The University of Mississippi Athletics
McFarland Named Preseason All-SEC
11/5/2013 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 5, 2013
TWITTER: @OleMissWBB
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ole Miss senior point guard Valencia McFarland was named to the preseason All-SEC second team as voted on by the leagues 14 coaches, it was announced by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday (Nov. 5).
The Edwards, Miss., native earns her second consecutive preseason accolade, also earning second-team honors last season. McFarland, a second team All-SEC selection as a sophomore, enters her senior season second among active SEC players in career assists (420) and fifth among active players in scoring with 1,107 career points.
Last season, McFarland earned SEC Player of the Week honors (Dec. 31) after averaging a triple double (26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists) at the Tulane Doubletree Classic. McFarland was also a finalist for the C Spire/Gillom Trophy.
The senior guard has been an important piece of the Ole Miss women's basketball puzzle throughout her career. She has scored in every game she has played in (87) and became just the fourth player in program history to lead her team in assists in three years and the first since Armintie Price to lead the team in three consecutive years. Additionally, McFarland is on pace to become one of just three players to record 1,000 points, 500 assists and 250 steals. She's already reached the 1,000-point milestone and is just 80 assists and 75 steals away. Should she achieve the feat, McFarland would join former Rebel greats Carol Ross (1977-81) and Glenda Springfield (1975-79).
The SEC also released the coaches' poll and Player of the Year projections on Tuesday with Tennessee predicted to win the league in 2014. Points were compiled on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for order of prediction, while each player received two points for a first-team vote and one point for a second-team vote. Coaches do not vote for their own team or players.
The Rebels open regular-season action on Nov. 8 against Jacksonville State at 5 p.m. at the Tad Smith Coliseum. The game is the first game of a doubleheader with the Ole Miss men's team who take on Troy at 7:30 p.m.
For women's basketball ticket information, go to OleMissTix.com or call the Ole Miss Ticket Office at 1-888-REB-TKTS (732-8587.).
For all Ole Miss women's basketball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB and on Instagram at Ole Miss_WBB. Fans can also follow Ole Miss women's basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell.
Coaches Poll
Order of Finish Points
1. Tennessee 167
2. Kentucky 159
3. LSU 134
4. Vanderbilt 124
T5. South Carolina 121
T5. Texas A&M 121
7. Georgia 104
8. Auburn 72
9. Missouri 69
10. Florida 60
11. Mississippi State 51
12. Arkansas 42
13. Ole Miss 25
14. Alabama 24
SEC Champion First Place Votes
Tennessee 11
Kentucky 3
FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC
DeNesha Stallworth, Kentucky
Theresa Plaisance, LSU
Aleighsa Welch, South Carolina
Bashaara Graves, Tennessee
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee
Courtney Walker, Texas A&M
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt
Jasmine Lister, Vanderbilt
SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC
Hasina Muhammad, Auburn
Jaterra Bonds, Florida
Shacobie Barbee, Georgia
Samarie Walker, Kentucky
Jennifer O'Neil, Kentucky
Danielle Ballard, LSU
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Martha Alwal, Mississippi State
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Meighan Simmons, Tennessee 7
DeNesha Stallworth, Kentucky 3
Theresa Plaisance, LSU 3
Christina Foggie, Vanderbilt 1
