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Candace Parker
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Oct. 26, 2006
Birmingham, Ala. - The Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team was selected to finish first in the conference in a unanimous vote by the media on Thursday at the Southeastern Conference Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. Sophomore hoopster Candace Parker led the way for the Big Orange with a selection as the unanimous choice for SEC Player of the Year.
Nineteen media voted in Thursday's preseason SEC picks. Georgia and Louisiana State were tabbed to finish second and third, respectively, behind the Orange and White.
Parker garnered preseason SEC Player of the Year honors and was also named to the preseason All-SEC First Team, after receiving first team accolades from the league's coaches on Monday. The Naperville, Ill., native and Sylvia Fowles (LSU) were the only two unanimous first team selections, according to the media.
Already chosen to the coaches All-SEC second team, Alexis Hornbuckle - the Lady Vols top defensive player - returns for her junior campaign with a spot on the media's preseason All-SEC second team.
Six-time SEC Coach of the Year Pat Summitt has guided Big Orange to 13 SEC regular season crowns and 12 SEC Tournament Championships, including victories over regular season titlist LSU for the league tournament championship in 2005 and 2006. Tennessee claimed the regular season crown every year from 1998 to 2004.
The Lady Vols tip off the season with an exhibition contest against Carson-Newman at 7:00 p.m. on November 1 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Women's Basketball - 19 ballots
| Rank | Team | Points |
| *1. | Tennessee (19) | 19 |
| 2. | Georgia | 48 |
| 3. | LSU | 51 |
| 4. | Vanderbilt | 85 |
| 5. | Kentucky | 91 |
| 6. | Florida | 126 |
| 7. | Ole Miss | 146 |
| 8. | Auburn | 150 |
| 9. | South Carolina | 163 |
| 10. | Arkansas | 182 |
| 11. | Alabama | 203 |
| 12. | Mississippi State | 218 |
| Player, School | Ht. | Pos. | Cl. | Hometown | |
| All-SEC First Team (Listed by Vote Total) | |||||
| *Candace Parker, Tennessee (19) | 6-4 | F/C/G | So. | Naperville, Ill. | |
| *Sylvia Fowles, LSU (19) | 6-6 | C | Jr. | Miami, Fla. | |
| Tasha Humphrey, Georgia (18) | 6-3 | F | Jr. | Gainesville, Ga. | |
| Armintie Price, Ole Miss (17) | 5-9 | G | Sr. | Myrtle, Miss. | |
| Sha Brooks, Florida (7) | 5-7 | G | So. | Jackson, Tenn. | |
| All-SEC Second Team (Listed by Vote Total) | |||||
| Dee Davis, Vanderbilt (6) | 5-7 | G | Sr. | Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| Cori Chambers, Georgia (3) | 5-9 | G | Sr. | Elmsford, N.Y. | |
| Carly Ormerod, Kentucky (2) | 5-8 | G | So. | Louisville, Ky. | |
| DeWanna Bonner, Auburn (1) | 6-4 | G | So. | Fairfield, Ala. | |
| Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee (1) | 5-11 | G | Jr. | Charleston, W.Va. | |
| Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt (1) | 6-3 | F/C | Sr. | Mechanicsburg, Pa. | |
| Angel Robinson, Georgia (1) | 6-5 | F | RFr. | Marietta, Ga. | |
| Player of the Year | |||||
| *Candace Parker, Tennessee (19) | |||||
*denotes unanimous selection
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