SEC Basketball: Ranking of top 25 players entering 2023-24 season

2. Tolu Smith – Mississippi State

After coming off the bench as a freshman at Western Kentucky, Smith transferred to Mississippi State, becoming a major force for the Bulldogs since the pandemic. He’s been a full-time starter in the frontcourt and has averaged double-digit points per game in each of his last three seasons, culminating in 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last year, a surprise season that ended in a trip to the Big Dance.

Smith plays fantastic basketball in the post, is a great rebounder, and has become ever important for Mississippi State. Unfortunately, he won’t play at least for the first two months of the season, leaving the onus on his teammates to keep the Bulldogs competitive until he’s healed. When he’s back and healthy, Smith is a monster addition for this squad; he led the SEC in field goal percentage last season and will do damage in the paint on both sides of the ball.

1. Wade Taylor IV – Texas A&M

Last season saw Taylor take a major step forward as a sophomore, averaging 16.3 points and 3.9 assists per game. Not only was he fantastic in his first season as the starting point guard, but he helped lead Texas A&M to a surprise 2nd place finish in the SEC. This upcoming season could be even more special for Taylor.

Considered a preseason favorite to win SEC Player of the Year, Taylor is an explosive guard who does damage on both ends of the court. His scoring output doubled as a sophomore and he made nearly 36% of his 3-pointers, though he’s pretty effective driving to the basket as well. Defensively he’s a menace, causing all sorts of problems for the opposition and racking up the steals. Not only has he developed as a scorer and leader, but he also led the SEC in free throw shooting last year.