South Carolina Basketball: Gamecocks are all over the All-SEC teams and awards but still face some major snubs

Dawn Staley's South Carolina basketball team is the best squad in all of college basketball, so it comes as no surprise that the Gamecocks are well-represented on the All-SEC teams and award lists.

On Tuesday, when the lists dropped, the SEC had 8 awards won by South Carolina Gamecocks.

Kamilla Cardoso led the way for Carolina as she was the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year, made the All-SEC 1st team, and the SEC All-Defensive team.

Cardoso was the only 1st team player for the Gamecocks, but Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao, and Ashlyn Watkins were all picked for the 2nd team. MiLaysia Fulwiley was honored as an SEC All-Freshman.

For the 7th time in her career (and 3rd time in a row), head coach Dawn Staley was chosen as the SEC's Coach of the Year.

As dominant as Carolina was in the awards, there were still some notable snubs.

Probably the most egregious mistake was leaving Ashlyn Watkins off of the league's All-Defensive team. There is a good argument to make that she is the best overall defender for Dawn Staley's team (yes, even better than SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kamilla Cardoso). Perhaps the conference left Watkins off the team because the Gamecocks have too many players winning awards already.

That wasn't the only snubbing for Watkins, unfortunately. The Gamecocks' top reserve should have been the SEC's 6th Woman of the Year, as well. Instead, the honor went to Florida's Leilani Correa despite Correa starting 1/3 of her games this season. Watkins started just 6 games as she filled in for injured players.

Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, and MiLaysia Fulwiley also all had arguments to be included on the All-Defensive team, but with just 5 players making the list, calling any of them "snubs" is difficult.

You can read the entire list of All-SEC payers and the SEC awards below:

All-SEC First Team

Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina Gamecocks
Angel Reese, LSU Tigers
Aneesah Morrow, LSU Tigers
Madison Scott, Ole Miss Rebels
Marquesha Davis, Ole Miss Rebels
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee Volunteers
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama Crimson Tide
Honesty Scott-Grayson, Auburn Tigers

All-SEC Second Team

Raven Johnson, South Carolina Gamecocks
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina Gamecocks
Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina Gamecocks
Flau'jae Johnson, LSU Tigers
Javyn Nicholson, Georgia Bulldogs
Aaliyah Nye, Alabama Crimson Tide
Leilani Correa, Florida Gators
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Jerkaila Jordan, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Iyana Moore, Vanderbilt Commodores

All-SEC Freshman Team

MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Gamecocks
MiKaylah Williams, LSU Tigers
Aalyah Del Rosario, LSU Tigers
Essence Cody, Alabama Crimson Tide
Taliah Scott, Arkansas Razorbacks
Laila Reynolds, Florida Gators
Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt Commodores
Grace Slaughter, Missouri Tigers

All-SEC Defensive Team

Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina Gamecocks
Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt Commodores
Angel Reese, LSU Tigers
Madison Scott, Ole Miss Rebels
Mama Dembele, Missouri Tigers

SEC Player of the Year

Angel Reese, LSU Tigesr

SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina Gamecocks

SEC Freshman of the Year

MiKaylah Williams, LSU Tigers

SEC 6th Woman of the Year

Leilani Correa, Florida Gators

SEC Scholarship Athlete of the Year

Mama Dembele, Missouri Tigers

SEC Coach of the Year

Dawn Staley, South Carolina Gamecocks