Media Tabs Lady Bulldogs Fifth

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Members of the Southeastern Conference and National media picked the Mississippi State women’s basketball team to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference this season announced by the conference office on Tuesday.

LSU was picked to finish first followed by Tennessee, Georgia and Vanderbilt.

The Lady Bulldogs, who return four starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s second round NCAA Tournament team, picked up 120 votes in the poll.

An All-SEC first team selection last season, Lady Bulldog senior guard Alexis Rack was one of five named to the preseason first team, joining Georgia’s duo of Ashley Houts and Angel Robinson, LSU’s Allison Hightower and Shekinna Stricklen of Tennessee. Hightower was voted the Player of the Year.

State, which opened preseason practice on Oct. 16, will open exhibition play on Nov. 8 against Monticello

Points were compiled on a 12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Each media member also voted for one team as an overall conference champion and a five-player All-SEC Team.

The 2009-10 SEC Media Preseason Poll tips off SEC Basketball Media Days, October 22 at the Birmingham Marriott in Alabama. The SEC Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll will be released on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Preseason Media Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
SEC Champion: LSU (12), Tennessee (6), Georgia (1), Vanderbilt (1)
Player of the Year: Allison Hightower, LSU (18), LaSondra Barrett, LSU (1), Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee (1)

Order of Finish
1. LSU 206
2. Tennessee 190
3. Georgia 156
4. Vanderbilt 126
5. Mississippi State 120
6. Florida 105
7. Arkansas 92
8. Auburn 85
9. Ole Miss 70
10. South Carolina 61
11. Kentucky 40
12. Alabama 24

First-Team
Ashley Houts, Georgia
Angel Robinson, Georgia
Allison Hightower, LSU
Alexis Rack, Mississippi State
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee

C’eira Ricketts, Arkansas
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
Bianca Thomas, Ole Miss
Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee
Merideth Marsh, Vanderbilt