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Women’s SEC Power Rankings Feb. 6: Lady Vols move back up

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images /

Last week: Lost to UConn Huskies and Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last rank: 3rd

Well, it looks like the South Carolina Gamecocks aren’t the same team that won the national championship last year after all. This team had a rough start to the conference season due to an injury to A’ja Wilson. Once she missed the game against the Tennessee Lady Vols, they looked like they were coming undone.

However, predictably, her return seemed to restore Dawn Staley’s team to dominance before last week. They looked like they were going to take back over the conference, and this past week was the time for them to do it.

That didn’t happen. South Carolina got blown out in back to back games. The first was by 25 at home to the UConn Huskies. Right after that, they lost by 14 on the road to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The tiers are clear, and South Carolina is not in that top elite tier of our SEC Power Rankings this year.

As a result, we had to drop this team two spots to No. 5. But, again, this part of the league is elite. So these guys still have the No. 21 ranked RPI and a ton of respect to play for. If they want to get things right, the upcoming schedule will help them at least beef up their record.

The Gamecocks face the bottom half of the SEC the rest of the way. All they have left is a road game against the Georgia Bulldogs and a chance to get revenge in the final game of the year on the road against the next team in our SEC Power Rankings.