You won't have the SEC to kick around anymore
Posted: Thursday, June 11, 2009 11:50 PM
Filed Under:
SEC, 2009-10 season previews
The SEC’s basketball woes are over – even if you’re not a Kentucky fan.
Little by little, the league everyone loved to kick around last season (including me), caught some nice breaks this spring, notably with some star recruits choosing SEC schools. You may remember Kentucky’s recruiting class grabbing some attention.
But just as important are the players withdrawing from the NBA draft. They should help the SEC at least double its number of schools in the NCAA tournament from 2009.
Never too early for a little hyperbole. The rundown:
Sue Ogrocki/AP |
Jarvis Varnado
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Tennessee’s Tyler Smith was the latest key player (key, in this case meaning an All-conference guy) to return to school. He merely led the Vols in scoring and assists last season, and ensures they have every significant player back. That’s important, too, because the Vols aren’t even going to be the league’s best team. (Think blue.)
Even if Jodie Meeks stays in draft (he says he’s 50-50), the Wildcats already have big man Patrick Patterson back in Lexington, along with the nation’s top recruiting class. Kentucky will be the league favorite, a Final Four favorite and should lead the nation in column inches and Web links. Yes, once again UK – the SEC’s flagship hoops school and essential to the league’s hoops health – is loaded with talent. Get used to it.
Still, the ‘Cats may not have the conference’s best frontcourt. For that, look in Starkville. Shot swatter Jarvis Varnado is returning (and could break the all-time blocks record). He’ll team with 7-1 freshman John Riek and – if eligible – McDonald’s All-American Renardo Sidney, perhaps the nation’s most skilled big man. When they collide with fellow freshmen and Kentucky recruits Daniel Orton and DeMarcus Cousins, agents and NBA scouts alike will be salivating.
One of the few hits was Florida’s Nick Calathes settling on a contract with a Greek league team (the NBA still isn’t out of the question), but the Gators won’t be in the NIT for the third straight season. Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin is eligible and freshman Kenny Boynton is a game-breaker.
That’s three surefire Top 25 teams and another potentially in the Gators. After that, the SEC has solid young teams in Vanderbilt (remember A.J. Ogilvy?) and Arkansas (unless Patrick Beverly keeps talking).
The league’s top team from ’08-’09 will have forward Tasmin Mitchell back, but the Tigers will likely take a stumble. A little one.
And if South Carolina’s Devan Downey mimics teammate Dominique Archie’s decision to withdraw from the draft, that’s eight teams who’ll be fighting for NCAA bids. Big East, it’s not, but it’s a solid start for a league that needed some hoops hope.
