The SEC will sport a different look after an overhaul produced four new coaches in the league: Alabama’s Avery Johnson, Florida’s Mike White, Mississippi State’s Ben Howland and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes. The changes at the top might be most notable for the one coach who is missing.
Billy Donovan left his perch as the longest-tenured coach in the SEC to take on a new challenge with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. His departure makes Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings, who will start his 17th season in the fall, the old man of the league.
Stallings and Mississippi’s Andy Kennedy -- who is starting his 10th season at the helm -- are the only two coaches who have been in the league long enough to remember the last time a program other than Florida or Kentucky won the regular-season championship.
The SEC accounted for eight of Recruiting Nation’s top-40-ranked classes: Kentucky (2), LSU (3), Texas A&M (6), Mississippi State (20), Auburn (28), South Carolina (31), Arkansas (36), Vanderbilt (40). That big injection of talent spread across the league could mean the Gators and Wildcats will have their grip on the crown broken for the first time since LSU won the 2008-09 regular-season title.
Favorite
The platoons are gone, but UK still retains plenty of firepower. And the SEC again will be chasing Kentucky for the top spot.
For a brief moment, a series of recruiting misses made it seem that the Wildcats would join the mere mortals of the league and simply be a good team, not potentially one for the ages. But then shooting guard Jamal Murray reclassified last month -- joining the Cats’ 2015 recruiting class -- and their talent level is again in a class by itself.
Freshman Skal Labissiere is the No. 1 center in the ESPN 100 and the No. 2 player overall. He’ll be a tough matchup for any opponent with his ability to score from the blocks or via his face-up game.
Forward Alex Poythress returns after his deflating knee injury last season. And forward Marcus Lee could emerge from the shadows of last season's crowded frontcourt and have a breakout campaign.
Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis proved in just 23 minutes per game last season that he can run a team. The arrival of freshman Isaiah Briscoe -- the No. 1 point guard in the class -- means UK coach John Calipari will have to find a way for the two to coexist, but doesn’t he seem to do that every season?
Trending up
Texas A&M returns three starters from last season, including leading scorer Danuel House and guard Alex Caruso, who led the SEC in assists. Billy Kennedy signed four players ranked in the ESPN 100, led by 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis (No. 27.) The blend of old and new should land the Aggies back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011.
A couple of fortunate breaks moved LSU’s recruiting class from special to spectacular. Landing Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall player in the class, was satisfying enough. But guards Antonio Blakeney (No. 15) and Brandon Sampson (No. 39) both committed elsewhere before eventually choosing the Tigers.
Trending down
Florida is coming off a losing record for the first time in nearly two decades. It may not be for long, but the Gators will have an adjustment period under new coach Mike White.
Arkansas went from a potential league contender led by Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls to a possible rebuilding year for coach Mike Anderson after the SEC’s top scoring duo both declared for the NBA draft.
Notable newcomers
The SEC will have some of the most talented freshmen in the country, and for once, it’s not all because of Kentucky’s roster. Of course, Labissiere's skills are highly touted and he’ll command a lot of attention in Lexington. But Simmons could make LSU games must-see television for arguably the first time since Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson suited up.
Howland’s tenure at Mississippi State got off to a great start when guard Malik Newman shunned the likes of Kentucky and Kansas to stay in state.
Point guard P.J. Dozier continued that trend. The native of Columbia, South Carolina, ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 100, signed with the hometown Gamecocks.
C.L. Brown, ESPN Staff Writer
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/108044/early-look-sizing-up-the-sec
Billy Donovan left his perch as the longest-tenured coach in the SEC to take on a new challenge with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. His departure makes Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings, who will start his 17th season in the fall, the old man of the league.
Stallings and Mississippi’s Andy Kennedy -- who is starting his 10th season at the helm -- are the only two coaches who have been in the league long enough to remember the last time a program other than Florida or Kentucky won the regular-season championship.
The SEC accounted for eight of Recruiting Nation’s top-40-ranked classes: Kentucky (2), LSU (3), Texas A&M (6), Mississippi State (20), Auburn (28), South Carolina (31), Arkansas (36), Vanderbilt (40). That big injection of talent spread across the league could mean the Gators and Wildcats will have their grip on the crown broken for the first time since LSU won the 2008-09 regular-season title.
Favorite
The platoons are gone, but UK still retains plenty of firepower. And the SEC again will be chasing Kentucky for the top spot.
For a brief moment, a series of recruiting misses made it seem that the Wildcats would join the mere mortals of the league and simply be a good team, not potentially one for the ages. But then shooting guard Jamal Murray reclassified last month -- joining the Cats’ 2015 recruiting class -- and their talent level is again in a class by itself.
Freshman Skal Labissiere is the No. 1 center in the ESPN 100 and the No. 2 player overall. He’ll be a tough matchup for any opponent with his ability to score from the blocks or via his face-up game.
Forward Alex Poythress returns after his deflating knee injury last season. And forward Marcus Lee could emerge from the shadows of last season's crowded frontcourt and have a breakout campaign.
Sophomore point guard Tyler Ulis proved in just 23 minutes per game last season that he can run a team. The arrival of freshman Isaiah Briscoe -- the No. 1 point guard in the class -- means UK coach John Calipari will have to find a way for the two to coexist, but doesn’t he seem to do that every season?
Trending up
Texas A&M returns three starters from last season, including leading scorer Danuel House and guard Alex Caruso, who led the SEC in assists. Billy Kennedy signed four players ranked in the ESPN 100, led by 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis (No. 27.) The blend of old and new should land the Aggies back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011.
A couple of fortunate breaks moved LSU’s recruiting class from special to spectacular. Landing Ben Simmons, the No. 1 overall player in the class, was satisfying enough. But guards Antonio Blakeney (No. 15) and Brandon Sampson (No. 39) both committed elsewhere before eventually choosing the Tigers.
Trending down
Florida is coming off a losing record for the first time in nearly two decades. It may not be for long, but the Gators will have an adjustment period under new coach Mike White.
Arkansas went from a potential league contender led by Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls to a possible rebuilding year for coach Mike Anderson after the SEC’s top scoring duo both declared for the NBA draft.
Notable newcomers
The SEC will have some of the most talented freshmen in the country, and for once, it’s not all because of Kentucky’s roster. Of course, Labissiere's skills are highly touted and he’ll command a lot of attention in Lexington. But Simmons could make LSU games must-see television for arguably the first time since Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson suited up.
Howland’s tenure at Mississippi State got off to a great start when guard Malik Newman shunned the likes of Kentucky and Kansas to stay in state.
Point guard P.J. Dozier continued that trend. The native of Columbia, South Carolina, ranked No. 19 in the ESPN 100, signed with the hometown Gamecocks.
C.L. Brown, ESPN Staff Writer
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/108044/early-look-sizing-up-the-sec
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