COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball was picked to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday by the league’s coaches, as the league office announced its 2018-19 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Senior Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) and junior Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) each garnered All-SEC Preseason honors, as Cunningham was named to the Preseason First Team All-SEC and Smith to the Preseason Second Team All-SEC.
Mizzou was picked to finish fifth behind Mississippi State, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Each team picked ahead of the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, with South Carolina making the Elite Eight and Mississippi State ending the season as the national runner-up. Mizzou was also tabbed to finish fifth in the SEC in the preseason media poll on Oct. 16.
Just like in the preseason media poll, Cunningham was one of three players to receive votes for the Preseason SEC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year award, which ended up going to Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowan.
Cunningham was named Preseason All-SEC First Team for the third consecutive season. In 2017-18, Cunningham averaged 18.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as she earned AP All-America Honorable Mention honors for the second consecutive season. She was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 54 percent from the field (54.2 percent, 186-for-343), 45 percent from three (45.7 percent, 69-for-151) and 83 percent from the free throw line (83.6 percent, 133-for-159). Cunningham continue to climb up the Mizzou record book in her senior season, as she currently ranks No. 8 in all-time scoring (1,563 points), No. 4 in career 3-pointers made (153), No. 4 in PPG (16.6), No. 5 in free throws made (386), No. 3 in three-point percentage (.404), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.839) and No. 8 in field goal percentage (.508).
Smith, the 2016-17 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, started all 32 games for Mizzou as a sophomore in 2017-18, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Smith scored a career-high 27 points vs. LSU (Jan. 4) on 11-for-18 shooting from the field while grabbing seven rebounds. She grabbed five rebounds in 15 contests and corralled 10 rebounds in four games.
As a team last season, Mizzou earned a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 1984-86. Head Coach Robin Pingeton’s squad spent the entire season in the Top 25, ranking as high as No. 11 in the AP Poll and No. 9 in the Coaches’ Poll, their highest ranking in that poll in program history.
Preseason Coaches’ Predictions
1. Mississippi State
2. South Carolina
3. Georgia
4. Tennessee
5. Mizzou
6. Texas A&M
7. Kentucky
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. Alabama
11. Arkansas
12. Florida
13. Vanderbilt
14. Ole Miss
Player of the Year
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
First Team All-SEC
Caliya Robinson, Georgia
Maci Morris, Kentucky
Anriel Howard, Mississippi State
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
Sophie Cunningham, Mizzou
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M.
Second Team All-SEC
Malica Monk, Arkansas
Janiah McKay, Auburn
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Taylor Murray, Kentucky
Ayana Mitchel, LSU
Shandricka Sessom, Ole Miss
Amber Smith, Mizzou
Alexis Jennings, South Carolina
Evina Westbrook, Tennessee
— Mizzou Athletics —