Makayla Daniels named to Preseason All-SEC Team

FAYETTEVILLE – Graduate student Makayla Daniels was tabbed to the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Second Team by the league’s coaches, as announced by the SEC Tuesday. This marks Daniels’ second preseason honors by the league, also being a second team choice prior to last season. Arkansas was picked to finish seventh by the coaches.

“Preseason polls are always fun, but they are a real challenge,” said head coach Mike Neighbors. “We rarely predict many exactly correct and more often miss more than we get right, but we love trying! And this year was the hardest since I’ve been coaching with all of the roster changes. These polls get fans talking a couple weeks before everyone opens their season. Finishing in the top half of the SEC has means you hear your name on the Selection Sunday Show in March. That’s what we will be focusing on between now and then.”

Daniels is getting ready to cap off an incredible collegiate career, one of the best by any Razorback women’s basketball player. The Frederick, Maryland native ranks No. 10 in career scoring with 1,463 points, the second most of all Hog point guards. Starting every game since her freshman year, Daniels comes into her fifth year with the third most starts in program history with 122. In other career categories, Daniels is seventh in 3-pointers made (179), 3-point attempts (519) and free throws made (366), ninth in free throw percentage (.784) and 13th in assists (313) in Arkansas women’s basketball history.

Last season, Daniels started in all 34 games, averaging 13.2 points per game, which was the third most on the team. She led the team with 56 steals, while also tallying 98 assists and a .768 free throw percentage. The guard logged 27 double-digit scoring games and 12 4+ assists contests. Daniels was named the Paradise Jam Reef Tournament MVP after averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game in the tournament. She capped off the season with a phenomenal showing in the Postseason WNIT, averaging 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game across those four contests, which led the Hogs to the Great 8.

After being picked to finish sixth by the media last week, Arkansas was chosen to finish seventh in the coaches poll, staying consistent with being in the top half of the league. Arkansas has been picked in the top half of the league by the media five of seven times coach Neighbors has been at the helm. Prior to Neighbors taking over at Arkansas, the team was picked to finish in the top half of the league by either poll just four times and never picked to finish in the top half of the league in back-to-back years.

Arkansas will open the season against ULM on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at Bud Walton Arena. Tickets can be purchased here and season tickets are still available for purchase here.

2023-24 SEC Preseason Coaches Poll

1. LSU

2. South Carolina

3. Tennessee

4. Ole Miss

5. Mississippi State

6. Texas A&M

7. Arkansas

8. Alabama

9. Georgia

10. Florida

11. Missouri

12. Auburn

13. Vanderbilt

14. Kentucky

Preseason Player of the Year

Angel Reese, LSU

Preseason All-SEC First Team

Angel Reese, LSU

Hailey Van Lith, LSU

Madison Scott, Ole Miss

Jessika Carter, Mississippi State

Hayley Frank, Missouri

Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina

Rickea Jackson, Tennessee

Janiah Barker, Texas A&M

Preseason All-SEC Second Team

Makayla Daniels, Arkansas

Flau’jae Johnson, LSU

Aneesah Morrow, LSU

Erynn Barnum, Mississippi State

JerKaila Jordan, Mississippi State

Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina

Tamari Key, Tennessee

Jewel Spear, Tennessee

Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M