Nov. 8, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second straight season, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference in a voting of the 12 league coaches, as announced by the league office Tuesday.
The Wildcats finished 25-9 overall last year, 11-5 in SEC play, and advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. Despite losing one of the most talented players in UK Hoops’ history in Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky enters the 2011-12 season with high expectations. The Wildcats, led by head coach Matthew Mitchell, who is entering his fifth year at UK, return 10 letter winners, including four starters from last year.
Along with All-SEC first team selection A’dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.), senior point guard Amber Smith (Winter Haven, Fla.) returns to the hardwood after sitting out the 2010-11 season with a knee injury. Bringing in one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, Kentucky will welcome three freshmen in Bria Goss (Indianapolis, Ind.), Azia Bishop (Toledo, Ohio) and Bra’Shey Ali (Plainfield, N.J.). Also joining the Wildcats will be sophomore forward Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio), who will be eligible following the 2011 fall semester after transferring from Connecticut in December of 2010.
Tennessee tops the order of finish with 120 points, with Kentucky (100), Georgia (98), LSU (96), Florida (92) and Vanderbilt (85) rounding out the top half of the league. South Carolina (62), Arkansas (57), Auburn (39), Alabama (29), Mississippi State (25) and Ole Miss (16) round out the bottom half.
Joining Mathies on the All-SEC First Team are Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen (SEC Player of the Year), Georgia’s Jasmine James, LSU’s LaSondra Barrett, Tennessee’s Glory Johnson and Meighan Simmons, Arkansas’ C’iera Ricketts, and Stephanie Holzer of Vanderbilt.
All-SEC Second Team includes La’Keisha Sutton and Ieashia Walker of South Carolina, Adrienne Webb of LSU, Valencia McFarland of Ole Miss, Alabama’s Ericka Russell, Georgia’s Jasmine Hassell, Tiffany Clarke of Vanderbilt and Arkansas’ Sarah Watkins.
Season tickets for UK’s entire 18-game home schedule are available for $45 except lower-level chair back seating, which are $60 and sold out.
Single-game tickets may be purchased at the Joe Craft Center, online at UKAthletics.com or by calling the UK Ticket Office at (800) 928-2287 or (859) 257-1818 or on Ticketmaster.com.
Tickets may be available in the reserved seating areas and in the general admission upper-level bleachers. Prices are as follows: $7 reserved seats (all ages), $7 adult general admission, $4 youth/senior general admission (18 and under, 65 and over). Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge in the general admission seating area.
SEC Media Predicted Order of Finish
1. Tennessee 120
2. Kentucky 100
3. Georgia 98
4. LSU 96
5. Florida 92
6. Vanderbilt 85
7. South Carolina 62
8. Arkansas 57
9. Auburn 39
10. Alabama 29
11. Mississippi State 25
12. Ole Miss 16
All-SEC Preseason First Team
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
A’dia Mathies, Kentucky
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
C’iera Ricketts, Arkansas
Stephanie Holzer, Vanderbilt
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Jasmine James, Georgia
All-SEC Media Preseason Second Team
La’Keisha Sutton, South Carolina
Ieashia Walker, South Carolina
Adrienne Webb, LSU
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Ericka Russell, Alabama
Jasmine Hassell, Georgia
Tiffany Clarke, Vanderbilt
Sarah Watkins, Arkansas
PLAYER OF THE YEAR (POINTS)
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee (6)
Glory Johnson, Tennessee (3)
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee (1)
Lasondra Barrett, LSU (1)
A’dia Mathies, Kentucky (1)
