SEC: Expectations sky high for No. 1 South Carolina, Staley

By PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

Expectations are sky high in the Southeastern Conference for Dawn Staley and top-ranked South Carolina. The Gamecocks were picked to win their sixth SEC regular-season women’s basketball title in the past nine years. They’ve also won six of the last seven SEC Tournament titles. And don’t expect a drop off from last year’s Final Four run. South Carolina has the country’s No. 1 recruiting class to blend with the full complement of players who were part of last year’s NCAA Tournament appearance. Tennessee was picked second in the preseason with Texas A&M third and Kentucky fourth.