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

12. Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

Now entering his junior year, Zeigler looks forward to a healthy run as an upperclassman. He’s been a menace as the Volunteer’s point guard, though injury knocked him out of the tail end of their season last year, missing their run to the Sweet Sixteen. When healthy, Zeigler was good for 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, though his shooting numbers did take a bit of a hit as a sophomore.

Zeigler isn’t out there to score 20 points a night; he’s one of the best defensive point guards in the entire nation. He led the SEC in assists and defensive ratings last season and has racked up steals at an impressive rate. There are a few new faces around him on this Tennessee rotation and Zeigler will be counted upon as a ball handler and distributor as this offense hopes to take strides in the right direction. A healthy Zeigler in the postseason means the world to Rick Barnes and company.

11. Justin Edwards – Kentucky

Part of the nation’s top recruiting class, Edwards is a 5-star forward from Philadelphia who is expected to be a major force in basketball for years to come, even though that likely includes just a single season under John Calipari. He was a menace at the high school level and is expected to be a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft eight months from now.

Edwards is an active athletic forward who can score from all over the court, with his size and length putting him in that position. Even though he’s a freshman, you can expect him to make a certain impact on offense, especially in the middle of the court. He’s still working on becoming stronger, but he still rates as an above average rebounder who can do the little things on both sides of the ball.