and you win the conference.

The SEC will embarrass itself by having the conference tournament within the state of South Carolina.

That state is one of two that uses the confederate battle flag as part of its officially sanctioned representation. 

The NCAA will not schedule nor award NCAA events because of that racial insensitivity.

But the SEC has told us in years past they have their own criteria, which means follow the money. You can win a first-round hosting assignment, but that is won and not awarded in the chalk line thinking of the NCAA.

Still, imagine how a coach or player of color must feel if it is their home state. And the SEC is now forcing all its players and coaches to hide behind the conference wall of silence.

As 2018 slipped away, here’s what happened in the last week for those SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Tennessee stayed the same and everyone else moved up.

No. 7 Mississippi State (12-1)

The dominant defensive team in the league allowed six points in the first quarter and closed with the same in the fourth, in another 100-plus game, 104-36 over visiting Louisiana.

In-between, Teaira McCowan scored 13 (5-of-5 from the field, 3-of 3 from the line) with 11 rebounds (seven defensive) and five blocks in 21 minutes. Anriel Howard scored 16 in 18 minutes.

Sophomore Bre’amber Scott scored a career-best 21. She was 7-of-9 from the field, including 5-of-6 3s.

“Today was a good day,” Scott said. “I felt really comfortable. I did not try to do anything outside of what I knew I could do. I took the open shots that my teammates gave me.”

State is a strong second in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 91.7. The Bulldogs have already surpassed last season's school record with six 100-point games.

State's defense is third in the SEC, allowing 53.4 ppg. That combines for the top scoring margin (plus 38.3) in the country. State also tops the conference in field goal percentage (57.1 percent), rebounding (44.83), blocked shots (6.8), assists (19.0) and assist/turnover ratio (1.5).

McCowan and Howard are the only pair of teammates in the SEC to be among the top 10 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding.

 Jazzmun Holmes continues to lead the country in assist/turnover ratio at 5.42. Holmes has posted 35 assists with eight turnovers over the past six games and is averaging 11.6 points in that span while going 21-of-22 from the free throw line.

 The Bulldogs have won 20 straight regular-season non-conference games in Humphrey Coliseum.

 State's 27-game overall home winning streak is tied for the third-longest active streak in the country.

 This ended a 10-day furlough with 10,242 celebrants.

“Glad to knock the rust off,” coach Vic Schaefer said. “Recess is over, now it's time to get ready for class and the next two months are two very difficult months if you're a Southeastern Conference basketball player and so we have to get ready for the road.”

They have five straight league games against likely NCAA  entrants. South Carolina comes in Jan. 17.

No. 10 Tennessee (11-1)

Tennessee’s only loss is at home.

Murray State is one of those vanquished foes. They have now lost to Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Lady Vols forged a six-point opening quarter lead. The trends for success were evident as sophomore guard Rennia Davis led in points and rebounds. She finished with the double, 20 points and 13 rebounds. 

UT won the boards, 56-24.

 “Getting outrebounded for us is something we consider unacceptable,” Davis said.

“In practice, even in games, there are consequences for not going after rebounds. I think tonight everybody went and rebounded better.”

Sophomore center Kasiyaha Kushiuahwas is adjusting to her left knee brace and slowly adding back minutes off the bench. She is the true center, when healthy. She got into this one early. 

Freshman girl Jazmine Massengill already had four assists, also off the bench. She finished with eight. She was one of six players other than Davis also hit double figures.

 The 8,915 fans, for a game  when students are away, approved.

“I love the win,” said coach Holly Warlick. “We shot the ball well. We rebounded really, really well. Our press was effective at times, but we have got to stop fouling jump shooters; it is a Cardinal sin in basketball.

“We have to get into stance and guard some more. That can be a lot better and our turnovers just seemed like we didn't connect with our passer and receiver. So (we're) just a little rusty. But we did some really, really nice things. We know what we did good, and we will work on what we need to work on.

“I thought Davis had one of her best games because she was attacking the basket. She wasn't afraid to get blocked or get bumped. She has to do that. I love it. If you can get everybody involved in your offense . . . it is hard to guard. It is hard to guard five people that are moving and cutting and attacking the basket. 

“And we did that. (Rae) Burrell and Rennia did a great job. Cheridene (Green) did a great job at rebounding and getting putbacks. We needed that from her.”

At this juncture, she had one game left before SEC play. She knew what she needed to coach up.

“Consistency. Just being more consistent in everything that we do. If you're going to be a great rebounding team, be a great rebounding team. If you're going to attack the basket, do that. There's so many things. I know we're not going to play a perfect game, but (we need to) stick to our game plan and do what we need to do to win. 

“But mostly just consistency and being competitive. If you're competitive, great things generally happen.”

So here came Belmont, a mid-major with a second-year coach. The guy who established the program has moved up to Florida. Seven of his recruits remain.

 They once again won their conference and went 31-4 last season and made the NCAA eliminations again. They hung a record 111 on Vanderbilt, more than even any SEC school has done.

Amy Malo, a former Vanderbilt player, is an assistant. This is the marquee game on their schedule, the biggest crowd they will see.

The 84-76 final is an expected score. Unexpected is the 23-8 third quarter by Belmont.

 In SEC play, a single-digit quarter is death. Tennessee won the fourth by seven and the game margin was eight.

Four Lady Vol starters hit double figures led by Evina Westbrook with 20 and Davis with 19. Davis had three 3s. No one doubled. 

There were 8,456 witnesses.

Kushkituah only managed eight minutes, a bad sign. It opened up the middle for the Bruins. Ellie Harmeyer scored 20 with 10 rebounds. Maddie Wright had 10 inside.

“They chose to play small for a lot of stretches there in the second half, so we were able to get some stuff to Ellie and Maddie inside on post ups,” Belmont coach Bart Brooks said. “But most of our inside stuff was back cuts and dribble drives and floor spacing. We expected that because of how they pressured the ball.”

Warlick said they have to develop a sense of not lingering over errors.

“Go back to elementary school -- the ball, you and the basket,” Warlick said. “Stay between the ball and the basket and forget about what happened on the other end. You have to have a short-term memory when you make a mistake.”

Auburn’s stellar play so far will offer the challenge at home as the SEC opens. The home starter is Missouri.

No. 16 Kentucky (13-1)

Kentucky finished the pre-SEC season 10-0 at home. A 16-7 second quarter defense set the tempo against Sacred Herat in the 71-43 runaway.

Freshman Rhyne Howard was selected as national Freshman of the Week by the United States Women’s Basketball Association, had her fourth straight strong game, 15 rebounds and four steals. 

They won rebounds by 22. They held Sacred Heart to 27 percent from the field. The 4,079 in attendance approved.

Maci Morris scored 17 with three 3s. Two others were in double figures.

“Well, we have done a good job of building our team and we know what we need to do to be successful,” said coach Matthew Mitchell of the advent of the SEC .

“ So now, we play to our strengths. We need to move the basketball, we need to really make defenses work so we can create some open shots. We've done a good job shooting the ball, and defensively you have to be fundamentally sound.

“Now there are no more games where you can kind of let your athleticism overwhelm the opponent. Now you really have to lock in. So, I think SEC play certainly is as much mental as it is physical, and I think our team is in good shape physically.

“I think we can move. I think we have enough athleticism to be successful. What we really need now is a committed, mental focus every day that we can come in with, pay attention to our preparation, know what we need to do to be successful. 

“But also, really knowing your opponent and knowing what has to happen game-to-game. So, we just talked about it in the locker room, one game at a time here. It'll be a great challenge, but we'll be focused in and ready to go.”

The Kats are at Mississippi State and Tennessee in games No.2 and No. 3 of the league season. Their last four are against NCAA-ready teams.

No. 21 Texas A&M (11-2)

Everyone, as UT’s Holly Warlick mentioned, is looking for consistency. The Aggies started against UT Rio Grande Valley with two nice quarters and a 13-point halftime edge.

They held out All-American Chennedy Carter as a hedge against a tweaked ankle and have lost another starter for the season.

 Kayla Wells scored 16, already three above her season average. Ciera Johnson 12 with nine rebounds, on her way to 17 of each.

They finished with a 22-4 fourth, defensive domination delighting the 3,209 crowd. They won rebounds by 11. They hit 34-of-42 free throws.

N’dea Jones had 18 rebounds (14 defensive) and 15 points. Her fourth straight with at least 14 rebounds is a program record. Three others had at least 13 points.

“I thought our kids did a fairly good job of adjusting to the competition,” said coach Gary Blair.

“Give UTRGV credit. They just went through Texas, they played us and they play Baylor next. Our goal was to dominate the boards and I thought we did.

“I thought Ciera Johnson did a good job. She's got to learn to score under contact but she made up for it with her rebounding. I'm proud of her for what she did. 

“There's no excuse to have 20 turnovers against somebody that's not really pressuring you. It was our lack of ball handling. Our two leading scorers are out but I had some other kids step up and play pretty good. Kayla hit her shots in the first half.

“I liked us getting to the line 29 times. I don't like the turnovers. We're doing a good job of shooting three pointers when we're capable. Give Jasmine Williams kudos. She came off the bench after waiting her turn and played under control tonight. She did a good job. I was happy for her. We need to get a lot better and healthier before we see South Carolina.”

 ”Adversity creates opportunity. Aaliyah Jackson and Jada Walton did a good job offensively. They just need to get better on ball handling. Jasmine Williams came in and hit some big threes that we needed. Hopefully that will build her confidence. All three of those kids could be the answer. There is not one of those three that is that much ahead of the other.

“We have to go to the hot player because teams are going to start taking away Kayla Wells or making it harder for her to score. I'm not afraid to use any of them as a rotation player. Injuries help you develop depth and poor play from the starters gave some opportunities,” he said.

“We press to control the tempo, not to steal the ball. We did not want to do what we did against Prairie View. We wanted to get off to a good start. As a result, they were only having 15 seconds to run their offense. We were playing our run and jump defense instead of letting them come down. We got away from it some because we got into foul trouble.”

 Johnson’s 17 points and 17 rebounds came in her birthday.

“I knew I played pretty badly against Prairie View, so I knew I had to pick up my play, so this was just the next opportunity to do that. Getting the double/double was a nice birthday present.”

Of course,  they always have to adjust when Carter is not available.

“She opens up a lot of things for everybody else, because she's such a dynamic player, but we just have to step up because that's what we're here for,” Johnson said. “Next man up is our mindset. It changes greatly when she doesn't play, but I'm just glad we were able to get the win.”

They have won seven straight, an undefeated December, and have the marquee game of the SEC openers, welcoming in South Carolina to close Sunday.

Aaliyah Wilson will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and MCL She was the second-leading scorer(13.8), second-best In steals (15) and shots (11). She is a 5-11 long guard.

No. 23 South Carolina (8-4)

Furman proved a nice way to conclude the pre-conference season at home, 66-53, winning every quarter.

OK, so Dawn Staley is at the top of her game. But in this conference, she is unlikely to win coach of the year. She is leading the league in attendance, 11,206 for this one.

At Texas A&M is no way to start an SEC season.  And the showdown in StarkVegas on Jan. 17 is at least exciting for fans. 

If they get some mojo, three of their last four are Kentucky, at Tennessee and State to close the season.

 In recent seasons, that last matchup decided conference championships and the top seed for the league tournament, also in the state of South Carolina.

As the frontline has gotten more healthy, so has the scoring averages. The six forwards have scored 30.6 points per game over the past five outings, accounting for 39.8 percent of the Gamecocks' points while playing just 37.6 percent of the team's minutes in that stretch.

Since returning to the starting lineup vs. Appalachian State to start this month,  junior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan has averaged 11.3 points on 50.0 percent field goal shooting, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. 

She was crucial to the team's double-overtime win at Purdue (Dec. 16) with her first career double (19 points, 15 rebounds). She had three blocks against Furman.

Junior guard  Tyasha Harris sprinted into the holiday break, averaging a team-high 13.6 points and five assists over the past six games, including 6.7 assists per game over the last three outings.

Sophomore LeLe Grissett has become the Gamecocks' top rebounder at 5.5 per game. She supplanted senior  Alexis Jennings as the category leader thanks to 7.6 rebounds per game over the past five games, including her first career double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Baylor .

Against Furman, Jennings scored 19. Grissett had the most rebounds, as Staley played everyone and 10 players scored.

“It’s all health-related (for Jennings), Staley said. “She’s getting more healthy. The fact that she is getting more healthy, she can do a lot more things out there on the floor.

“Her midrange looks nice and smooth and not rushed. When she gets it in close in the paint, she’s automatic. When she gets two feet in the paint, she is pretty much automatic. She’s either going to score or get fouled.”