SEC Basketball: Top 15 players entering 2020-21 season

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 21: Keyontae Johnson #11, Tre Mann #1, and Scottie Lewis #23 of the Florida Gators look on against the Utah State Aggies during the second half of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at BB&T Center on December 21, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

5 of 12

JaVonte Smart LSU Basketball Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

8. G Ja’Vonte Smart, LSU

It was probably a smart decision for Ja’Vonte Smart to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to LSU for his junior season (pretty clever, huh?). He’ll now have the opportunity to establish himself as one of the best guards in both the SEC and the country.

Smart became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2019-20. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game, proving himself to be a strong all-around player. He was also durable, playing in 1,061 minutes over the course of the season.

Still, it was easy for Smart to get lost in the shuffle, at least from the perspective of a narrative – after all, senior Skylar Mays was one of the best players in the conference last season. Sharing a backcourt with Mays makes everybody look good.

When comparing the sophomore seasons of Smart and Mays, however, it’s the former that begins to show a higher ceiling. Mays was Second Team All-SEC as a junior, so that should be considered a potential floor for Smart this year.

Smart may not even be the best player on his own roster again in 2020-21 (more on that in a second). But it seems he’s just fine developing into a superstar away from the national spotlight.

Home/SEC