LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — SEC Preseason honors rolled out on Monday ahead of the 2026-2027 campaign, one player earning conference honors while the team as a whole was picked to finish 5th.
Clara Strack earned Preseason SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the lone player to earn more than one vote for the title. The center was also named to the All-SEC First team by USA Today in addition to All-SEC First Team honors by the conference and nation media.
Strack led the team in points, rebounds, blocks and steals in 2025-2026, capping her performance with 16 double-doubles. Collecting 91 blocks was a second best in the nation.
The rising senior averaged 16.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.53 blocks, 1.89 assists, and 1.22 steals a game as a junior.
As a conference, the Preseason SEC rankings are as follows:
1. South Carolina
2. Texas
T-3. LSU
T-3. Vanderbilt
5. Kentucky
6. Ole Miss
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi State
10. Florida
11. Texas A&M
12. Alabama
13. Georgia
14. Missouri
15. Auburn
16. Arkansas