Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Matt Melton

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 12: Juwan Gary #4 and Jahvon Quinerly #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate connecting on a alley oop dunk as head coach Ben Howland of the Mississippi State Bulldogs calls a timeout during the first half of their quarterfinal game in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 12: Juwan Gary #4 and Jahvon Quinerly #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate connecting on a alley oop dunk as head coach Ben Howland of the Mississippi State Bulldogs calls a timeout during the first half of their quarterfinal game in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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SEC Basketball Aundre Hyatt LSU Tigers (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
SEC Basketball Aundre Hyatt LSU Tigers (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

No. 7 – LSU Tigers

LSU has looked very familiar the past couple of seasons, but that could change next season.

The Tigers finished the 2020-2021 season at 19-10 overall, and 3rd in the SEC at 11-6. LSU has already seen three of their four leading scorers announce they were entering the NBA Draft in Trendon Watford, Ja’Vonte Smart, and Darius Days with Cameron Thomas very well doing the same. It’s very possible that LSU will be the most inexperienced team going into next season, but the Tigers will have plenty of talent.

Returning in the backcourt for the Tigers are guards Aundre Hyatt, Jalen Cook, and Eric Gaines, all of who combined to average 9.8 PPG. The Tigers will also add Missouri transfer guard Xavier Pinson, San Jose State transfer guard Seneca Knight, as well as incoming 3-star Brandon Murray.

The frontcourt will be the strength for the Tigers, even despite Watford and Days turning pro. Headlining this group is incoming 4-star Alex Fudge who should lead the Tigers in scoring, while they also return Mwani Wilkinson, Josh LeBlanc, Shareef O’Neal, and Josh Gray. The Tigers also bring in a phenomenal front-court recruiting class including 4-star Jerrell Colbert and 3-star Bradley Ezewiro.

LSU will have to replace nearly 80% of their scoring from last season’s team. While this will not be an easy task to do with virtually unknown players, the Tigers have the talent needed to be one of the top teams in the SEC next season.

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