SEC Basketball Season: Kentucky, Arkansas Cream of Crop
Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Auburn are in the top 10 in preseason polls. Eight SEC products are being touted as potential first-round picks in NBA Draft. Kentucky has the second-best odds to reach the Final Four.
Oscar Tshiebwe is the second favorite to win the national championship after Armando Bacot. Sahvir Wheeler, Jacob Toppin and Daimion Collins are also returning to the team. Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston are the top NBA prospects among the incoming freshmen.
Arkansas lost its top four scorers in JD Notae, Stanley Umude, Jaylin Williams and Au’Diese Toney. Davonte Davis and Kamani Johnson are the only returnees for the Razorbacks. Nick Smith is one of the top incoming freshmen in the country. Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh are also top-20 recruits.
Kennedy Chandler is now with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Five players transferred while forward John Fulkerson graduated.
Alabama Crimson Tide is a national champion. Five players are leaving the team and three others are starting their professional careers. Mark Sears, Dominick Welch and Brandon Miller are the new players who will play a bigger role.
Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler were drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Johni Broome was a double-double machine at Morehead State.
Todd Golden was hired as the new head coach of Florida Gators. Colin Castleton is back after leading the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. and Anthoy Duruji graduated, while Tyree Appleby transferred to Wake Forest. Incoming transfers Trey Bonham, Alex Fudge, Will Richard and Kyle Lofton could be key to the season for Florida.
Quenton Jackson graduated, but Texas A&M Aggies return double-digit scorers Henry Coleman, Tyrece Radford, Wade Taylor and Andre Jordan. Marcus Williams and Hassan Diarra transferred to San Francisco and UConn. Dexter Dennis, Arkansas guard Khalen Robinson, Mississippi State guard/forward Andersson Garcia and Michigan State forward Julius Marble are among the incoming transfers.
Matt McMahon takes over at LSU after Will Wade was fired. Eight of the top nine scorers have moved on. Mwani Wilkinson and Justice Williams are the only returnees from last season. Tyrell Ward leads the four-member class of incoming freshmen.
Jarkel Joiner transferred to North Carolina State. Nysier Brooks graduated. Luis Rodriguez moved to UNLV. Daeshun Ruffin and Matthew Murrell are returning. Theo Akwuba, Jayveous McKinnis, Josh Mballa and Myles Burns are transferring to Ole Miss.
Mississippi State loses its No. 1 and 3 scorers. Tolu Smith is back after averaging 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds. Rocket Watts, Javian Davis, Andersson Garcia and Derek Fountain are among the outgoing transfers.
Missouri has a lot of changes in its roster. Kobe Brown, Tre Gomilion, D’Moi Hodge, Mabor Majak, Dennis Gates, Nick Honor, Javon Pickett, Amari Davis, Jarron Coleman, DuJuan Gordon, Sean Durugordon and Jordan Wilmore have left the team.
The top six scorers from South Carolina's last season have moved on. The top returning scorer is Chico Carter Jr., who averaged 4.2 points in 9.5 minutes per game. Hayden Brown and Ebrima Dibbe are among the incoming transfers.
Georgia brings back its top three scorers – Kario Oquendo, Braelen Bridges and Jalyn Ingram. Aaron Cook graduated, Noah Baumann and Christian Wright transferred. Georgia landed six transfers, including Longwood guard Justin Hill, Oklahoma State forward Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe and North Texas guard Mardrez McBride.
Scotty Pippen Jr. is leaving Vanderbilt for the NBA. Jordan Wright, Myles Stute, Liam Robbins, Trey Thomas and Tylin Lawrence are returning. Shane Dezonie, Jamaine Mann and Peyton Daniels transferred. Emmanuel Ansong and Eza Manjon will join them.
