SEC’s historically good men’s basketball race is on — predicting 2 months of hoops ecstasy

To the SEC sports fans who are sick of rattling off the leagues recent national championship and NFL Draft history in arguments about hypothetical matchups while the actual postseason results disappoint: Try shifting the conversation to mens basketball.

And dont miss one of the great days of competition in Southeastern Conference history.

That would be Saturday, the first day of league play, with 16 teams playing eight games, all of them good.

Some of them great.

Three of them spectacular.

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6 Florida at No.

10 Kentucky, No.

12 Oklahoma at No.

5 Alabama, No.

23 Arkansas at No.

1 Tennessee, Texas at No.

13 Texas A&M, Missouri at No.

2 Auburn, South Carolina at No.

17 Mississippi State, Georgia at No.

24 Ole Miss and Vanderbilt at LSU starting at 11 a.m.

(ET) and wrapping up around 10 p.m., all nationally televised add up to nirvana in early January.

How about the best single day of conference play in mens basketball history, with several ahead that could match or exceed? Have we switched from hypothetical to hyperbolic? There are ACC and old Big East single-day slates from decades past that would like a word.

The NCAA Tournament ultimately will determine the 2024-25 Southeastern Conferences place among the best leagues the sport has seen in a single season.

But the nonconference performance puts the SEC in rare air and puts tremendous value on the banner(s) that will be earned in the next two months of basketball.

So I went through and predicted every game and the SEC winner(s), in a race that will see atmospheres to match the level of play, before neutral sites and more casual eyeballs join the party.

The SEC is destined to break the Big Easts 2011 record of 11 teams with NCAA Tournament bids; went 185-23 against nonleague competition; has five of the top 13 teams and all 16 in the top 64 in Ken Pomeroys rankings; and has four of the top nine and 15 of 16 teams in the top 52 of the NET rankings.

In other words, a road win against any team in the SEC other than South Carolina is a Quadrant 1 win.

Add that to the pile of absurdities.

The only quibble with a league that got stronger with the football-forced additions of Oklahoma and Texas is that it plays only 18 conference games.

That means every team plays three opponents twice and the other 12 once.

Thats where separation is possible in the race.

Not that theres a true night off to be found.

Did that sound too much like an SEC coach? Coaches in every league make that claim every year.

These guys will be hyperbole-free when they do it.

The numbers for SEC basketball in its 208 non-conference games this season: 185-23 overall record 88.9% winning percentage 28-19 in Q1 games 19-3 in Q2 games 45-14 in neutral court games 21-8 vs.

AP top 25 (most wins ever) 59-19 vs.

ACC/B10/B12/Big...

Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell) December 31, 2024 1.

Auburn Tigers Record: 12-1 Rankings: NET 1, KenPom 1, AP 2 Big wins: Houston , Iowa State , Purdue Bad losses: Losing at Duke definitely doesnt count.

SEC double plays: Alabama , Georgia , Ole Miss Projected SEC record and finish: 14-4, tied for first Projected NCAA seed: 1 Outlook: Bruce Pearls team should be considered the favorite to win the whole thing, led by the best player in college basketball, do-it-all forward Johni Broome .

This is the most efficient offense, with a top-15 defense, but that doesnt mean the Tigers will get through the road rigors of this league unscathed.

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Tennessee Volunteers Record: 13-0 Rankings: NET 2, KenPom 4, AP 1 Big wins: at Illinois, Baylor , at Louisville Bad losses: Joins Florida and Oklahoma as the only unbeaten teams left in the sport.

SEC double plays: Kentucky , Florida, Vanderbilt Projected SEC record and finish: 14-4, tied for first Projected NCAA seed: 1 Outlook: This is another overwhelming Rick Barnes defensive team Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler are both National Defensive Player of the Year candidates and North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier is a key to the Vols top-20 offensive efficiency.

Hes producing, if not highlight-reeling, like Dalton Knecht .

3.

Alabama Crimson Tide Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 9, KenPom 9, AP 5 Big wins: Houston, Illinois, at North Carolina Bad losses: Losing at Purdue and to Oregon by a bucket at a neutral site definitely dont count.

SEC double plays: Auburn , Kentucky, Mississippi State Projected SEC record and finish: 13-5, third Projected NCAA seed: 2 Outlook: Like Auburn and Tennessee , Alabama is good enough to win a national championship.

The Crimson Tide still look as talented as anyone on paper, but the defense has some work to do.

That and a rough schedule leave Nate Oats team just shy of the top two.

4.

Florida Gators Record: 13-0 Rankings: NET 4, KenPom 6, AP 6 Big wins: at Florida State , North Carolina, Arizona State Bad losses: Joins Tennessee and Oklahoma as the only unbeaten teams left in the sport.

SEC double plays: Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina Projected SEC record and finish: 12-6, fourth Projected NCAA seed: 3 Outlook: This might be the best backcourt in the country, the senior trio of Walter Clayton Jr.

, Alijah Martin and Will Richard .

A nonleague strength of schedule of 220 leaves some questions about whether the Gators can hang with the best in this league for two months.

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Kentucky Wildcats Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 18, KenPom 22, AP 10 Big wins: Duke, Gonzaga Bad losses: Ohio State is a quality team, but losing by 20 was disappointing.

SEC double plays: Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt Projected SEC record and finish: 11-7, tied for fifth Projected NCAA seed: 3 Outlook: Mark Pope has breathed instant excitement into a program that was ready for a change, and his five-out offense built around the 3-point shot is a joy to watch especially as executed by this brand-new roster of veterans.

The Ohio State game did raise some defensive questions.

6.

Arkansas Razorbacks Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 41, KenPom 39, AP 23 Big wins: Michigan Bad losses: Baylor and Illinois dont qualify.

SEC double plays: LSU , Texas, Missouri Projected SEC record and finish: 11-7, tied for fifth Projected NCAA seed: 4 Outlook: Well of course John Caliparis new team and old team are going to finish tied in the standings.

Too bad they play only once, in Lexington.

The Razorbacks are too talented to be outside the top 50 in offensive efficiency, but thats where they are and Kentucky fans know that refrain well.

7.

Texas A&M Aggies Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 20, KenPom 13, AP 13 Big wins: Texas Tech , Purdue, Ohio State Bad losses: Oregon and at UCF dont qualify.

SEC double plays: Texas, Oklahoma, LSU Projected SEC record and finish: 11-7, tied for fifth Projected NCAA seed: 4 Outlook: So yes, this makes seven top-four seeds for the league, which should be a lot of fun for the committee to bracket.

And maybe this is selling the Aggies a bit short considering their relatively favorable double plays.

Wade Taylor IV needs a bit more help for a great defensive team to elevate offensively.

8.

Ole Miss Rebels Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 39, KenPom 32, AP 24 Big wins: BYU , by 23 points at Louisville Bad losses: A last-second heartbreaker against Purdue doesnt count and neither does a loss at Memphis, though it got away and ended up a 17-point loss.

SEC double plays: Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU Projected SEC record and finish: 10-8, tied for eighth Projected NCAA seed: 7 Advertisement Outlook: Virginia Tech transfer point guard Sean Pedulla has teamed nicely with Jaylen Murray to give the Rebels nearly 28 points and eight assists per game.

Can this team be rugged enough on the glass and in the paint in this league, though? 9.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Record: 12-1 Rankings: NET 19, KenPom 23, AP 17 Big wins: at Pittsburgh, at Memphis, at SMU Bad losses: Butler SEC double plays: Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina Projected SEC record and finish: 10-8, tied for eighth Projected NCAA seed: 6 Outlook: Josh Hubbard picked up where his fantastic freshman season left off, and hes got three other scorers in double figures taking pressure off him, including Florida transfer Riley Kugel .

A 6-1 road/neutral record entering SEC play is an indication that Chris Jans has another tough team.

10.

Oklahoma Sooners Record: 13-0 Rankings: NET 43, KenPom 40, AP 12 Big wins: Michigan, Arizona Bad losses: Joins Florida and Tennessee as the only unbeaten teams left in the sport.

SEC double plays: Texas , Texas A&M, Missouri Projected SEC record and finish: 8-10, 10th Projected NCAA seed: 8 Outlook: Freshman guard Jeremiah Fears has changed the math for Porter Mosers fourth Oklahoma team.

Theres some pressure on Moser to finally get the Sooners an NCAA bid, and the gifted Fears is not letting them lose theyve got four wins by five points or fewer, including the win he delivered over Michigan with a four-point play.

11.

Texas Longhorns Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 35, KenPom 34, AP NR Big wins: NC.

State would be the closest to that.

Bad losses: Ohio State and UConn dont qualify.

SEC double plays: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas Projected SEC record and finish: 6-12, tied for 11th Projected NCAA seed: 11 Outlook: This projection is going to require the Longhorns to do some damage in Nashville in the SEC Tournament, but this is the kind of league in which a 6-12 record is not disqualifying, if you have the right six wins.

Like Oklahoma, Texas is introducing one of the best freshmen in the country to the SEC in 6-foot-6 bucket machine Tre Johnson .

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Georgia Bulldogs Record: 12-1 Rankings: NET 27, KenPom 47, AP RV Big wins: St.

Johns Bad losses: Marquette certainly doesnt qualify.

SEC double plays: Florida, Auburn, South Carolina Projected SEC record and finish: 6-12, tied for 11th Projected NCAA seed: 10 Outlook: Georgia makes it a record 12 teams with NCAA Tournament invitations, a much-needed development for third-year coach Mike White.

The Bulldogs arent especially pleasing to the eye, but they play good defense, dominate on the boards and White has lots of depth.

13.

Missouri Tigers Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 49, KenPom 55, AP RV Big wins: Kansas Bad losses: Illinois and at Memphis dont qualify.

SEC double plays: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Vanderbilt Projected SEC record and finish: 6-12, tied for 11th Projected NCAA seed: None Outlook: After a brilliant debut season and a brutal follow-up, Dennis Gates got a huge upset over Kansas in a rivalry football couldnt kill to signify the Tigers are back this season.

Theyve got a top-35 offense with seven players averaging 8.2 points per game or more.

The guess here is this team ends up just on the wrong side of the bubble to keep the SEC from a bakers dozen.

14.

Vanderbilt Commodores Record: 12-1 Rankings: NET 34, KenPom 48, AP NR Big wins: Nevada Bad losses: Drake is not a bad loss.

SEC double plays: Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri Projected SEC record and finish: 5-13, 14th Projected NCAA seed: None Outlook: Mark Byington has a really fun and really interesting first team in Nashville, led by North Texas transfer guard Jason Edwards whom Byington has compared in score-in-bunches panache to Vinny Microwave Johnson.

Unlike his predecessor, Jerry Stackhouse, Byington got his team to play well early.

But this version of the SEC looks like a bit much for the Commodores.

15.

LSU Tigers Record: 11-2 Rankings: NET 52, KenPom 56, AP NR Big wins: UCF Bad losses: Pitt and SMU dont qualify.

SEC double plays: Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M Projected SEC record and finish: 4-14, 15th Projected NCAA seed: None Advertisement Outlook: Matt McMahon has a team with a chance to earn his first bid at LSU in his third season, but the question is offensive efficiency the Tigers are heavily reliant on the shooting of Kansas State transfer Cam Carter and UT Martin transfer Jordan Sears .

The drop-off is steep from the outside after those two.

But this is a top-35 defense and team with tons of length.

16.

South Carolina Gamecocks Record: 10-3 Rankings: NET 86, KenPom 64, AP NR Big wins: Clemson Bad losses: North Florida SEC double plays: Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia Projected SEC record and finish: 3-15, 16th Projected NCAA seed: None Outlook: Lamont Paris led one of the great stories in college basketball last season, a team that nearly won the SEC, but point guard Meechie Johnson Jr.

s decision to return to Ohio State after starring for the Gamecocks last season has been hard to overcome.

Collin Murray-Boyles is one of the best bigs in the league as a sophomore.

This is a solid team.

But solid doesnt cut it in this SEC.

(Photo of Johni Broome: Darryl Oumi / Getty Images).

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