SEC Basketball: In-depth conference preview

By Stuart Gill | Nov 3, 2016

Mar 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari shouts during the second half of the championship game against Texas A&M Aggies of the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky Wildcats won 82-77. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 14, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball during Kentucky Midnight Madness at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Kentucky Wildcats

2015-16 record: 27-9 overall, 13-5 in SEC, reached NCAA Tournament second round

Head coach: John Calipari

Notable departures: Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, Alex Poythress, Charles Matthews, Skal Labissiere

Notable returnees: Isaiah Briscoe, Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins, Isaac Humphries

Notable newcomers: Five-star PG De’Aaron Fox, five-star F/C Edrice ‘Bam’ Adebayo, five-star SG Malik Monk, five-star F Wenyen Gabriel, five-star F Sacha Killeya-Jones, redshirt F Tai Wynyard

Entering his 7th season with the Wildcats, John Calipari will once again have a (good) problem figuring out how much talent he wants on the floor at once.

Will starting point guard Isaiah Briscoe’s return limit the production of highly recruited De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk? Not at all. Briscoe is an extremely reliable player who averaged over 30 minutes per game last year with the Wildcats. He deserves to conduct the offense at the beginning of the year.

Briscoe’s presence also may compliment Fox’s game, as the freshman won’t have to deal with the immense amount of pressure of arriving on a college campus and running one of the nation’s top offenses within the same three month span. Briscoe benefitted from Tyler Ulis’ presence last year and it seems logical that Fox will enjoy the same privilege with Briscoe sticking around.. Malik Monk will also have a huge role as well.

Big Blue Nation is also excited about having Edrice ‘Bam’ Adebayo on campus, as he will add a huge physical factor down low, something last year’s Kentucky team seemed to lack at times. The 6’10”, 260 pounder will combine with Wenyen Gabriel to create the most athletic and powerful front court in the SEC, and possibly the nation.

And that’s not even mentioning Sacha Killeya-Jones and redshirt freshman Tai Wynyard, who we also expect to be solid contributors out of the gate. With all the speculation of another National Championship, Kentucky’s conference record seems like an afterthought. Welcome to another year of Wildcat dominance.

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