Will the Kentucky Wildcats once again reign supreme in the SEC this year?
The SEC is ready to stamp its place amongst the best conferences in the college basketball. Often thought of as Kentucky, Florida and the occasional random team popping up, the SEC is ready to introduce some new mainstays.
There were five teams from the SEC that made it into the tournament last season. This season, we could very well see around seven teams find their way into the Big Dance. There has a been a massive uprising in recruiting quality in the conference. We are starting to see programs build up with elite talent, and it could be culminating here in the 2017-18 season.
Coaches like Mike White, Frank Martin and Avery Johnson are all visibly building up their programs. Continuity in quality coaches and program building will be important beyond this season. We could see Florida become a perennial top-10 team, as well as South Carolina and Alabama grow into NCAA Tournament automatics.
The upper/middle sector of the SEC is unclear and will be a true gauntlet for the teams vying for position. Teams like Alabama and Missouri add elite freshmen talent and are ready for a big step. Texas A&M is looking to bounce back while schools like South Carolina and Arkansas will try to keep from falling.
It is a big year for basketball down in the SEC. It will be important for budding teams to establish continuity and for the usual suspects to continue to grow. Any stoppage in growth as a program in the SEC could put you way behind. Eat or be eaten time in the SEC.
Preseason Player of the Year: Michael Porter Jr., Missouri
Michael Porter Jr. is arguably the most highly touted player, not only in the SEC but in the entire country. He leads a resurgence for Missouri basketball along with head coach Cuonzo Martin. The lanky, versatile forward arrives ready to impact the game in a big way immediately.
Alabama freshman Collin Sexton would be another great pick and competitor to Porter, but he has some eligibility issues to work out before he can really be considered here.
Porter has all the tools to be successful in college. He has great size at 6-foot-10 and possesses great athleticism for his size. He can run the team as a point guard, creating for himself and his teammates. He is also proficient on the wing, being able to get by defenders big or small. His versatility in his size also allows him to run a small-ball four, spacing the court and rolling out a very athletic lineup.
The award is Porter’s to lose. The SEC is dominated by impact freshman this year, and he is the cream of that crop. Missouri may not be in the top three or four, but Porter will be the highlight player in the conference.
The Rest of the All-SEC First Team:
- Robert Williams, Texas A&M: Williams is a sophomore big who passed on being an NBA first-round pick. He is a long and physical player who has a growing offensive game. Look for him to improve as a scorer and end up on the first team.
- Yante Maten, Georgia: Maten is a great defender and rebounder who can score in big bunches. He enters his senior year on a bad team but is primed to post huge numbers.
- Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky: Diallo will be the two-way engine of this Kentucky team. With an extra semester around the team and training, Diallo has an edge over most freshmen.
- KeVaughn Allen, Florida: Allen enters his Junior year ready to take another step up. He was Florida’s leading scorer last year and a big reason for their Elite Eight tournament run. Look for him to be one of the more dominant scorers in the conference.
Note: Collin Sexton will be on the All-SEC First Team if he is granted eligibility.
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Michael Porter Jr., Missouri
Naturally, if you are a freshman and the Conference Player of the Year pick, you will be the Freshman of the Year pick as well. Without beating this horse too much, Porter is an extremely versatile player who can score from any spot on the court.
If Sexton gets his eligibility, he will be a major contender for this award. He is a ferocious two-way player who can score at all three levels. He is built to thrive under Avery Johnson. Another contender will be Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo. He has an advantage over most freshman, as he has been at Kentucky since the start of the spring semester. He is a terrific athlete who is picture perfect for Calipari’s system.
The Favorite: Kentucky
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Kentucky Wildcats are the favorite to win the SEC. This is not anything new, but new challenges are certainly awaiting Coach Calipari and the Wildcats. An extremely young (even for Kentucky standards) team may have inconsistencies and rocky patches that could throw them off.
Though, this team is very deep and so talented. Loaded up with a fresh lineup of 5-star freshmen, there is not a team in the conference that has the pure talent Kentucky does. Athletic wings like Hamidou Diallo and versatile combo forwards such as Kevin Knox and P.J. Washington make this group a perfect fit in Calipari’s system.
Quade Green will run the show as well as provide some much-needed spacing. Diallo and Knox will serve as the wing scorers who will dominate the ball on offense. P.J. Washington, Wenyen Gabriel, and a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt will be there for complementary scoring, versatile defense and grabbing boards to push the pace. A long, athletic guy like Nick Richards will be there to shore things up on defense and make so many highlight dunks.
The fits are there and so is an abundance of talent. Other teams have too many questions around their squad to pass up a team as good as Kentucky. The SEC is a deep and well-rounded conference, and Kentucky will be sitting at the top of it come March.
Projected Order of Finish:
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Texas A&M
- Alabama
- Missouri
- Vanderbilt
- Arkansas
- Auburn
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Mississippi State
- Ole Miss
- LSU