SEC Basketball 2009-2010

[Geauxtigahs11 1]

First tier: (top 20) UT, MSU, UK :-although UT and State are top 15, UK is top 5.

Second Tier- (top 40) LSU, UF, Vandy, Ole Miss

????: AU, UGA, Bama, Arkansas- I don't know much about this group. I do know that Arkasnas culd be really good, but Pelphrey might prevent that... he's a big mystery. Auburn lost a good bit of starters. UGA is rebuilding. Bama is probably rebuilding (not sure); I'm sure that talented freshmen returned, and I'm positive they have a talented freshmen coming in.

It looks to me like the East is a power keg, and the West just has Miss. State. This State team would win teh past two seasons, but UK looks too good right now.

Predictions:

East

1. UK- Elite 8-bound. If you can believe it, their 2011 class is supposed to be even more ridiculous. UK is back, unfortunetly.

2. UT- They should be really good, but I don't like Pearl.

3. South Carolina They're interchangeable. The East is sick.

4.Vandy- Ogilvy is back, and they supoosedly have a freshmen stud coming in.

5. UF- If Calathes was returning, they'd jump Vandy.

6.UGA- "The Black Sheep of the East"

West

1. Miss. State- Whole roster returning along with the assitions of Reik (7'2) and Rinardo Sydney (5-star PF). VARNADO IS BACK.

2. Ole Miss- Reutrns the three huge loses they suffered real early in teh season and return Terico White

3. LSU-good starting five, but absolutely no bench

4. Arkansas-I only put them above the Alabama schools because they were exceptionally young and still beat Texas and OU. They might return to that form.

5. Bama- Grant will right the ship-just not now.

6. Auburn- I only going by the posts here saying you guys were the oldest team in the SEC. That's not good.

thoughts? I know it's real early to talk SEC Basketball, but this part of the board seemed dead.

[autigeremt 6,657]

East

1. UK

2. UT

3. USC

4. UF

5. Vandy

6. UGA

West

1. Miss. State

2. Ole Miss

3. LSU

4. Auburn

5. Arkansas

6. Bama

Toss up for the bottom of both, but these are my picks.

[Geauxtigahs11 1]

East

1. UK

2. UT

3. USC

4. UF

5. Vandy

6. UGA

West

1. Miss. State

2. Ole Miss

3. LSU

4. Auburn

5. Arkansas

6. Bama

Toss up for the bottom of both, but these are my picks.

I agree, except that UGA is the clear-cut loser of the East. I only put AU last because I really know the least about them. I do remember, however, a posters on here saying you guys will be rebuilding big-time. LSU is rebuilding, but we still have a talented starting five. Ole Miss gets those three starters they lost for the season last year with Terico White, and State returns their WHOLE roster and a a 7'2 center (Reik) and five-star recruit Rinardo Sydney. Who would've thought the Mississippi schools would ever headline the West in basketball?

[SLAG-91 1,483]

Well, we are closer to football season than basketball, so I wouldn't expect a great deal of traffic here, but you're right, this particular board is fairly slow...and if we're struggling, it'll need dusting off by February.

The SEC will almost have to be a better league in '09-'10 than it was in '08-'09...3 tournament teams last year was a low water mark since the field expanded to 64.

I think we missed a real chance last year to make the NCAAs with the experience we had. We were one of the oldest teams in the league and didn't really take advantage of that...NIT was progress, no doubt, but it should not be a destination with which we should be satisfied.

UK has more talent than anyone in the league...I could see them stubbing their toe a little bit early on due to youth, but by the end of the season, I expect them to be really good. I'll be very surprised if they don't win the East and the whole SEC.

I'll be even more surprised if MSU doesn't win the West...Varnado coming back puts them head and shoulders above anyone else in the division. emt's prediction of 4th in the West sounds about right...I don't think we'll fall all the way to the basement, but we do have a lot of production to replace. It would be a huge help if Johnnie Lett could get healthy and contribute.

I'm guardedly optimistic...looking forward to seeing who's on the non-conference slate this year.

[Geauxtigahs11 1]

Well, we are closer to football season than basketball, so I wouldn't expect a great deal of traffic here, but you're right, this particular board is fairly slow...and if we're struggling, it'll need dusting off by February.

The SEC will almost have to be a better league in '09-'10 than it was in '08-'09...3 tournament teams last year was a low water mark since the field expanded to 64.

I think we missed a real chance last year to make the NCAAs with the experience we had. We were one of the oldest teams in the league and didn't really take advantage of that...NIT was progress, no doubt, but it should not be a destination with which we should be satisfied.

UK has more talent than anyone in the league...I could see them stubbing their toe a little bit early on due to youth, but by the end of the season, I expect them to be really good. I'll be very surprised if they don't win the East and the whole SEC.

I'll be even more surprised if MSU doesn't win the West...Varnado coming back puts them head and shoulders above anyone else in the division. emt's prediction of 4th in the West sounds about right...I don't think we'll fall all the way to the basement, but we do have a lot of production to replace. It would be a huge help if Johnnie Lett could get healthy and contribute.

I'm guardedly optimistic...looking forward to seeing who's on the non-conference slate this year.

There. I edited with thoughts on the teams.

Coach Johnson must think we're gonna be pretty good this year. LSU starts off in the NIT.

[SLAG-91 1,483]

We were junior and senior-heavy last year...Barber, Barrett, Robertson, Waller, Hargrove, Reed and Knox.

Frankie Sullivan was the only FR/SO to play any significant (i.e. more than mop-up) minutes last year.

Waller, Hargrove and Reed (all SRs in '09-'10) are the most experienced returnees...Brendan Knox (also a SR this coming year) will need to really take charge and have a breakout year if we're going to compete...we've been so undersized for so long and we desperately need someone who can rebound now that Vot is gone. Lett has the potential to help out there, too, if he's healthy.

Hopefully the OU transfer, Tony Neysmith (a SO), can step in and contribute after sitting out last season.

I hope every single player is shooting at least 200 FTs a day...I get frustrated beyond belief when I see us piss away 8, 10, 12 points a game because we're hitting around 60% from the line. As much as Dewayne Reed is going to be handling the ball, he needs to be better than 61% from the line.