WBN SEC Basketball Preview
By Paul Jordan
Wildcat Blue Nations SEC Basketball Preview
SEC EAST
1. Kentucky – I know that most publications and pundits are going with Florida to win the SEC East but most of those votes of confidence in the Gators are predicated by the assumption that Enes Kanter will not play this season. Now if Kanter plays, Kentucky is the prohibitive choice to win hands down. A Kanter-less Kentucky is a different challenge for John Calipari but Kentucky still has the raw talent to be in the race. If Kanter can not play, expect Calipari to unleash his DDMO upon the SEC full force and Kentucky has the studs to run it to a league title.
2. Florida – Billy Donovan has all his starters back from last year’s NCAA Tournament team and that has a lot of people in love with the Gator’s. But let’s be realistic. Last year’s Gators were not world beaters and exited in the first round of the NCAA Tourney with a 21-13 record. The Gators have a nasty front court and have freshmen Patric Young and Casey Prather to add to the mix, but aside from Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, UF has no backcourt players to speak of. And that once again, is their Achilles Heel.
3. Georgia – Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie are probably the best inside/outside duo in the SEC and Mark Fox is hoping that transfer Gerald Robinson Jr can add a much needed third scoring threat. Last years version of the Bulldogs were no fun to play and another year of seasoning make them a legitimate contender. Their weakness will be depth, but look for the Bulldogs to spring an upset or two at their home arena this year.
4. Tennessee – Team Turmoil is back and for once, the turmoil surrounds their head coach and not the actual players. Melvin Goins will have to succeed at point guard managing a team that lost four key players from the Elite Eight run. Tobias Harris will be the freshman to watch and the big question will be whether Scotty Hopson can make this team his own and lead them. It will also be interesting to see how Pearl keeps his composure when the heat is on him. This could be a Sweet 16 team or a NIT team. There is talent but too many questions.
5. Vanderbilt – Kevin Stallings returns a lot of experience from last year’s team, but unfortunately the two key cogs of last year’s team do not return. John Jenkins and Jamal Tinsley give the Commodores a solid backcourt and Jeffrey Taylor will be a force in the front court. Unfortunately the rest of Vandy’s front court is not as strong and that will be their weakness. As always, Vandy will be a tough win on the road and the Commodores will have a chance to be the fifth SEC East team to go dancing.
6. South Carolina – After a few years of competing in the East, the Gamecocks are the consensus pick to be the cellar dwellers. South Carolina lost way too much in the offseason, and senior Roy Muldrow will be the main returning player amidst a cast of freshmen and transfers. It could be a long season for the Gamecocks.
SEC WEST
1. Mississippi State – There are as many question marks on the Bulldogs as there are new players … and then there is the whole suspensions things to sort out. The Bulldogs have a very favorable early season schedule to help them get over the hump until everyone is back. When he returns, Dee Bost is one of the best playmakers in the SEC and we finally get to witness the untapped potential that is Renardo Sidney. Losing Varnado will hurt, but the Bulldogs should be complete and gelling by the time conference season starts.
2. Alabama – Anthony Grant did a great job in season one in guiding Alabama to a winning record and the key to a NCAA run this year will be JyMychal Green and whether he can make the jump to dominant big man. Green will team with Tony Mitchell for a solid frontcourt. Senario Hillman is just too inconsistent to be considered a true leader, but the key to the back court may be Kevin Durant’s cousin Kendall.
3. Mississippi – Chris Warren is the sole returning starter off off last year’s 24 win NIT squad, but he will be joined in the backcourt by Zach Graham and former Indiana transfer Nick Williams. The front court has a lot of questions and inexperience and could be the downfall. There are already grumblings about coach Andy Kennedy after a 24 win season. This could get ugly if the Rebels start slow or fail to make the NCAA again. As of right now, they start the season firmly on the bubble.
4. Arkansas – The Razorbacks boast a pretty solid backcourt of Rotnei Clark, Julysses Nobles, and former Iowa guard Jeff Peterson. The question is in the frontcourt where the Hogs boast Marshawn Powell and not much else. I love John Pelphery but back to back 14 win seasons have the natives restless and Powell desperately needs someone to step up and give him some help. Sad to say, but it looks like the Hogs are NIT bound … again.
5. LSU – Things can only get better for Trent Johnson, whose team won just two league games last season. The lone starter returning will be Storm Warren, who made a remarkable transformation last season into a force to be reckoned with. Johnson will be depending on former Ole Miss player Malcolm White and four freshmen.
6. Auburn – The Tigers have a snazzy new gym for their basketball program and have Calipari protegee Tony Barbee to breathe life into a dormant program. Barbee is a program builder and is the right man for the job, but unfortunately he does not have the players to go with the sales job he is pushing.
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