SEC Basketball is perennially one of the most talented leagues in the country. How are some of the lesser known NBA Draft prospects and their potential at the next level?
Until 2016, SEC Basketball was a laughingstock–a doormat for the dorky college basketball media’s corny jokes and irreverent disposition. This particular hemisphere of the United States presented an utter wasteland dominated by two grinning old men with slicked-back gray hair: Billy Donovan and John Calipari. They were the IRS of the SEC: their tax was a loss, and to be a citizen of the conference, you must lose to Florida and Kentucky.
Donovan was the league veteran with two national titles under his belt and a professional coaching career in his headlights. Calipari, on the other hand, while older, was the flashy newcomer who recruited the league’s only five-stars and simply out-talented everyone else.
Fast forward to 2019 and the Southeastern Conference has sprouted into easily the nation’s second-most talented conference with an argument for first in terms of raw NBA talent. Each team in the SEC has taken significant strides over the past half-decade in basketball, with new and improved coaching hires at all but Kentucky. The coaching has never been better, and now, neither has the recruiting.
Last year, SEC programs landed more ESPN Top 100 players than any other conference, and by a wide margin. The refocus on basketball excellence within the league has not only provided fans with lightyears-better content but has helped produced some elite talent at the next level. Just this season, more than 25 guys from the conference have declared for the NBA Draft and many with a real chance at being selected.
Here, though, are some of the biggest decisions left and whether you should buy stock in their pro potential:
Stats are from Sportsreference.com