COLUMBIA, S.C. – A panel of both SEC and national media members picked South Carolina to win the 2020 Southeastern Conference title, the league office announced today. It marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that the Gamecocks have topped the preseason media voting. The media also selected senior guard Tyasha Harris as a Preseason All-SEC First-Team selection and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan as a second-team choice.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley returns six letterwinners from last season’s NCAA Sweet 16 teams, including starters Harris and Herbert Harrigan, who both factored into the Gamecocks’ 2017 National Championship run as freshmen. The staff then added the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, led by four of the top 11 signees, and transfer Destiny Littleton. The Gamecocks have won the SEC regular-season crown in four of the last six seasons and the SEC Tournament title four of the last five events.

Harris is a two-time All-SEC and honorable mention All-America selection who finished the 2018-19 season as a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the nation’s top point guard. She has been part of two SEC championship teams and played a key role in the Gamecocks’ historic fourth-straight SEC Tournament title in 2018. Harris is on track to become just the second person in program history to amass at least 1,000 points and 600 assists. Already the program record holder for single-season assists, she is within 102 assists of the program’s career record.

Herbert Harrigan is among the league’s stars after a breakout 2018-19 campaign. She finished the season ranked 35th in the nation and third in the SEC in blocked shots per game, including 16 games of three or more blocks. She averaged double-figure points for the first time in her career and posted higher scoring and rebounding averages against ranked opponents than other opponents during the season. Herbert Harrigan is fifth in program history with 152, becoming just the 13th Gamecock all-time to cross the 100-block threshold.

Fans interested in buying season tickets for the Gamecocks’ 2019-20 season can find more information at http://www.itsgreattobeagamecock.com/wbb18/ or by calling the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-4SC-FANS (472-3267).

SEC Preseason Media Poll
1. South Carolina
2. Texas A&M
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Arkansas
6. Tennessee
7. Auburn
8. LSU
9. Missouri
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Florida
13. Ole Miss
14. Vanderbilt

Preseason Player of the Year Voting
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M (14)
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky (2)
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas (1)

Preseason All-SEC First Team
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&m

Preseason All-SEC Second Team
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt

Courtesy: South Carolina Athletics