SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

A case can be made that SEC Basketball has emerged as one of the top conferences in the sport. The era of elite head coaching hires, followed by an uptick in recruiting, has elevated several programs to the point where blue-blood Kentucky isn’t the clear favorite to win the league anymore. Last season, despite a few teams having down years, six programs made the NCAA Tournament, with Arkansas making it furthest to the Elite 8.

“6” is also the number of head coaching hires that were made this offseason, including one coach going from one program to another. There are plenty of storylines going on with each program, including several with genuine Final Four aspirations. But which of them is No. 1? Check out this preseason power ranking for the SEC.

The Commodores are without star point guard Scotty Pippen, who averaged over 20 ppg and 4.0 apg last season as one of the best players in SEC Basketball. It’s a huge loss for a team that doesn’t have much talent on paper. The hope is that Ezra Manjon, who averaged 15.0 ppg last season at UC-Davis and is a three-time All-Big West player, can somewhat replace Pippen’s production on the perimeter.

Jordan Wright is the lone returning double-digit scorer and may have to move up to being the No. 1 scoring option this season. And alongside returning starting forward Quentin Millora-Brown is a healthy Liam Robbins, a 7’0 center who missed half of last season with an injury. When healthy, Robbins is a capable interior defender, who Vanderbilt will need in the SEC.

The development of returning players such as Tyrin Lawrence, Myles Stute, and Trey Thomas, along with five incoming freshmen, will determine how competitive the Commodores will be this upcoming season. The bottom of the conference got better this offseason and this team lost a star in Pippen. Head coach Jerry Stackhouse has his work cut out for him.