2011-2012 Preview: Talking SEC Basketball With Brian Joyce

In preparation for the start of the 2011-2012 regular season on November 7, we’re running a series here on Busting Brackets where we talk with other writers about their team or conference. You can check out all of the pieces in our preview series by clicking here. Our series rolls on today as we discuss SEC Basketball with Brian Joyce of Rush the Court. We posted our SEC preview yesterday, but now it’s time to hear what Brian thinks about the league heading into the season.

Be sure to check out more of Brian’s work at Rush the Court, and follow him on Twitter @bjoyce_hoops.

BustingBrackets.com: Is this the strongest the SEC has been in a while from top to bottom?

Brian: The SEC is extremely strong this year — one of the best conferences in the country. Top to bottom, this might be the best the SEC has been in a long time. At the top, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida and Alabama give the SEC four top 25 teams. The Wildcats, Commodores and Gators should remain within the top 10 or very close all season long. Mississippi State is the mystery team that could be a top 25 team or could be a complete bust. It just depends on which version of Renardo Sidney decides to show up. But this year’s version of the SEC has a chance to be the conference that is most tournament ready come March.

BB: With that said, where would the SEC rank in the overall conference rankings entering the season?

Brian: The Big East is the best conference this year with six top 25 teams, but I think the SEC is a close second. The SEC should get at least five teams (Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi State) into the NCAA Tournament. When the dust settles and the Sweet Sixteen is decided, the SEC will have the most teams left of any conference. In other words, while I think the Big East is better from top to bottom, I would take the top five teams in the SEC over any other five from any conference. I think those five have a good chance of still being around deep into the NCAA Tournament because we all know how the Big East goes down well before their seeding suggests. The SEC has three legitimate teams capable of a Final Four run.

BB: What are your thoughts on the SEC scrapping the divisions? Was it something that was long overdue, or do you feel that it was an unnecessary move?

Brian: I don’t think it was long overdue, but it will be beneficial for the league. The move will be helpful for one reason: The best four teams in the SEC Tournament should get a bye in the first round, and now that will happen. It’s fair and it rewards good conference records. Some think that it will help the SEC get additional teams into the NCAA Tournament, and I don’t see this happening. The argument is that Alabama would have gotten into the Big Dance last year had the SEC not had divisions because they would have finished number two overall in the conference. The fact still remains that Alabama had a low RPI (80) and low strength of schedule (136). Even a 12-4 conference record and second place finish in the SEC is going to help overcome those facts.

BB: Kentucky obviously leads the way at the top, as John Calipari once again reloaded this team with a ton of talent. Which of the outstanding freshmen do you expect to make the biggest impact this season? I guess you could kinda take your pick, huh?

Brian: Absolutely… all four will be fantastic. I think Anthony Davis is going to be incredible. He’s long, lean and athletic. He can dunk from seemingly anywhere on the court. Davis plays great defense, and will use his length to challenge shots in the middle. He can shoot really well for a big man. The only aspect of his game that needs work is his strength. He seems to be more of a power forward who will be forced to play the center position for the Cats. I could see him having trouble against a strong post man like Jared Sullinger, but he will still be able to contain even the best big men with his shot blocking ability. I’m really looking forward to how he develops over the course of the season.

BB: When we talk of potential challengers to Kentucky, you would have to put Vandy and Florida at the top of that category. For Vandy, is this finally the year that they not only get out of the first round, but make a serious push at a Final Four?

Brian: I believe this is the year for Vanderbilt. Obviously there are a lot of reasons to be really excited about this Vandy team. The Commodores are talented and experienced. They return all five starters, and bring in a good freshman class. They beat Kentucky and North Carolina last year. But there are reasons for concern too including poor ball control and the ‘Dores are weak defensively. Vanderbilt has to commit to playing team defense, and that could start with a couple of incoming freshmen, Dai-Jon Parker and Kedren Johnson. If these guys are able to play lockdown defense on opposing guards, they could spell Brad Tinsley at the point for brief periods of time. Tinsley has never been able to keep up with speedy guards, and there are plenty of those in the SEC. If Vandy can play better team defense and get better quality offensive possessions by taking care of the basketball, then they will absolutely make a serious push at the Final Four.

BB: And for Florida, what do they have to do to make a similar run? Is it all about production in the frontcourt?

Brian: Florida lost a lot of rebounding this past year after losing almost their entire frontcourt. The development of Patric Young is crucial to Florida’s success. They will also need some of their other young players to develop in the low post. Will Yeguete is known for his rebounding skills and he could see extra minutes down low to fill that need for the Gators. Florida’s other big concern will be distributing the basketball. Everybody has a joke about Florida and how many basketballs they will need to satisfy this backcourt, but the sentiment is that there aren’t enough shots to go around in Gainesville. Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker had enough trouble sharing the basketball between the two of them last year. And now we are throwing in two more standout guards into the mix. Mike Rosario was a gunner at Rutgers, and Brad Beal could be the best shooter of them all. The key for the Gators will be the ability to distribute the ball effectively in a way that satisfies everyone.

BB: What are your thoughts on Alabama? They’re an intriguing team to me, in that they have three of their top players returning. Are they capable of finishing above these three?

Brian: Alabama will be right there. Again, this is a team that finished 12-4 in the SEC last year, so they are extremely capable of winning the SEC. However, I think the league is much tougher than it was a year ago, and I don’t think Alabama is going to be able to keep up with the big three. Bama benefited from playing in a weaker SEC West division, and they will benefit from the weaker schedule again this year. Their record in conference play will be inflated slighly because they only have to play Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida once. That means they get the likes of Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss twice. Keep in mind, this is a legitimate top 25 team. I think Alabama will make the NCAA Tournament this year, and they have a great chance of competing for a Sweet Sixteen or even an outside chance of making a run to the Elite Eight.

BB: Who might the sleeper team be in the SEC this year? It seems like the 6-12 spots are pretty much up for grabs.

Brian: The bottom half of the conference is almost impossible to predict. I think there is a sleeper team just waiting to emerge, and I think it’s Arkansas. Mike Anderson is bringing his fast paced tempo to the league, and he has the athletes to be able to run it efficiently. Anderson has done more with less — remember UAB? But now at Arkansas, Anderson brings in a top 10 recruiting class and returns Marshawn Powell and Julysses Nobles. The key for Anderson will be to see if he can get his freshmen to perform at a high level early on. If he can blend his returning talent with the newbies, he might turn some heads in the SEC earlier than expected.

BB: We’ve already talked about the teams, so let’s wrap it up with the individuals. Your early pick for SEC Player of the year is…..

Brian: There are so many great players in the SEC this year! I could easily go with John Jenkins or Anthony Davis here, but I think the SEC Player of the Year is Terrence Jones. He came back to be a star at Kentucky and in the SEC by bringing his 15.7 PPG and 8.8 RPG back with him. He’s been working on his game — he may have even learned to use his right hand. Jones could dominate a game last year, and he’ll be able to assert himself even more this year. Jones will have offensive help in Lexington this year, and that will take the double teams off of him allowing him to go to work. Jones will be one of the leaders of this Kentucky team, and I think he will be absolutely dominant on both sides of the court.

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