SEC Basketball is a conference that has grown tremendously over the last few seasons. This year, we will see some new faces at the top of the pre-season polls. Texas A&M is a consensus top two team in the league across various media outlets. Coach Buzz Williams is not new to the moment, but Aggies Basketball is! They will have some high expectations.
Elsewhere, Blue Blood Kentucky has another elite recruiting class. Arkansas hit the transfer portal once again, and the Vols return their top dogs. Returning production is huge in college hoops. We will take a look at each team’s returning double-digit scorers, key losses, and transfer portal adds. Let’s go, here is the 2023-2024 SEC Basketball Preview.
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SEC Basketball Preview 2023-2024
Tennessee 25-11, 11-7 (T-4th, SEC)
NCAA Tournament – SWEET 16. Return Three double-digit scorers plus two transfers who averaged double digits. Lose one double-digit scorer.
The Vols have been on the bubble, ready to burst through, for years, and this year’s team may just be them. The Zeigler-Vescovi guard duo is one of the most dynamic combos in the nation. Zakai Zeigler can slash and pass his way to success, while Santiago Vescovi is one of the best shooters in the nation. Vescovi is the guy who always seems to make that clutch shot at the right time when you bet against the Vols. That flippy-dyed hair surely does get the people going.
Dalton Knecht is a transfer from Northern Colorado, and let me tell you, this kid can SCORE. He is a 6-6 guard who averaged over 20 points per game last season. Knecht can score at the rim and from deep. His presence on the court will be massive as defenses have to prep for both him and Vescovi catching and shooting.
Josiah Jordan-James will be their dynamic power forward / small big who will provide input at both ends of the court. Tennessee always seems to be an elite regular-season bunch who folds under the lights. This team seems different. They have a great cast of seniors, a veteran coach, and a lot of avenues to succeed this season.
Kentucky 22-12, 12-6 (3rd SEC)
NCAA Tournament – Second Round. Return one double-digit scorer plus one double-digit transfer. Lose three double-digit scorers.
Recruiting class. That’s the Calipari way, and that is yet again what we have here. This style of success has been far less evident with the implementation of the transfer portal. Kentucky has three of the top four freshman recruits who will all make a difference immediately. The last two UK teams have lost to St. Peters in the round of 64 and Kansas State in the round of 32. That puts a lot of pressure on this talented class. Antonio Reeves is a fifth-year guy and will need to be a leader, although he tried to transfer out of Kentucky this offseason. Weird situation. Another team that is hard to get a gauge out but has a high ceiling.
At SEC Basketball Media Days, John Calipari acknowledges Kentucky hasn’t been on the same level of late.
“We’ve been good, just not Kentucky good. I’m excited about this team.”
Time will tell if this year’s team can change that.
(Via SEC Network) pic.twitter.com/Yahdmw259V
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) October 18, 2023
Arkansas 22-14, 8-10 (T9th, SEC)
NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16. Return two double-digit scorers plus three double-digit transfers. Lose three double-digit scorers.
Arkansas is always one of the toughest teams to read as they are so new each and every year. With these squares, I like to fade them early and see how they look. By late December, we should have a nice gauge on them. Look, the talent is there. They have a bunch of “studs” from other teams, but that does not always pan out well.
Khalif Battle was arguably the best player on Temple. Tramon Mark was arguably the best player on Houston. Trevon Brazile was the best player on Missouri two years ago and was the best big on this Arkansas team last year. El Ellis was the best player on Louisville. Sounds like an all-star team, right? Wait and see on this team. High ceiling, low floor.
Auburn 21-13, 10-8 (7th, SEC)
NCAA Tournament – Second Round. Return two double-digit scorers plus two double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
Auburn may have the best frontcourt in the SEC in Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome. The two are the only returning double-digit scorers on their roster and should continue to be the core of this team. They bring in Denver Jones from FIU. He averaged over 20 points per game and was one of my favorite mid-major players over the last few years.
The highly volatile backcourt is gone, which could be a blessing. Five-star freshman Aden Holloway will fit in right away. He does not need to do the most here. Get to the rim when you can and facilitate to the bigs. The Tigers do not have the highest hopes, but I can see this trio of guards plus elite frontcourt pull off some upsets.
Ole Miss 12-21, 3-15 (13th, SEC)
No postseason. Return two double-digit scorers plus three double-digit transfers. Lose three double-digit transfers. Lose zero double-digit scorers.
This Ole Miss roster definitely has me turning my head. Brandon Murray and Moussa Cisse transfer in but have to wait on NCAA waivers. If they get the nod, look out, SEC. Chris Beard knows what he is doing, and he really constructed a fun roster. Allen Flanigan was one of my favorite SEC players before his injury at Auburn. He never got back to that level last season, but I would not be shocked if he does after a year of hoops under his belt.
“There’s no denying we came to Oxford, Mississippi to 𝘄𝗶𝗻.”@CoachBeard | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/xKMjApERdY
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) October 18, 2023
It’s time for the Jamarion Sharp conversation. He has spent his time at Western Kentucky and was never the force a 7’5″ player should be, but come on… seven feet five inches! Seniors Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield are the lone rebels returning who have made a significant impact. Murrell was an All-SEC guard with sights set on the NBA but chose to return. The pieces of the puzzle are surely in place. Ole Miss will make noise in this fairly open SEC season.
Missouri 25-10, 11-7 (T-4th, SEC)
NCAA Tournament, second round. Return zero double-digit scorers plus two double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
Mizzou lost a decent bit from last year’s squad. They were extremely frisky but ultimately fell off. I am waiting to see how Connor Vanover performs. He is a 7-5 transfer from Oral Roberts, who spent time at both Cal and Arkansas. I really believe this team will have trouble scoring the basketball. Nick Honor and Caleb Grill will be at the bottom of the SEC backcourt hierarchy this year. It very well may be a slow year for the Tigers.
Alabama 31-6, 16-2 (1st, SEC)
NCAA TOURNAMENT – Sweet 16. Return two double-digit scorers plus three transfers who averaged double digits. They lost one double-digit scorer, Brandon Miller.
Threes and dunks are the name of the game for Nate Oats basketball. Bringing on Aaron Estrada (Hofstra), Grant Nelson (North Dakota State), and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will all flawlessly fit into this Crimson Tide play style. Throw in Senior guard Mark Sears, and this roster is almost all constructed from Mid-Major transfers.
The formula is always the same for Alabama. Play fast, and hope the shots fall. My narrative and outlook on this team stay the same. They are built to beat the best teams while being able to lose to the worst teams. Volatile is what they are and what they will continue to be. I love this at a macro level but am always weary to bet them game by game. This team is built to get hot for stretches. For example, tournament play!
Florida 16-17, 9-9 (8th SEC )
NIT – First Round. Return one double-digit scorer plus three double-digit transfers. Lose one double-digit scorer.
The Gators, what to make of them. They have relied on big man Colin Castleton the last few years, but he is off to the NBA. In comes Walter Clayton Jr., A point guard from Iona who probably would have gone to a better school originally if not for Coach Pitino. He and UC Riverside guard Zyon Pullin will provide a nice spark to the backcourt in Gainesville.
Tyrese Samuel is a former top recruit from Canada who spent four years at Seton Hall. He is a defensive specialist and spends most of his time down low. Micah Handlogten comes in from Marshall. He is a seven-footer with plenty of experience. I believe this team is extremely solid and will be a tough out throughout the season, especially at home.
Mississippi State 21-13, 8-10 (T-9th SEC)
NCAA Tournament – First Four. Return one double-digit scorer plus one double-digit transfer. Lose zero double-scorers
Defense is the name of the game under Chris Jans. It is clear they do not have the most firepower on this roster, so they will yet again rely on the D. To make matters worse, their best player will miss a few weeks to start the season. Tolu Smith is their elite center who nearly averaged a double-double last year. Without him, the offensive production is going to be tougher. Both guards have experience but will struggle against the upper echelon of SEC backcourts.
Texas A&M 25-10, 15-3 (2nd SEC)
NCAA Tournament – First Round. Return two double-digit scorers plus two transfers who averaged double digits. Lose zero double-digit scorers.
The Aggies are not used to being in this spot. They play well as the hard-nosed, plucky underdog rather than a pre-season favorite. They return their two leading scorers in Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford. The two will be one of the most elite guard duos in the conference. Eli Lawrence (UIC) and Jace Carter (MTSU) are the two double-digit transfers who are guards as well. This team will have an electric rotation of fast guards who will play hard on both ends.
Down low, they return Henry Coleman and Julius Marble. The seniors are the definition of solid. Neither of the two will ever be game-breakers, but they are experienced big men who will more than hold their own in not only the SEC but the national level as well.
Vanderbilt 22-15, 11-7 (T-4th SEC)
NIT – Quarterfinals. Return two double-digit scorers plus two double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
Vanderbilt does not have a lot going for it, to be honest, and they did not do much in the transfer portal to turn any heads. They did figure things out mid-way through last season with a fairly similar roster construction. The two returning double-digit scorers should be their starting guards this upcoming season. Coach Stackhouse spoke highly of fifth-year Ezra Manjon. He and Tyrin Lawrence have almost a decade of college hoops experience, which will be great in late-game situations.
LSU 14-19, 2-16 (14th, SEC)
No Postseason. Return zero double-digit scorers plus four double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
LSU came into last season with a pseudo-mid-major roster, and the season panned out as expected. Jalen Cook is a kid who loves Louisiana. He started his career in Baton Rouge, spent two years at Tulane, and found himself back in Baton Rouge. Cook is a player who can and will light up a box score.
The Tigers really have nothing to lose. I expect them to play at an extremely fast pace and be very volatile. Similar to Alabama but less talented. This style of play will catch some of the best teams in the conference sleeping and can surely have them on upset alert. Look out for an improved LSU roster when you least expect it.
Georgia 16-16, 6-12 (11th, SEC )
No postseason. Return zero double-digit scorers plus three double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
This UGA roster lacks talent. The transfers they bring in come from lower-level schools and will struggle in this conference. Georgia looks like a bottom-three team in this league.
South Carolina 11-21, 4-14 (12th, SEC)
No postseason. Return one double-digit scorer plus two double-digit transfers. Lose two double-digit scorers.
I am interested in seeing how this South Carolina frontcourt plays. Stephen Clark and BJ Mack transferred in from mid-major programs, but they are both grad transfers who averaged over 15 points per game. Meechie Johnson will be the go-to guy for this South Carolina offense. He is joined by Minnesota transfer Ta’Lon Cooper, who averaged just under double digits at Minnesota.
The Gamecocks have a well-constructed roster but probably lack high-end talent. I view this squad as just above average, with a very safe floor. Meaning, I do not think they will be awful, but their ceiling is probably sixth.
Season Predictions
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Auburn
- Mississippi State
- South Carolina
- Florida
- LSU
- Vanderbilt
- Missouri
- Georgia
