KNOXVILLE, Tenn. β The Southeastern Conference announced its Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll and All-Conference Teams on Tuesday.
The Tennessee Lady Vols are projected to finish third in the league in 2021-22 and have two players named to the All-SEC Team, according to a release.
UT Athletics said this is the highest projection by the coaches by the Big Orange program since the 2016-17 squad, which was predicted to finish third in the SEC.
Senior guard/forward Rae Burrell and junior center Tamari Key earned Coaches Preseason All-SEC acclaim with Burrell on the first team and Key on the second team.
Burrell was an All-SEC Second Team performer in 2020-21, averaging 16.8 ppg. and 4.6 rpg. and hitting double figures in 22 of 25 contests, according to UT Athletics. Burrell is the fifth-best returning scorer in the SEC and is No. 1 in free throw percentage, No. 2 in three-point field goal percentage and No. 7 in field goal percentage.
Key, meanwhile, put up 8.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg. and 2.9 bpg. in 2020-21, while shooting 62.8 percent from the field and earning a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team. She ranked No. 11 in the NCAA in blocks (72) and blocks per game (2.9) and was No. 2 in the SEC. Her 72 blocked shots ranked as the No. 8 all-time Lady Vol season total, while her career tally (158) ranks No. 8 as well, according to UT Athletics.
UT, which finished third the past two seasons in SEC play, welcomes back nine total letterwinners and six players who were in the starting lineup a year ago, according to a release. Third-year Lady Vol head coach Kellie Harper and her staff also brought onboard the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year via the transfer portal and signed a freshman class ranked No. 9 by ProspectsNation.com and No. 15 by espnW.
ORDER OF FINISH
- South Carolina
- Texas A&M
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Ole Miss
- Arkansas
- LSU
- Mississippi State
- Missouri
- Florida
- Alabama
- Auburn
- Vanderbilt
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM
Lavender Briggs, Florida
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Rae Burrell, Tennessee
ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM
Amber Ramirez, Arkansas
Kiara Smith, Florida
Que Morrison, Georgia
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Jordan Nixon, Texas A&M
Kayla Wells, Texas A&M