SEC women's tournament running thread — UPDATED: Day 2

here?

 

Finally---FINALLY---some expert analysis and insights. Glad to be here.

 

Update from:
"Tourney that Some Think Needs no SportsJournalists.com Thread"
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Game 5 #1 Auburn 71, #9 Ole Miss 65
Game 6 #2 Vanderbilt 69, #7 Georgia 61
** LATER FRIDAY EVENING:
Game 7 #4 Florida vs. #5 Tennessee
Game 8 #3 Louisiana State vs. #6 Mississippi State

 

I've been some time deep in thought here and I decided to do a little research.
The following are the largest papers in the south. All have schools that they cover and are or were playing in the tournament. The papers in bold are the ones that have reporters on hand.
And ponder this, even people who hate the media acknowledge that newspaper coverage validates what is being covered.
So of the 100 largest circ papers, 17 are in the South, only three have reporters in Little Rock, some of whom live there, this week. Now, to be fair, some of the papers listed are South Florida papers, that only get to Gainesville for the blessed Tebow, but they still have a nominal Florida beat writer.

17. Journal-Constitution (Atlanta) 561,405
24. Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) 422,410
28. Herald (Miami) 390,171
36. Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) 341,025
37. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 339,728
40. Tribune & Times (Tampa, Fla.) 309,916
43. Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Ark.) 275,991
47. Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) 271,920
51. Tennessean (Nashville) 236,563
56. Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) 222,392
61. Commercial Appeal (Memphis) 216,705
63. Post (W. Palm Beach, Fla.) 211,697
72. News (Birmingham, Ala.) 180,451
81. News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tenn.) 152,945
89. Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) 141,019
90. State (Columbia, S.C.) 140,362
91. Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Fla.) 138,675

 

Good stuff... Essentially the only three there are the ones who have the event in their backyard, the one that follows the team that is consistently the best and the one that is the best this season.

I must admit I'm surprised Memphis didn't make the drive.

 

This SEC title game between No. 5 Auburn and No. 20-something Vandy is intriguing in that Auburn's been the kingpin of the league all year, with an active newish coach, Nell Fortner, that's sort of whipped up on the rest of the league.
Vandy led by 10 at halftime, in an ESPN2 contest.

 

Vandy wins it by 7, 61-54.

The league should place at least 6 in the NCAA tourney, with LSU limping at the end of the regular seaosn, but advancing to SEC semis to bolster its case.
From Georgia on down, the lower half of the conference is mediocre at best.
Six teams to the NCAA - almost a certainty, in my estimation.