The SEC is certainly one of the 2 super conferences in college athletics that are shaping realignment. For as much as they are football oriented and make moves with the football in mind, they have built a pretty incredible basketball conference. I have 25% of the top 20 as coming from the SEC this season and 9 teams in my top 33. I believe that’s entirely realistic, too. They had 7 in the top 32 last year of NET. Here are the national rankings, so you can see the tiers I believe each team is on.
These are our national rankings so you can see the tiers we place each team on nationally.
SEC Basketball Standings
| National Rank | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kentucky | SEC |
| 7 | Tennessee | SEC |
| 12 | Arkansas | SEC |
| 16 | Auburn | SEC |
| 19 | Alabama | SEC |
| 24 | Florida | SEC |
| 27 | Texas A&M | SEC |
| 30 | Missouri | SEC |
| 33 | LSU | SEC |
| 58 | Mississippi State | SEC |
| 64 | Ole Miss | SEC |
| 84 | Georgia | SEC |
| 94 | South Carolina | SEC |
| 109 | Vanderbilt | SEC |
Instead of an All-Conference team, I’ve listed the Top Returning Players by Peak Adjusted Efficiency for SOS. Most will likely come from this list anyway, but the awards are more team driven. I’m more interested in who is doing the most when they are on the court. The players can’t control the team that was put around them. If they are putting up tangible numbers at top efficiency per possession on bad teams, that is more impressive to me. It’s coming under more pressure and game planning for them, with less viable options around them to take the pressure off. This list encompasses the players that have been the best on a D1 court going into the season.
| ADJ eff | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Oscar Tshiebwe | Kentucky |
| 10 | Colin Castleton | Florida |
| 16 | Tolu Smith | Mississippi State |
| 29 | Tyrece Radford | Texas A&M |
| 32 | Isiaih Mosley | Missouri |
| 49 | KJ Williams | LSU |
| 50 | Kobe Brown | Missouri |
| 51 | Tyreke Key | Tennesse |
| 58 | Noah Carter | Missouri |
| 74 | Henry Coleman | Texas A&M |
| 84 | Hayden Brown | South Carolina |
| 88 | Braelen Bridges | Georgia |
| 90 | Santiago Vescovi | Tennesse |
| 108 | Terry Roberts | Georgia |
| 130 | Trey Bonham | Florida |
| 140 | Jahvon Quinerly | Alabama |
| 142 | Ricky Council | Arkansas |
| 159 | Will Richard | Florida |
| 160 | Mark Sears | Alabama |
| 161 | Antonio Reeves | Kentucky |
| 165 | Kendal Coleman | LSU |
| 169 | Josiah-Jordan James | Tennesse |
| 173 | Kario Oquendo | Georgia |
| 175 | Makhi Mitchell | Arkansas |
| 178 | Ronnie DeGray III | Missouri |
| 188 | Zakai Zeigler | Tennesse |
| 189 | Jordan Wright | Vanderbilt |
(Last year’s NET, Seed, and Tournament Finish on the top header line for reference. Deep bench players are not listed, only those in the projected rotation. I also included player ADJ eff rankings. ADJ eff Rankings and qualifying explanation here.)
1. Kentucky
| Kentucky | 9 NET | 2 seed | PER | 1R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Tshiebwe | 6-9, 260 | 17.4ppg, 15.2rpg | 35 | Sr |
| Damion Collins | 6-9, 202 | 2.9ppg, 2.0rpg | 21.2 | So |
| Chris Livingston | 6-6, 190 | 5* | Fr | |
| Antonio Reeves | 6-4, 190 | 20.1ppg, 3.5rpg (@ Illinois St) | 21.5 | Jr |
| Sahvir Wheeler | 5-10, 180 | 10.1ppg, 6.9apg | 14..7 | Sr |
| CJ Fredrick | 6-3, 195 | 7.5ppg, 1.9apg (Iowa 2021) | 13.5 | So |
| Jacob Toppin | 6-9, 294 | 6.2ppg, 3.2rpg | 19.1 | So |
| Carson Wallace | 6-3, 180 | 5* | Fr | |
| Lance Ware | 6-9, 223 | 1.5ppg, 1.9rpg | 13.2 | So |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 2 | Oscar Tshiebwe |
| 161 | Antonio Reeves |
| 281 | Sahvir Wheeler |
Reeves, Fredrick, and Collins/Toppin should be comparable to the losses of Washington, Grady, and Brooks. The latter group may have had more individual talent, but I think the replacements can make up for it with better fit and shooting. I see that shooting as a better complement to a player like Tshiebwe. Having a PG like Wheeler who is elite at facilitating to get Tshiebwe and the shooters the ball around him is the key here. I think the shooting could unlock an already potent offense even more.
As I was researching the freshman, Livingston’s stats as a Junior were pretty unreal. One of the best lines I’ve ever seen, 31.1ppg, 15.8rpg, 6.5apg, 4.7spg, 4.3bpg and he shot 56% from three 2.7 makes a game in Akron. He even averaged 24ppg and led them to a state title as a freshman and 15ppg 8rpg for Team USA as well. I generally don’t expect big things from freshmen on loaded teams, but this one is hard to ignore. He did come down to earth a little on a loaded Oak Hill as a senior with 17.1ppg, still, his fit on this team is intriguing.
The separation between the top 5 before all the Gonzaga and UNC massive June adds was relatively small in my estimation, so this choice came down ultimately to who had the best player, and that’s Tshiebwe. It’s still the case for the rest. He’s still the best player in the country until someone else takes that crown. Having a proven shooter at a P5 conference like Fredrick (47% from 3 careers) and highly productive per-possession returners like Collins and Toppin beside him who appear ready for bigger roles puts Kentucky over the top.
2. Tennessee
| Tennessee | 7 NET | 3 seed | PER | 2R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uros Plavsic | 7-0, 262 | 4.2ppg, 4.0rpg | 15.9 | Sr |
| Olivier Nkamhoua | 6-8, 223 | 8.6ppg, 5.6rpg | 19.4 | Sr |
| Josiah-Jordan James | 6-6, 207 | 10.3ppg, 6.0ppg | 17 | Sr |
| Santiago Vescovi | 6-3, 180 | 13.3ppg, 3.2apg | 19.6 | Sr |
| Zakai Zeigler | 5-9, 160 | 8.8ppg, 2.7apg | 16.6 | So |
| Tyreke Key | 6-3, 205 | 17.2ppg, 5.3rpg (2021 @In St) | 23.5 | Sr |
| Julian Phillips | 6-7, 210 | 5* | Fr | |
| B.J. Edwards | 6-1, 165 | 4* | Fr | |
| Jonas Aidoo | 6-11, 230 | 2.1ppg, 2.0rpg | So |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 51 | Tyreke Key |
| 90 | Santiago Vescovi |
| 169 | Josiah-Jordan James |
| 188 | Zakai Zeigler |
The lack of post-season success is the only knock here. While Chandler is a loss this is a team that returns many of the parts as well as adds a multiple-year All MVC performer in Tyreke Key. Key missed all of last year with shoulder surgery at Indiana State, but that’s far less of a concern than a lower-body injury. We’ve seen guys like Paul George and Patty Mills come back from shoulder surgery and never miss a beat.
Key seems capable of making up for some of the value Chandler provided in a different way and is a huge addition to a team already with a lot of continuity and experience. Now they just need to take the next step in the postseason. The regular-season version of this team should put them in another advantageous position with a high seed. They should also be the biggest threat to Kentucky for the SEC titles as well.
3. Arkansas
| Arkansas | 21 NET | 4 seed | PER | E8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makhi Mitchell | 6-9, 235 | 9.9ppg, 7.3rpg(@RI) | 18.4 | Jr |
| Jalen Graham | 6-9, 220 | 9.9ppg, 4.6rpg (@Arizona St) | 16.7 | Jr |
| Ricky Council | 6-6, 205 | 12.0ppg, 5.4rpg(@Wichita St) | 19.9 | So |
| Davonte Davis | 6-3, 180 | 8.3ppg, 3.7rpg | 11.8 | Jr |
| Nick Smith | 6-4, 190 | 5* | Fr | |
| Trevon Brazile | 6-9, 215 | 6.6ppg, 5.1rpg(@Mizz) | 19.6 | So |
| Derrian Ford | 6-3, 190 | 4* | Fr | |
| Makhel Mitchell | 6-10, 245 | 10.7ppg, 5.6rpg(@RI) | 18.2 | Jr |
| Jordan Walsh | 6-7, 195 | 5* | Fr | |
| Anthony Black | 6-7, 190 | 5* | Fr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 142 | Ricky Council |
| 175 | Makhi Mitchell |
| 204 | Makhel Mitchell |
| 232 | Jalen Graham |
Musselman has certainly demonstrated the ability to leverage the NIL to get transfers and elite high school talent. The biggest concern here is having to rely on an 18-year-old freshman PG no matter how hyped they are. This is still the era of the super senior where everyone is essentially a year older and college basketball is still as old as it has ever been. Smith put up 26.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 7.3 apg, all very elite numbers in high school, but it’s still high school. Watching the video of him he appeared very tall and skilled with the ball but also very slender. I would expect 4th and 5th year players to get into him with their strength and leverage advantages.
Another issue I have with this team is who can make a three. That is a problem they have demonstrated they can mostly overcome and have success despite a lack of three-point shooting. It’s still less than ideal and problematic when you want to give a guy like Smith space to work and leverage his ball handling, height, and athletic advantages. This is a team some are picking as high as #1, I do think the fit and build of it will keep that ceiling lower though. Unless you got a Zion Williamson-level freshman having one of the best seasons ever it’s kind of hard to be one of the worst 3-point shooting teams like that Duke team was, and still have #1 aspirations.
Smith would benefit from a proven shooter beside him and someone to take some of the ball-handling pressure off him but there is no one like that on this roster. They do have an embarrassment of riches with proven players in the post. I guess all these transfers didn’t get the memo that you can’t all play at the same time. Hopefully, they can keep them all happy in the locker room as guys that were unhappy enough at the last stops to move on already.
4. Auburn
| Auburn | 13 NET | 2 seed | PER | 2R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johni Broome | 6-10, 235 | 16.8ppg, 10.5rpg(@Morehead St) | 32.6 | So |
| Jaylin Williams | 6-8, 230 | 5.6ppg, 2.7rpg | 16.6 | Jr |
| Chance Westry | 6-5, 175 | 4* | Fr | |
| K.D. Johnson | 6-1, 190 | 12.0ppg, 2.9rpg | 14.9 | Jr |
| Wendell Green | 5-11, 170 | 12.3ppg, 5.1apg | 18.6 | Jr |
| Zep Jasper | 6-1, 170 | 5.1ppg, 2.1apg | 9.1 | Gr |
| Yohan Traore | 6-9, 220 | 4* | Fr | |
| Allen Flanigan | 6-6. 215 | 6.3ppg, 3.5rpg | 6.5 | Sr |
| Tre Donaldson | 6-2, 190 | 4* | Fr | |
| Dylan Cardwell | 6-11, 250 | 3.0ppg, 3.0rpg | 23.3 | Jr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 21 | Johni Broome |
| 123 | Wendell Green |
| 187 | Jaylin Williams |
| 273 | K.D. Johnson |
I believe Broome steps right in for Kessler, and this experienced backcourt will give them a good chance if they get any competent shooting help at all. Unfortunately, they still have to try to make up for Jabari Smith. Still, I think the floor is high on this team with a big like Broome and a backcourt like they have. They need someone to step in and play SF competently, Westry seems to project as the most capable.
5. Alabama
| Alabama | 32 NET | 6 seed | PER | 1R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Bediako | 7-0, 225 | 6.7ppg, 4.3rpg | 23 | So |
| Noah Gurley | 6-8, 210 | 6.8ppg, 3.5rpg | 14 | Gr |
| Brandon Miller | 6-8, 190 | 5* | Fr | |
| Mark Sears | 6-1, 185 | 19.6ppg, 4.1apg (@Ohio) | 24.9 | |
| Jahvon Quinerly | 6-1, 175 | 13.8ppg, 4.2apg | 13.9 | Sr |
| Domink Welch | 6-5, 200 | 12.3pppg, 6.0rpg(St Bonny) | 14.7 | Gr |
| Jaden Bradley | 6-2, 190 | 5* | Fr | |
| Darius Miles | 6-6, 185 | 5.8ppg, 3.3 | 12.9 | Jr |
| Rylan Griffen | 6-5, 180 | 4* | Fr | |
| Noah Clowney | 6-9, 210 | 4* | Fr | |
| Nick Pringle | 6-10, 220 | 9.2ppg 8.9rpg (JUCO) |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 140 | Jahvon Quinerly |
| 160 | Mark Sears |
This is a team with lots of quality depth. I really like the look of it. Bediako seems ready for more. With this much depth, I think Nate Oates will find the right combinations and be in good shape to withstand injuries or covid absences. Yes, unfortunately, teams still have to factor this into a post 2020 covid world IMO and this team is built for some absences.
Brandon Miller is the wildcard. I’m usually a little skeptical of 6-8 “wings”, especially freshmen on loaded teams but his lateral speed to defend and ball handling seemed to check out from the videos I watched. Even if he’s not getting by defenders, he still seems like he could have value with how he shot the three-pointer. At his size, you know he can get some off.
Having made 41% on high volume (99 threes made), indicates Miller will have at least one reliable skill to lean on. The shooting seems pretty real when he backed it up with 86% from the line and shooting 47% from three the previous year. If he struggles, they have a proven player in Welch as well.
6. Florida
| Florida | 61 NET | NIT | PER | 2R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Castleton | 6-11, 231 | 16.2ppg, 9.0rpg | 28.8 | Gr |
| CJ Felder | 6-7, 230 | 3.5ppg, 2.3rpg | 17.9 | Sr |
| Will Richard | 6-5, 195 | 12.1ppg, 6.0rpg(@Belmont) | 21.6 | So |
| Kyle Lofton | 6-3, 190 | 12.8ppg, 5.9apg(@St Bonny) | 16.4 | Sr |
| Trey Bonham | 6-0, 170 | 13.6ppg, 4.0apg(@VMI) | 22.8 | Jr |
| Alex Fudge | 6-8, 185 | 3.3ppg, 3.2rpg(@LSU) | 13.4 | So |
| Myreon Jones | 6-3, 180 | 8.5ppg, 2.8rpg | 11.9 | Gr |
| Jason Jitoboh | 6-11, 285 | 4.1ppg, 2.4rpg | 23.3 | Sr |
| Kowacie Reeves | 6-6, 182 | 5.5ppg, 1.4rpg | 12.9 | Sr |
| Denzel Aberdeen | 6-4, 175 | 4* | Fr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 10 | Colin Castleton |
| 130 | Trey Bonham |
| 159 | Will Richard |
| 280 | Kyle Lofton |
Florida has a new coach and the fresh start they wanted. Returning a stud like Castleton and some solid role players will help Todd Golden. Golden did his part with a great transfer haul to round it out I think they are on the way up. I like this roster and Golden proved he could lead a big turnaround into the top 25 taking San Francisco from 11-14 to the top 25 last year with a couple of good transfer adds. I think this sets up similar, and Castleton is a nice start to build around.
7. Texas A&M
| Texas A&M | 36 NET | NIT | CG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Marble II | 6-8, 225 | 6.4ppg, 3.3rpg (@Mich St) | 18.2 | Jr |
| Henry Coleman | 6-7, 229 | 11.0ppg, 6.2rpg | 22.4 | Jr |
| Tyrece Radford | 6-2, 200 | 10.9ppg, 6.2rpg | 18.8 | Sr |
| Andre Gordon | 6-2, 188 | 5.4ppg, 2.2rpg | 13.4 | Sr |
| Wade Taylor | 6-0, 186 | 8.2ppg, 2.2apg | 14.6 | So |
| Andersson Garcia | 6-7, 205 | 4.3ppg, 4.2rpg (@Miss St) | 20.5 | Jr |
| Denis Dexter | 6-5, 210 | 8.4ppg, 5.0rpg(@WSU) | 12.3 | Sr |
| Manny Obaseki | 6-4, 189 | 3.6ppg, 1.8rpg | 9.8 | So |
| Hayden Hefner | 6-6, 182 | 3.5ppg, 1.0rpg | 11.7 | Jr |
| Javonte Brown | 7-0, 250 | 1.5ppg, 1.6rpg | 13.3 | So |
| Erik Pratt | 6-5, 180 | 18.1ppg 4.1rpg (JUCO) | Jr | |
| Solomon Washington | 6-6, 190 | 4* | Fr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 29 | Tyrece Radford |
| 74 | Henry Coleman |
Jackson is a massive loss because he was superb, yet they only played him 26 minutes a game. It’s not like they are replacing a guy playing 35 minutes like most stars making his impact are. If they played the good players like him and Coleman that are impacting the game positively more minutes, and you probably make the NCAA’s instead of the NIT last year.
That’s not their style though. This team is extremely deep again, that’s why I posted 11 deep because they went about that deep last year. I don’t know why players with options want to come here and play these suppressed minutes, but they do. They added some nice players and have existing continuity.
As a general philosophy, I’d much rather have a guy like Quenton Jackson last year playing 10 more minutes than the 10th or 11th man even if he’s not as fresh. This is a college with a 30-second shot clock and 40 minute game with really young guys. This is not the NBA with 30-something-year-olds playing 82 games. I’ve never really seen the value in suppressing the star’s minutes and having rotations this deep. Those minutes essentially go to the 10th men.
Radford had a down year, but I do think he can step it up and play more like he did at Virginia Tech under Buzz and help make up some of the Jackson loss. There is still a lot of returning continuity and good players, from a team playing well late in the year too. I just question the style lending itself to a high ceiling with exceptions like Rick Pitino type talent and depth at Kentucky or Louisville.
8. Missouri
| Missouri | 151 NET | None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Diarra | 6-10,215 | 17.8ppg, 12.6rpg (JUCO) | Jr | |
| Kobe Brown | 6-7, 240 | 12.5ppg, 7.6rpg | 21.2 | Sr |
| DeAndre Gholston | 6-5, 215 | 16.8ppg, 5.2rpg (2021@Mil) | 19.2 | Sr |
| Isiaih Mosley | 6-5, 201 | 20.4ppg, 6.4rpg | 27.7 | Sr |
| Sean East | 6-3, 170 | 20.9ppg 5.7apg (JUCO) | Jr | |
| Nick Honor | 5-10, 205 | 7.7ppg, 2.4apg(@Clemson) | 12.9 | Sr |
| Noah Carter | 6-6, 229 | 15.0ppg, 4.1rpg(@NIU) | 23.7 | Jr |
| D’Moi Hodge | 6-4, 180 | 15.4ppg, 3.1rpg (@Clev St) | 23.8 | Gr |
| Tre Gomillion | 6-4, 215 | 10.5ppg, 4.7rpg (@Clev St) | 17.1 | Gr |
| Ronnie DeGray III | 6-7, 220 | 8.3ppg, 4.6rpg | 16.8 | Jr |
| Aidan Shaw | 6-8, 190 | 4* | Fr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 32 | Isiaih Mosley |
| 50 | Kobe Brown |
| 58 | Noah Carter |
| 178 | Ronnie DeGray III |
I loved what they had done even before they added Mosley. This is a completely different team with a new coach. I think people could be sleeping on the work Dennis Gates has put in on one spring. It’s great stuff including bringing over 2 core Cleveland State players to help him set the tone and vouch for him. Sean East even has solid D1 experience as well at Bradley and UMass and I choose to ignore how bad Gholston played last year. That was a weird year IMO with a highly inefficient, overhyped coach’s son altering his role and spots on the court. I expect him to bounce back closer to his 2021 season. This is a team that if they look good early will move up quickly in my rankings. Right now just the unknown of how they all work together seems to be the only hold-up and I doubt I’m sleeping on them more than most will. They could be a top 15 talented team, but who knows how it comes together.
9. LSU
| LSU | 20 NET | 6seed | 1R | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJ Williams | 6-10, 245 | 18.0ppg, 8.4rpg (@Murray St) | 30.3 | Gr |
| Kendal Coleman | 6-8,230 | 15.4ppg, 10.1rpg (@Northwestern St | 24.4 | So |
| Trae Hannibal | 6-2, 210 | 9.2ppg, 5.1rpg(@ Murray St) | 21.7 | Jr |
| Cam Hayes | 6-3,175 | 7.8ppg, 3.1apg (@NC St 2021) | 14.1 | So |
| Justice Hill | 6-0, 170 | 13.4ppg, 5.1apg(@Murray St) | 19.2 | Jr |
| Derek Fountain | 6-9, 210 | 5.4ppg, 3.0rpg(2021@ Miss St) | 12.4 | Jr |
| Adam Miller | 6-3, 180 | 8.3ppg, 2.8rpg (2021@Illinois) | 9.5 | So |
| Mwani Wilkinson | 6-5, 215 | 4.0ppg, 3.0rpg | 9.9 | So |
| Jalen Reed | 6-9, 230 | 4* | Fr | |
| Shawn Phillips | 6-10, 250 | 4* | Fr | |
| Tyrell Ward | 6-7, 180 | 4* | Fr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 49 | KJ Williams |
| 165 | Kendal Coleman |
| 248 | Trae Hannibal |
I like what McMahon has done since his arrival, even losing most of his team. They probably won’t be able to play in the NCAA, unfortunately for things he didn’t do. I guess no one told the new players this. Either way, I like what he did around the new guys retaining Miller and Wilkerson even if I wasn’t as high on them as others. Off the bench, they are completely solid.
Either way, when you can essentially reconstitute 3/4’s of the impactful core of a top 30 NET team at Murray State that went to the 2nd round, I think that will go a long way in the rebuild. Those three carry-over players can help set the tone and culture for what McMahon wants and drive some continuity and get the rest of the players in place. This is something the other portal-heavy-type teams probably won’t have early.
I doubt anyone else will rank them anywhere nearly as high, but it comes down to how real you think a top 30 NET/2nd round Murray State was. I think they were legit and this is almost like transporting their team to the P6 and adding Colman and some LSU depth, I think this could even be a little disrespectful. We’ll see how well it works in the SEC.
10. Mississippi State
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 16 | Tolu Smith |
| 214 | DeShawn Davis |
| Transfers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will McNair Jr. | 6-10, 265 | 6.6ppg, 4.9rpg | 15.5 | New Mex St |
| Eric Reed Jr. | 6-2, 190 | 16.3ppg, 3.3rpg | 17.3 | SE Mizz St |
| Dashawn Davis | 6-2, 185 | 10.9ppg, 5.5apg | 16 | Oregon St |
The best thing Mississippi State did this off-season was hired, Chris Jans. I think he’s one of the best up-and-coming coaches and he’s won at several stops while climbing the ladder. These former JUCO coaches like Jans and Steve Forbes seem to be a very underused avenue for coaching hires. Something about recruiting high-level college players in JUCO and knowing you have to flip the roster every year seems to translate to the college basketball world of today with the transfer portal. Those guys are well-equipped. Jans with big boy talent should work out pretty well. Ben Howland did him a favor by leaving a big-time player in Tolu Smith. His 14.2ppg 6.5rpg is a great building block.
Jans two keep transfers in Eric Reed from Southeast Missouri State and DeShawn Davis from Oregon State. Oregon State was a3-winn trash (a year after an Elite 8 WTF), but Davis was good averaging 10.9ppg and 5.5apg on a team that couldn’t shoot which is pretty solid. He will be able to get the ball to Smith for sure, and with a Center/Point Guard Combo as good as they have it’s a good start. Adding Eric Reed’s shooting will help as well. He’s the shooter this team badly needed, having shot .398% from three in his 2 seasons there on a strong 2.3made-a-game volume. Between feeding those two the ball, Davis could be among the leaders in assist in the nation. Reed will help give Davis and Smith space to work.
Davis himself didn’t shoot well either, going 9-48 for 18% from three. This is the same player that made 48 threes at 42% in JUCO’s the previous year and he made 84 at .391% in his 2 seasons in JUCO. He can’t be that bad of a three-point shooter in the small sample he had last year. I expect a MUCH better showing shooting the there pointer this season and a bigger volume.
11. Ole Miss
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 210 | Daeshun Ruffin |
| 239 | Theo Akwuba |
| 244 | Josh Mballa |
| Key Newcomers |
| Theo Akwuba 11.3ppg, 9.3rpg, 2.0bpg, 25.6 PER in 2021 @Louisana |
| Josh Mballa 15.3ppg, 10.8rpg 25.7 PER in 2021 @ Buffalo |
| Jayveous McKinnis 12.4ppg, 10.3rpg, 2.9bpg 26.7 PER @ Jackson State |
| Key Returners |
| Dashun Ruffin 12.6ppg and 3.4apg and 18.0 PER |
| Matthew Murrell 12.1ppg, 3.0rpg 15.9 PER |
Mississippi is a team that returns a good bit of experience, even while losing some players to graduation and transfer. They also did a pretty good job to replace what they lost in the portal, adding Theo Akwuba (11.3ppg, 9.3rpg, 2.0bpg, 25.6 PER in 2021) from Louisiana and Josh Mballa(15.3ppg, 10.8rpg 25.7 PER in 2021) from Buffalo to solidify the post. Both players are a couple of years removed from their best season but who cares. When you have shown a ceiling that high I’m going to certainly believe you can get back. They are quality adds even if they only play as well as they did last season regardless. Big time gets.
In an embarrassment of riches in the post, they also added Jayveous McKinnis at 6-7, 220 from Jackson State to the post. He averaged 12.4ppg, 10.3rpg, and 2.9bpg with a 26. 7 PER. He also averaged 13.2rpg the season before as well. Rebounding is one of the best-translating stats from level to level and this team should have no issue rebounding. They should pummel other teams on the boards with two incoming players that have averaged a double double in D1.
Ole Miss will also get Dashun Ruffin back at point guard who only played 14 games last season. They missed him last season and getting his efficient 12.6ppg and 3.4apg and 18.0 PER will be very helpful. They also return Matthew Murrell 12.1ppg, 3.0rpg 15.9 PER and comes with a top 45 pedigree out of high school for people that care about that. He was fine but maybe he has some more potential to explore as well. The depth and pieces seem to be there, the real question is if Kermit Davis can bring it all together. The natives have to be getting restless as the trajectory hasn’t been very good after making the NCAA’s and year one and going 13-19 last season.
12. Georgia
| Georgia | 223 NET | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braelen Bridges | 6-10, 235 | 12.9ppg, 5.6rpg | 19.6 | Gr |
| M. Moncrieffe | 6-7, 215 | 9.0ppg, 5.3rpg (2021@OKST) | 17.1 | Jr |
| Kario Oquendo | 6-4, 210 | 15.0ppg, 4.3rpg | 16.9 | Jr |
| Terry Roberts | 6-3, 180 | 14.5ppg, 4.1apg(@Bradley) | 21.1 | Sr |
| Justin Hill | 6-0, 185 | 14.2ppg, 4.1apg(@Longwood) | 20 | Jr |
| Mardrez McBride | 6.2, 178 | 11.3ppg, 3.0rpg(@N.Texas) | 13.6 | Gr |
| Frank Anselem | 6-10, 201 | 2.6ppg, 3.8rpg(@Syracuse) | 14.1 | Jr |
| Jabri Abdur-Rahim | 6-7, 214 | 6.9ppg, 3.2rpg | 12.3 | So |
| Jailyn Ingram | 6-7,215 | 10.7ppg, 6.0pg | 14.7 | Gr |
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 88 | Braelen Bridges |
| 108 | Terry Roberts |
| 173 | Kario Oquendo |
There are a lot of quality additions to this team, and White I believe while not a great coach, he will be a lot better than Crean. Oquendo shot 3’s much better in JUCO’s and I believe can get that up, so there is some room to grow there. He will not have to try to carry this team all by himself now as well so the looks should be better. When Bridges is a traffic cone in the post, they have options now with a guy like Anselem now they can at least go to. I’m not sure how Ingram can still be in school 7 years later, but I guess he is. Just lots of depth and more competent coaching now.
13. South Carolina
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 84 | Hayden Brown |
| Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk | 6-8, 235 | 1.6ppg, 2.1rpg | 13.9 | Illinois |
| Hayden Brown | 6-5, 225 | 18.8ppg, 9.5rpg | 24.8 | The Citidel |
| Ebrima Dibba | 6-6, 205 | 8.1ppg, 5.4apg | 14.1 | Coastal Carolina |
| Troy Boynton | 6-4, 170 | Evansville | ||
| Meechie Johnson Jr. | 6-2, 170 | 4.4ppg, 1.2apg | 6.5 | Ohio State |
Lamont Paris got the job this spring and went to work trying to rebuild this roster. He did a pretty decent job landing Hayden Brown, who while an undersized 6-5 PF I think will find a way to still be productive in the SEC. The Southern Conference is a lot better than people realize, and he was playing a big vs a solid SOS. The biggest addition however is GG Jackson who was the #1 recruit in the 2023 class and had committed to UNC. When he reclassified and UNC didn’t have the scholarship to give him this year he found his way on this South Carolina team. At 6-9, 210 he is also at PF, so I’m not really sure of the fit between him and Brown. They project as pretty clearly the two best players so they have to be on the court somehow together if that means C/PF or PF/SF, neither seems ideal though to me. So there is that weird fit as neither shoot 3’s very well.
Jackson is only 17 years old and will not turn 18 until December. He’s also 6-9, 210 which is a little light. I know there will be a lot of expectations for him to produce and be a star from day one but I think people need to remember this is still the age of the super senior where everyone is a year older than their class. He will be competing in the post with some 23-year-old men like Oscar Tshiebwe. I don’t expect him to be the kind of star I would assume most do from day one even if he is a projected top 5 pick. That’s future potential, and he still seems a bit raw and young at the present to expect a game-changing impact. Maybe I will eat those words but he didn’t play much in the U18s. He only got in 2 of the 3 games and averaged 17 minutes a game. He was pretty explosive in those games with 14ppg 8rpg so who knows? He’s not going to be playing 17-year-olds from Brazil next year. I just wonder why he wasn’t playing more if he’s the superstar many think from day one. Some people said the same thing about Emoni Bates too and reclassification can be hit or miss.
The outside shooting on this team projects to be bad as well. I wouldn’t expect either Jackson or Brown to have much space to work in as teams collapse on them and hope they will dare their shooter to take three’s.
14. Vanderbilt
| Peak Efficiency Adjusted by SOS | Returning Players in the Top 300 |
|---|---|
| 189 | Jordan Wright |
| 245 | Myles Stute |
Gone is Scottie Pippen Jr, and his 20.4ppg and 4.5apg. Pippen was 1st in Points Produced in all of the college basketball last season. To say they have a lot to make up is an understatement. Jerry Stackhouse didn’t replace him. He tried with Ezra Manjon who averaged 15.0ppg 3.4apg with a 15.2 PER at UC-Davis, but this is like the homeless man’s version. What they lost in Pippen will likely have to be replaced mostly by Wright and Stute. It could get rough in Nashville this season.
