Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: 5 bold predictions for 2020-21 season

By Trevor Sinodhinos

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 12: A worker takes a cooler off of the court after the announcement of the cancellation of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The tournament has been cancelled due to the growing concern about the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 12: A worker takes a cooler off of the court after the announcement of the cancellation of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The tournament has been cancelled due to the growing concern about the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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SEC Basketball
SEC Basketball Auburn Tigers mascot (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Auburn will be in the bottom third of the conference

Auburn Basketball finished 12-6 last season, placing them in second place, three games behind Kentucky. The Tigers tallied up the victories in conference play in part due to their aggressive style. Bruce Pearl’s team led the SEC in offensive rebounding and free-throws made per game.

An aggressive, physical style is expected when five contributing players are seniors, four of which start. The 2020-21 season is looking to be much different, and the Tigers will be fortunate to go 6-12.

Teams playing 18 conference games is yet to be determined, but as expected from a team that benefitted from a surplus of seniors, the Tigers will struggle the following season. When one adds the early departure of Isaac Okoro to the NBA Draft, the Tigers are losing their six top scorers who combined for an average of 67.2 points per game.

Despite the loss of production, Auburn still received eight votes to the AP Preseason Top 25, and in the SEC released pre-season media poll the Tigers were slotted seventh.

Any success Auburn fans hope to have will rely on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index’s (RSCI) No.8 ranked freshman class that is highlighted by Sharife Cooper and J.T. Thor. In a conference that features No. 10 Kentucky, No. 12 Tennessee, LSU who came up 14 votes shy, Florida receiving 69, and Alabama (50), it should be expected that an inexperienced Tigers’ team will be battling with Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Missouri in the bottom third of the SEC all season.

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