| Alabama | Much like trusting defensive systems like Houston, Alabama seems to have an offensive system where you can plug in new players to push the pace and shoot threes every year. This roster is much less talented, but I expect Oats to maximize it. |
| Arkansas | I think Calipari does some questionable things, especially with rotations, but this team is growing on me. They should have one of the better post games in the country. Ewin will have help this year and should shine. |
| Auburn | Probably one of the more underrated teams. Pettiford returning and the frontcourt additions should keep them in the top ten. Very interested to see the 27 PPG JUCO player. |
| Florida | National Championship-level frontline; backcourt questions remain. |
| Georgia | White is doing a solid job at Georgia, but I don’t see a freshman ready to dominate like Newell did last year. Likely a step back. |
| Kentucky | Oweh is elite. The question is whether he and Quaintance can stay healthy. |
| LSU | This feels like a make-or-break year for McMahon, who has yet to crack the top 88 in three years. Coming off the Will Wade era, that’s a steep drop-off. I don’t think this roster is built to seriously compete for an NCAA Tournament bid. Dedan Thomas is pretty overrated. |
| Miss State | Having your biggest value at PG helps, and Hubbard is a star. He’ll have bigs like Ballard behind him defensively to clean up. This looks like another NCAA team, which is impressive considering they had made it just once in 12 years before Jans’ arrival. I kind of like the fit and upside of this team overall with Epps, Hubbard, and Achor. |
| Missouri | Mizzou has better high-end star power with Mitchell and Robinson returning, giving them continuity. The depth is extremely questionable, however, and the coaching can be hit-or-miss. High-upside, low-floor type of team depending on how they address depth. |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma’s ceiling really depends on whether Pack gets a waiver and returns to his sophomore Kansas State form, when he was one of the best guards in the country. It seems, however, that was the anomaly and what he was at Miami is closer to the truth. |
| Ole Miss | Dia is underrated nationally, as is Scott. Much of the value is tied up at center, and if you told me they could play both at the same time, I’d feel better about their ceiling. I don’t think that’s likely to happen, though. |
| South Carolina | Losing an NBA lottery pick from a team that was already near the bottom of the SEC isn’t a great way to improve for Paris. Meechie Johnson returns, but there’s not much reason to expect anything other than a near-bottom SEC finish. Staying in the top 100 would be a success. |
| Tennessee | Tennessee doesn’t rate out as well as others, but they have a defensive system similar to Houston that seems to carry over year-to-year. This ranking is based on belief in that system and the coaching floor. |
| Texas | Texas is a roster built more on depth than stars. Swain rates out as their best player, with Pope second. That concerns me more than teams with more established high-end stars. Miller is an upgrade at coach, however. |
| Texas A&M | I question “Bucky ball” and how well it will work. I think it’s already an underachieving style—playing your best player 19 minutes a game, relying on 10 or 11 good players and massive depth. That said, Bucky assembled an impressive amount of talent in a short time after getting the job late. Dominguez, an international player, might become a star. |
| Vanderbilt | McGlockton is one of the best players in the nation, but losing Edwards was a big blow. Play your best players—or they’ll leave. Still, this is a roster with a lot of solid depth. McGlockton has to play more to unlock the team’s ceiling. |
