SEC preview: LSU and South Carolina, past 2 national champions, setting up for showdown

The last two NCAA champions have come out of the SEC, and both are contenders once again.

Despite criticism for a weak nonconference schedule, LSU won last season’s title, giving the program its first national championship, and the fourth for head coach Kim Mulkey. Her first three came at Baylor.

The Tigers went through Hawaii, Michigan, Miami, Utah and Virginia Tech, before a lopsided win over Iowa in the national title game. Angel Reese became an overnight star thanks to an impressive season that was capped with 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block in the championship game.

The season prior, it was South Carolina and Dawn Staley who hoisted the trophy. That team was led by another elite post player in Aliyah Boston, who was named Player of the Year, and went on to be selected No. 1 by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA Draft.

Both teams have different roster makeups than when they won their respective titles, but they still have NCAA championship potential and are the two favorites to win the SEC.

SEC outlook: Two-team race for the top

Unless something major happens, it should be a two-team race for the SEC title. Heading into the season, LSU was the No. 1 team in the country, but after a loss to Colorado, the Tigers were quickly unseated by South Carolina, who has held the No. 1 honor since Week 2.

LSU took the same approach to the nonconference as last season, playing a relatively weak schedule that included only two Top 25 teams. The Tigers split those matchups, falling to Colorado but defeating then-No. 9 Virginia Tech in a rematch from last season’s Final Four.

Mulkey and her staff faced criticism for their weak schedule last season, but it proved successful when LSU won the national championship. The overall results this season remain to be seen, but with multiple transfers and freshmen playing significant minutes this season, the nonconference schedule did allow the Tigers to learn how to play together.

Mulkey added DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow and Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith, while also signing the country’s No. 2 recruit in Mikaylah Williams. Morrow has proven to be just as dominant at LSU as she was at DePaul, averaging 18.3 points, 9.5 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. She leads the Tigers in all four categories. Williams has also transitioned seamlessly into the lineup, scoring 17.2 points per game and shooting 45.2% from the 3-point line.

Things have been a bit more challenging for Van Lith, who has missed four games with plantar fasciitis. The guard was averaging 12.2 points per game — a decrease from her numbers at Louisville — but her five assists per game is a career high.

South Carolina took the opposite approach to LSU, scheduling a tough nonconference slate, which included four Top 25 teams. The Gamecocks started their season with a 100-71 win over Notre Dame in Paris, where Kamilla Cardoso was dominant with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

The Gamecocks also added an impactful transfer in former Oregon player Te-Hina Paopao. She’s been huge for South Carolina, particularly from long range where she shoots 52.8%, the fourth-best mark in the country.

Three-point shooting was South Carolina’s biggest weakness last season, and it hurt the Gamecocks in their Final Four loss to Iowa. But 3-point shooting is a strength for this squad, and they are third in the country making 41.8% of their attempts.

While LSU and South Carolina are the favorites to win the SEC, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are also teams to watch.

The Vols have struggled to start the season, especially without Rickea Jackson, who missed eight games with a leg injury. The Vols are 6-5 heading into SEC play with losses to Florida State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Middle Tennessee State.

Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are all receiving votes in the AP poll and could easily find themselves in the Top 25 at some point this season.

Under-the-radar player to watch

Mississippi State’s Lauren Park-Lane has been overlooked throughout her career. The guard started out at Seton Hall where she played her first four seasons. Last season, she averaged 20.8 points and 6.3 assists to lead the Pirates.

Park-Lane’s scoring numbers are much lower this year (10.7 per game) because Mississippi State has more weapons, but she’s still more than capable of monster scoring performances.In a 82-75 win over Colorado State, Park-Lane finished with 33 points, including 10 made 3-pointers.

Yahoo Sports’ prediction to win the conference

Cassandra Negley: South Carolina

Eden Laase: South Carolina

Like many Staley-coached teams that came before, this season’s Gamecock squad is deep and versatile. South Carolina has seven players who score nine or more points per game, with four double-digit scorers. Cardoso leads the way with 14.1, followed by Paopao with 12.3. Freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley adds a spark off the bench with her playmaking skills, and Chloe Kitts is coming into her own as a sophomore, averaging 11.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while showing toughness in the post.

Teams that could make noise in March

South Carolina and LSU are going into conference play as the favorites to win both the SEC and a national titles. Currently, South Carolina has the edge because of the way the Gamecocks have progressed throughout the nonconference schedule.

LSU has a high-level of talent, but between injuries and Reese’s four-game suspension, we still haven’t seen the Tigers’ full potential.