SEC basketball: Five questions for the 2017-18 season
The Southeastern Conference is a complete crapshoot after the very top. Here are five questions about how the teams will look this season.
1. Will South Carolina go from the final four to missing out altogether?
In a span of just a few years, Frank Martin has taken the South Carolina Gamecocks from the bottom of the SEC to the Final Four. The problem is the team loses a ton of talent, including Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier. There was a desperate attempt to get immediate help via grad transfers this summer, but SC was rebuffed each time. If Delaware transfer Kory Holden isn’t as advertised, things could get ugly.
2. Who breaks out in the SEC?
There’s a number of teams in the league that we’ve been waiting to burst onto the scene. Teams like Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Mississippi State have made big named coaching hires in the past few seasons and have accumulated top-100 players along the way.
Up to this point, none of the teams have made legitimate runs towards getting an NCAA bid. There are expectations for each of these teams this year and it’ll be interesting to see who steps up.
3. Who becomes the star of Kentucky?
The Wildcats are once again a top-five team with a number of lottery picks on its roster. But who is the best player on the team? Last season De’Aaron Fox was the most consistent player on the roster. For this season, it seems there isn’t that bonafide star like an Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns.
But the cupboard isn’t bare with a number of five-star prospects ready to step in. Kevin Knox has been the most talked about player, but Hamadou Diallo could have an advantage having spent the spring semester with the team.
4. Does Florida have enough offense for a final four run?
Kentucky is the favorite to win the SEC, but the Gators aren’t too far behind. They were on equal footing with the Wildcats last season and went to the Elite Eight before falling to conference foe South Carolina. This time around they come into the season around the top ten and have the size and defense needed to win games in March. The only concern would be if the offense is on par with some of the more high-powered scoring teams in the country.
5. Can the Porter brothers carry Missouri to the NCAA tournament?
The real breakout team might be the Missouri Tigers whose top three recruiting class led by possible top pick Michael Porter Jr. makes them an intriguing team. He along with his brother Jontay are instant stars and one and done players.
Next: 10 Predictions for Kentucky basketball
When it comes to the tournament, however, that remains to be seen. Both the supporting cast on this roster as well as the coaching staff themselves still have to prove they can provide the proper assistance to the lottery-bound players. If not, it could be the third year in a row where the eventual No. 1 pick fails to make the NCAA Tournament.