10. Oklahoma Sooners
Porter Moser needs results after a 6-12 SEC record despite reaching the NCAA Tournament. He’s 74-59 overall in Norman, but the pressure is rising for consistent postseason success.
11. Texas Longhorns
Sean Miller returns to the sidelines in Austin, replacing Rodney Terry. Losing Tre Johnson hurts, but the backcourt trio of Jordan Pope, Tramon Mark, and Simeon Wilcher offers plenty of scoring punch. The question is how fast they’ll mesh under Miller’s system.
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Josh Hubbard is the heart of the Bulldogs after earning first-team All-SEC honors. Mississippi State will need other contributors to emerge to make another NCAA Tournament push. They open at home against North Alabama on November 5.
13. Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt could swing either way. Tyler Tanner, Devin McGlockton, and Tyler Nickel return from last year’s NCAA squad, but nearly the entire roster has turned over. KenPom’s high early projection makes them an intriguing dark horse.