Vanderbilt – Saben Lee
This year’s Vanderbilt team will be a near-exact replica to that of last season. Yes, Darius Garland is in the NBA, but he only played five games for the Commodores. His injury opened the door for Saben Lee to step in and intake a big step forward his sophomore season.
The 6-foot-2 guard led Vandy in points per game (12.7), assists (3.8) and steals (1.0), all while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from 3.
Vanderbilt didn’t win a single SEC game in 2018-19, but that was in large part due to roster inexperience. With new head coach Jerry Stackhouse and a returning cast familiar with one another, the Commodores will take a step forward next season with Lee running the floor once again.
Georgia – Rayshaun Hammonds
In his first year at the helm, Tom Crean’s Georgia Bulldogs struggled in conference play. But there were a few bright spots that came out of his first season, one of which was the stark improvement of then-sophomore Rayshaun Hammonds.
Returning for his junior year, Hammonds nearly doubled his points total from a season ago without any minutes change. He broke out as Georgia’s second-leading scorer, finishing the year with 12.1 points and 6.1 rebounds on 49.2 percent shooting in just 24.3 minutes per game. He was extremely efficient and even flashed a decent 3-point stroke (36.6 percent).
A late-season injury sidelined Hammonds for the last few games, but it should not hinder his performance or playing time come the Bulldogs’ season opener. Expect Hammonds to take on more playing time and see his game round out even more.
Crean brings in a top-10 recruiting class headlined by No. 2 prospect Anthony Edwards. Pair the youthful talent with Hammonds’ veteran leadership and Georgia could make much more noise than a season ago.
Missouri – Jeremiah Tilmon
Even with the departure of leading scorer Jordan Geist, Missouri returns the majority of its rotation and add transfer Dru Smith, who’s now eligible. A step forward is expected out of the Tigers and head coach Cuonzo Martin has explicitly said he expects one man to step up and lead this team: center Jeremiah Tilmon.
The now-junior finished last season averaging 10.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in just 24.2 minutes per game. Tilmon declared for the NBA Draft, only to return, and has worked on ironing out some of the kinks in his game, like foul trouble.
When on the floor, Tilmon is one of the better post players and is an extremely efficient scorer — 54.5 field-goal percentage in 2018-19. He’ll be the key for Missouri as the Tigers look to make the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year.