Is this the year the SEC finally improves???

[Untouchables22]

Seemingly every year the media posts articles about how the SEC office is trying something new to improve SEC basketball. And seemingly every year the conference outside of Florida and UK falls flat. Is this finally the year that SEC basketball rises up to being competitive with the BIG 10 and BIG 12? (Clearly the ACC with the additions of Louisville and Syracuse coupled with the emergence of UVA is a notch above everyone else right now.) What has the SEC's dominance in football taught us? That the two biggest factors in continued success are 1. Successful recruitment of elite players 2.High level coaching.

Losing Billy Donovan really hurts as he was clearly one of the top 8 coaches in college basketball. However the SEC has now added Bruce Pearl, Avery Johnson, Ben Howland and Rick Barnes in the last two years. Those are all significant coaching upgrades from what those schools had previously.

Also LSU and Texas A&M both had high level recruiting classes this year to add to team's that already had a few quality players. And Mississippi State with Newman and South Carolina with Dozier both added a top 25 caliber recruit. I'm skeptical that the SEC will turn it around this year but I do think SEC basketball is finally trending upward. What say you???

 

[ulismyman]

What do you mean finally??? What the post should say.....is this the year the psuedo experts say the SEC is down and people actually wat h the games and wonder why the experts have a job

 

[Roe07]

I'll believe it when I see it. The league's reputation is always destroyed in the first month of the season when teams with high expectations such as LSU, Arkansas, A&M and others, go out and lose to the Jackson States, Bucknells, and Northern Arizonas of the world.

 

[ulismyman]

Yes then they get bashed the rest of the year when they lose games in SEC while others are praised for losing in ACC
..just goofy

 

[Smashcat]

Is this the year the experts finally admit the Big 12 ain't all that?

 

[ulismyman]

Also when a team like UK plows thru the conference its kneejerk reaction to say the league is down due to the gross jealousy of UK

 

[caneintally]

What do you mean finally??? What the post should say.....is this the year the psuedo experts say the SEC is down and people actually wat h the games and wonder why the experts have a job

thank you . It took a big leap LAST year from the garbage it was but this year it will continue that step . I believe we have 6 top 30 teams and 7 if UF can get their head outta their ass as they still have 3 future pros in Robinson ( a lotto pick ) , Finney-Smith and the center from USF.

I would rank the SEC as
1.UK 2. LSU 3. Texas A&M 4 . Vandy 5.Ole MIss 6 . Arkansas ( obviously if those arrested players play they go up ) 7. UF Whats funny is Ol' dumbass Newman and his Miss St willl still struggle to win 15 games at most .

 

[Dakota25]

As a conference the SEC should be up. Kentucky will be top ten, LSU, A&M, and Vandy will be top twenty five for parts or most the year.

 

[brianpoe]

Our SEC brethren need to quit with the ludicrous losses to mid majors in the preseason and stop losing key games at the end when they are on the bubble.

 

[Untouchables22]

This myth that the SEC is a terrible basketball conference is tiresome and is proven false by a look at recent and mid-term facts.

In the past ten NCAA tournaments, SEC teams have made eight Final Fours and won three championships, with three different teams making the Final Four. The ACC has made the Final Four four times in the last ten tournaments with three championships. Only two ACC teams have made the Final Four.

Ten years too narrow a window?

Since 1994 the SEC and the ACC have each put 16 teams in the Final Four and won six championships. Three ACC teams won at least one championship and three SEC teams. Four ACC teams made at least one Final Four and FIVE SEC teams did. Each conference has two teams with multiple championships.

I didn't look at every conference but using the overly hyped ACC as a comparison shows that the SEC is doing fine: more teams breaking through for Final Fours, just as many championships, etc. So I guess you'll come up with some metric about the RPI of the sixth place team, or whatever, but that's irrelevant.

I understand your argument and it's a valid one but it points to the two major viewpoints for evaluating conference strength. (1) Looking at how the top teams perform in the pinnacle of the sport or (2) evaluating overall conference strength by the number of teams in the RPI top 100 and top 25 poll for the majority of the year as well as number of NCAA tournament berths with consideration given to where those teams were seeded. I do happen to agree with the 2nd viewpoint being a better barometer for evaluating conference strength. But I understand where your coming from.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

thank you . It took a big leap LAST year from the garbage it was but this year it will continue that step . I believe we have 6 top 30 teams and 7 if UF can get their head outta their ass as they still have 3 future pros in Robinson ( a lotto pick ) , Finney-Smith and the center from USF.

I would rank the SEC as
1.UK 2. LSU 3. Texas A&M 4 . Vandy 5.Ole MIss 6 . Arkansas ( obviously if those arrested players play they go up ) 7. UF Whats funny is Ol' dumbass Newman and his Miss St willl still struggle to win 15 games at most .

I think Vandy challenges UK for the SEC this year. I had lunch with Matt Freije the other day (former VU great) and he raved about how good this team is. He plays with all of them a good bit and says that Luke Kornet and Wade Baldwin IV are next level and will continue to improve. He mentioned how good Damien Jones is looking as well and that Nolan Cressler (transfer who averaged 16 ppg at Cornell) is a solid scorer. We also have Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher Davis who can both light it up.

This team should be a lot better prepared to make some noise in March than the Taylor, Ezeli, Jenkins teams were because these kids have some mental toughness about them.

Should be fun.

How good is UK gonna be this year and who are the players to look for?

 

[UKWildcats#8]

I think Vandy challenges UK for the SEC this year. I had lunch with Matt Freije the other day (former VU great) and he raved about how good this team is. He plays with all of them a good bit and says that Luke Kornet and Wade Baldwin IV are next level and will continue to improve. He mentioned how good Damien Jones is looking as well and that Nolan Cressler (transfer who averaged 16 ppg at Cornell) is a solid scorer. We also have Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher Davis who can both light it up.

This team should be a lot better prepared to make some noise in March than the Taylor, Ezeli, Jenkins teams were because these kids have some mental toughness about them.

Should be fun.

How good is UK gonna be this year and who are the players to look for?

UK will be in the Final Four while Vandy flames out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. If by "challenge" UK you mean finish a good 2-4 games back with the issue never in doubt...then yeah you can challenge UK all you want in the SEC.

And if you are not smart enough to know who UK's players to look out for are then you are as dumb as your bald idiot HC who claimed he didn't know our players in the 2011 pre-season when we went 38-2 and won the national title.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

UK will be in the Final Four while Vandy flames out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. If by "challenge" UK you mean finish a good 2-4 games back with the issue never in doubt...then yeah you can challenge UK all you want in the SEC.

And if you are not smart enough to know who UK's players to look out for are then you are as dumb as your bald idiot HC who claimed he didn't know our players in the 2011 pre-season when we went 38-2 and won the national title.

I love this place, and you, UKWildcats#8!

 

[K-Town Kat]

No offense, but how do you know if Vandy challenges UK for the SEC if you don't even know how good UK will be or who the key pieces are?

We won't be as big as last year, but our backcourt will be better (best in the nation potentially) with Ulis, Briscoe, Murray, and Mulder, with Matthews being a 2/3 hybrid.

We have the potential #1 pick in next year's draft at the 5 in Labissiere. An experienced Poythress going back to his natural 4 spot. Another potential 1st rounder in Lee coming off the bench at the 4/5.

Two former Mr. Basketball winners in Hawkins, who has played some key minutes at times, and Willis, a 6'9" athletic forward who could play meaningful minutes for any SEC team not named Kentucky, at the 9 and 10 spots on the roster.

So, Kentucky will be really, really good, again. Not 38-1 good, but top 5 good. I really only see LSU challenging the Cats for the SEC title.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

No offense, but how do you know if Vandy challenges UK for the SEC if you don't even know how good UK will be or who the key pieces are?

We won't be as big as last year, but our backcourt will be better (best in the nation potentially) with Ulis, Briscoe, Murray, and Mulder, with Matthews being a 2/3 hybrid.

We have the potential #1 pick in next year's draft at the 5 in Labissiere. An experienced Poythress going back to his natural 4 spot. Another potential 1st rounder in Lee coming off the bench at the 4/5.

Two former Mr. Basketball winners in Hawkins, who has played some key minutes at times, and Willis, a 6'9" athletic forward who could play meaningful minutes for any SEC team not named Kentucky, at the 9 and 10 spots on the roster.

So, Kentucky will be really, really good, again. Not 38-1 good, but top 5 good. I really only see LSU challenging the Cats for the SEC title.

No offense taken. I have a busy life and I can't keep up with the Cats' turnover and certainly don't have time to keep up with recruiting.

I think we challenge UK for the SEC Title because of how good we will be. I know that's hard to believe, but you have seen our personnel, I haven't even seen yours.

I'll put up our backcourt against anybody as well.

Wade Baldwin IV is an NBA point guard and a triple double waiting to happen on any night (not sure if he will have one, but he will get close a lot). Riley LaChance is just a very good two guard / combo guard who can carry a team on any given night. Nolan Cressler (I haven't seen him play) averaged almost 17 ppg and from what Freije said, is a hell of an option as a scorer) Matthew Fisher Davis is one of the premier shooters in the country.

I'll put our frontcourt up against most as well. Damien Jones - beast and will probably teach your young 5 man a lesson or two this year. Luke Kornet is just getting better and better, he has a sky hook now with both hands that is absolutely bananas. The bench is solid as well.

Should be fun.

 

[K-Town Kat]

Vanderbilt should be strong and a definite NCAA team. Stallings is a good coach.

Thus particular Kentucky team will be very intriguing to watch. They will be built more like Cal's Memphis teams and will have good perimeter shooting and a ton of athleticism. Hard to guard.

Should be a fun year.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

I'll believe it when I see it. The league's reputation is always destroyed in the first month of the season when teams with high expectations such as LSU, Arkansas, A&M and others, go out and lose to the Jackson States, Bucknells, and Northern Arizonas of the world.

Ditto.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

Vanderbilt should be strong and a definite NCAA team. Stallings is a good coach.

Thus particular Kentucky team will be very intriguing to watch. They will be built more like Cal's Memphis teams and will have good perimeter shooting and a ton of athleticism. Hard to guard.

Should be a fun year.

I can assure you I will check out the Cats the first chance I get. Vandy has sucked the past few years so my love for hoops has been on the decline but with the Dores looking good again, I imagine I'll be a lot more interested in the rest of the SEC and college hoops in general.

We play in Maui this November with a really good field. Our draw is likely St. Johns, Indiana, then Kansas. I really really want Kansas. Hope we can handle our business to get to the final.

 

[UK2KC-A-T-S]

SEC in my opinion has gotten consistently better each year, now you have so many haters that loathe UK/sec basketball you wouldn't know that but I think it's true.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I could see us losing to Vandy down in Nashvegas.

Tough environment and they are going to be fired up with their first contender in a long time.

Just hope they do something outside the SEC. I'm tired of the national media hating on the SEC because of their dismal OOC record.

I look for UK, LSU, A&M, Vandy, and maybe UGA to make the NCAA's.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

UK,Vandy, LSU, and A&M

with Tenn, Auburn, Miss State improving (and maybe SC, but who knows)

 

[kyjeff1]

I think Vandy challenges UK for the SEC this year. I had lunch with Matt Freije the other day (former VU great) and he raved about how good this team is. He plays with all of them a good bit and says that Luke Kornet and Wade Baldwin IV are next level and will continue to improve. He mentioned how good Damien Jones is looking as well and that Nolan Cressler (transfer who averaged 16 ppg at Cornell) is a solid scorer. We also have Riley LaChance and Matthew Fisher Davis who can both light it up.

This team should be a lot better prepared to make some noise in March than the Taylor, Ezeli, Jenkins teams were because these kids have some mental toughness about them.

Should be fun.

How good is UK gonna be this year and who are the players to look for?

Oh, I see where you're at, you are where we were in the Tubby days. At this point in the year back then we were always hearing about how great everyone was playing and how much improved everyone was. Well, us UK fans have learned our lesson, we don't buy into that crap anymore. You apparently haven't learned.
Listen, your 2012 team was stacked, that team was a complete package and should have st least made the E8 but they didn't even survive the first weekend. Your coach can't motivate. Stallings seems to only care about beating UK, if he prepared for every game the way he does for UK games he would have final fourS under his belt by now but it's incredible how much different your team looks when UK isn't the opponent.
The reason I brought up your 2012 team is because you compared this season's team to that one and said this team will be better. I'm sorry but I'm not seeing it. I hope you're right for the sake of the league but I have a hard time believing that.
UK will be top 3 preseason, good luck.

 

[kyjeff1]

Is this the year the experts finally admit the Big 12 ain't all that?

Last year proved what I always thought, everyone in the B12 is average. There is no serious athleticism and there is only one team that does anything at al in March. KU wins the league every season for a reason, the rest of the league is just average with below average coaches.

 

[kyjeff1]

Seemingly every year the media posts articles about how the SEC office is trying something new to improve SEC basketball. And seemingly every year the conference outside of Florida and UK falls flat. Is this finally the year that SEC basketball rises up to being competitive with the BIG 10 and BIG 12? (Clearly the ACC with the additions of Louisville and Syracuse coupled with the emergence of UVA is a notch above everyone else right now.) What has the SEC's dominance in football taught us? That the two biggest factors in continued success are 1. Successful recruitment of elite players 2.High level coaching.

Losing Billy Donovan really hurts as he was clearly one of the top 8 coaches in college basketball. However the SEC has now added Bruce Pearl, Avery Johnson, Ben Howland and Rick Barnes in the last two years. Those are all significant coaching upgrades from what those schools had previously.

Also LSU and Texas A&M both had high level recruiting classes this year to add to team's that already had a few quality players. And Mississippi State with Newman and South Carolina with Dozier both added a top 25 caliber recruit. I'm skeptical that the SEC will turn it around this year but I do think SEC basketball is finally trending upward. What say you???

Okay I like most of what you said but you can't list Rick Barnes as a positive when every year he takes a beating on here for doing less with more.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

Oh, I see where you're at, you are where we were in the Tubby days. At this point in the year back then we were always hearing about how great everyone was playing and how much improved everyone was. Well, us UK fans have learned our lesson, we don't buy into that crap anymore. You apparently haven't learned.
Listen, your 2012 team was stacked, that team was a complete package and should have st least made the E8 but they didn't even survive the first weekend. Your coach can't motivate. Stallings seems to only care about beating UK, if he prepared for every game the way he does for UK games he would have final fourS under his belt by now but it's incredible how much different your team looks when UK isn't the opponent.
The reason I brought up your 2012 team is because you compared this season's team to that one and said this team will be better. I'm sorry but I'm not seeing it. I hope you're right for the sake of the league but I have a hard time believing that.
UK will be top 3 preseason, good luck.

Lol

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

No offense taken. I have a busy life and I can't keep up with the Cats' turnover and certainly don't have time to keep up with recruiting.

I think we challenge UK for the SEC Title because of how good we will be. I know that's hard to believe, but you have seen our personnel, I haven't even seen yours.

I'll put up our backcourt against anybody as well.

Wade Baldwin IV is an NBA point guard and a triple double waiting to happen on any night (not sure if he will have one, but he will get close a lot). Riley LaChance is just a very good two guard / combo guard who can carry a team on any given night. Nolan Cressler (I haven't seen him play) averaged almost 17 ppg and from what Freije said, is a hell of an option as a scorer) Matthew Fisher Davis is one of the premier shooters in the country.

I'll put our frontcourt up against most as well. Damien Jones - beast and will probably teach your young 5 man a lesson or two this year. Luke Kornet is just getting better and better, he has a sky hook now with both hands that is absolutely bananas. The bench is solid as well.

Should be fun.

Holy shitte. Vandy challenges Kentucky?

The only time Vandy challenges UK is when they can pay off the refs. The last time that happened was in the 2012 SEC Tourney.

This crap never ends folks. Vandy should be pre-season number 1. WOW.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

Holy shitte. Vandy challenges Kentucky?

The only time Vandy challenges UK is when they can pay off the refs. The last time that happened was in the 2012 SEC Tourney.

This crap never ends folks. Vandy should be pre-season number 1. WOW.

Holy Mackerel.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

Holy Mackerel.

Yeap, it gets old with the Vandy crowd.

I just cut loose after all the cheating. Vandy in basketball has always been a fraud.

 

[kentucky_wildcat_#1]

Sorry bro, but i don't want a center that plays for Vandy teaching our big men anything. Granted, none of our guys know how to lose at basketball since it rarely happens. Maybe your bigs could teach that part, but i would rather them not.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

Sorry bro, but i don't want a center that plays for Vandy teaching our big men anything. Granted, none of our guys know how to lose at basketball since it rarely happens. Maybe your bigs could teach that part, but i would rather them not.

Weak sauce.

Damien Jones is about to be a very rich man, he can play.

 

[Delk#00]

Where was all these Vandy fans at last year? I haven't seen any Florida fans around here lately, I wonder why? Lol

 

[brianpoe]

Weak sauce.

Damien Jones is about to be a very rich man, he can play.

With all due respect, this Vandy talk equates to one of us UK football fans going to the Alabama board and telling them that we will be competing with them this year because our players have gotten better.

Go do something first, like not lose to Rutgers, or drop 7 in a row during SEC play. These were games last year in which every Commodore superstar you mentioned above played in...

I hope Vandy fields a good squad, be nice to see you guys not suck and help the league perception out a bit.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Weak sauce.

Damien Jones is about to be a very rich man, he can play.

Yes he can, but if he was as good as you pump him up to be he would have already went pro in b-ball. Skal will have issues against him (especially in Memorial no doubt), but I think UK wins at Rupp and in the SEC Tourney for sure, while idk about in Vandy...depends on the FT margin. If we can keep it 10 or less I think we got a shot.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

Where was all these Vandy fans at last year? I haven't seen any Florida fans around here lately, I wonder why? Lol

Because they lost their little coach, billy d. Billy is short for William. D is short for deserter.

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

Yes he can, but if he was as good as you pump him up to be he would have already went pro in b-ball. Skal will have issues against him (especially in Memorial no doubt), but I think UK wins at Rupp and in the SEC Tourney for sure, while idk about in Vandy...depends on the FT margin. If we can keep it 10 or less I think we got a shot.

Just post the truth. If Vandy get the whistle they win. If they get an even call UK beats the crap out of VANDY.

 

[irishcat1965]

I couldn't care less as UK continues its run of great NCAA tourney success under Cal.

 

[SaguaroCat]

Our SEC brethren need to quit with the ludicrous losses to mid majors in the preseason and stop losing key games at the end when they are on the bubble.

Let's not shortchange their terrible post season play either. Only two teams advanced to round of thirty two. Only us to the sweet sixteen. I don't know in what universe that is good. the sec is terrible. We are good, they suck.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

With all due respect, this Vandy talk equates to one of us UK football fans going to the Alabama board and telling them that we will be competing with them this year because our players have gotten better.

Go do something first, like not lose to Rutgers, or drop 7 in a row during SEC play. These were games last year in which every Commodore superstar you mentioned above played in...

I hope Vandy fields a good squad, be nice to see you guys not suck and help the league perception out a bit.

No, that's not the same at all.

Wait and see, good sir.

 

[Friedas_Boss]

Yes he can, but if he was as good as you pump him up to be he would have already went pro in b-ball. Skal will have issues against him (especially in Memorial no doubt), but I think UK wins at Rupp and in the SEC Tourney for sure, while idk about in Vandy...depends on the FT margin. If we can keep it 10 or less I think we got a shot.

This is my favorite excuse. Keep up the good work, UK8.