[blue1424]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2014 Southeastern Conference race in the media preseason polls as announced by the league office on Monday.

Senior forward DeNesha Stallworth (Richmond, Calif.) was named to the All-SEC preseason team along with Tennessee’s Bashaara Graves and Meighan Simmons, LSU’s Theresa Plaisance and Vanderbilt’s Jasmine Lister.

Head coach Matthew Mitchell, UK’s all-time winningest coach, enters his seventh season at the helm of UK Hoops after leading the Wildcats to a school-record 30 wins last season (30-6), a No. 7 final national ranking and the program’s school-record fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, including third Elite Eight appearance in the last four seasons.

Kentucky returns 10 letter winners, including four starters from last year’s squad in Kastine Evans (Salem, Conn.), Jennifer O’Neill (Bronx, N.Y.), Stallworth and Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio). New additions to the roster this season include freshmen Makayla Epps (Lebanon, Ky.), Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (Lebanon, Ky.) and Linnae Harper (Chicago).

Stallworth, who was a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and a second-team member by the media last season, is UK’s leading returning scorer and second-leading rebounder for 2013-14. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last year in helping lead the Wildcats to their third appearance in the Elite Eight in the last four years. She netted double figures in 27-of-35 games played, including 11-of-15 SEC contests and ranked in the top-20 in SEC scoring (16th, 12.5 ppg), rebounding (19th, 6.0 rpg), field goal percentage (4th, .484) and blocks (5th, 1.5 bpg). Stallworth is one of 25 players on the 2013-14 preseason “Wade Watch” list of candidates for the prestigious Wade Trophy.

SEC Preseason Polls

Tennessee (192)
Kentucky (185)
LSU (156)
Texas A&M (144)
Vanderbilt (134)
Georgia (132)
South Carolina (131)
Auburn (84)
Missouri (74)
Florida (67)
Mississippi State (66)
Arkansas (57)
Ole Miss (29)
Alabama (18)

Player of the Year

Meighan Simmons, Tennessee

All-SEC First Team

DeNesha Stallworth, Kentucky
Theresa Plaisance, LSU
Bashaara Graves, Tennessee
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Jasmine Lister, Vanderbilt

http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/w-bask...13aaa.html

[E's Army]

Lady Cats have come a long way under Coach Mitchell

[blue1424]

Lady Cats have come a long way under Coach Mitchell

Everyone is talking about how good the men's team will be, but the women's team has the potential to be very good and contend for a national title as well. They have 7 McDonald's All-Americans and 5 seniors on the roster this year. They should have another great season, and hopefully finally make it past the Elite Eight and win an SEC Championship.