SEC Basketball Preseason Power Rankings

We did it, y'all!

College basketball is officially back in our lives. This is a great month for sports fans. College football and the NFL are in full swing. There are many NBA and NHL regular season games on television. And now? College hoops!

There are still a few weeks until the major non-conference tournaments begin, but these tune-up games will still be entertaining. Finally, in the age of the transfer portal, fans have to familiarize themselves with several new players on their teams.

How are the 16 SEC teams doing as the 2024-25 regular season begins? Here are our preseason power rankings:

16. Vanderbilt

Michigan State transfer AJ Hoggard is suspended for the start of the season but should be an important player in Nashville. Other than him, the squad is pretty mediocre. Devin McGlockton transfer to Boston College could be interesting I think.

15.Oklahoma

Kobe Elvis is a first-team all-college basketball player. After moving from Dayton to Norman, he is also expected to take on a leadership role on this team. Jalon Moore will need to take his game to another level after averaging 11.1 points last season if the Sooners want to achieve anything in SEC play.

14. LSU

Derek Fountain and Jalen Reed have both been at LSU for several years, so working together at the position should work well. What is exciting, however, are the transfers in LSU's backfield. Cam Carter averaged 14.6 points last year at Kansas State and Jordan Sears scored a whopping 21.6 points per contest last season at Tennessee-Martin.

13. Georgia

Freshman Asa Newell could be an immediate contributor. Silas Demary is back for another year at the guard position. Tyrin Lawrence is an interesting transfer player from Vanderbilt. However, there isn't much depth for the Bulldogs this year.

12. Mizzou

Mark Mitchell (Duke) and Josh Gray (South Carolina) give the Tigers intriguing depth depth. Tony Perkins is from Iowa and will likely be this team's leading scorer. Jacob Crews could also be a volume scorer. At the very least, this team will be better than last year's Tigers.

11. Mississippi State

This is my dark horse candidate to make some noise in the SEC this year. Kanye Clary comes from Penn State, where he averaged 16.7 points per game last year. Josh Hubbard is ready for a second year as the team's star. Cameron Matthews is back to stabilize the position. Riley Kugel (Florida) and RJ Melendez (Georgia) provide the Bulldogs with two fascinating wingers. Playing in Starkville won't be easy this year.

10.South Carolina

Jamarii Thomas is an important name to watch in Colombia this year. The Norfolk State transfer averaged 16.9 points per game last season. This team also returns some key players from last year in Myles Stute, Collin Murray-Boyles and Zachary Davis. They know the Lamont Paris system and can help the new people get up to speed.

9. Ole Miss

Keep an eye on Sean Pedulla as a potential major transfer in the SEC. He comes to Oxford after spending the last three years at Virginia Tech. Last year he averaged 16.4 points per game. If he can perform at this level for the Rebels, this team could end up in the top half of the league.

8.Texas

The Longhorns are expected to be a transfer-heavy team this year. Jordan Pope (Oregon State), Tramon Mark (Houston/Arkansas), Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State/Creighton) and Kadin Shedrick (Virginia) should all start for this team. Shedrick was in Austin last year, but all the other guys are new. Rodney Terry will have a lot of work to do to get this unit ready for SEC action.

7.Florida

Yes, this should be a solid team led by Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, FAU transfer Alijah Martin and others, but let's be honest. We all want to see 6-foot-2 Olivier Rioux enter the Florida program as a freshman. There aren't many guys who can outplay Zach Edey, but Rioux fits that bill. Can he contribute this year? We'll see.

6.Kentucky

The Mark Pope era begins in Lexington. Kentucky will likely have a starting lineup comprised entirely of transfer players. Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and Amari Williams (Drexel) should all see significant minutes for the Wildcats. Butler is an experienced leader and Robinson knows Pope, who comes to Kentucky from BYU. Look for these guys to lead the way from the backcourt in this new era of Big Blue Basketball.

5.Arkansas

FAU's Johnell Davis was a huge asset to coach John Calipari in his first season at Arkansas. The rest of this roster also has talent, including holdover Trevon Brazile. DJ Wagner came from Kentucky with Coach Cal. Boogie Fland could/should be an all-rounder. Jonas Aidoo provides a defensive presence in the middle after transferring from Tennessee. This is an intriguing team and I expect Calipari to be very motivated to finish ahead of Kentucky in the standings.

4. Texas A&M

Wade Taylor IV is my top choice for SEC Player of the Year. And I'm not even sure it's really a dark choice. He is a first-team All-SEC preseason guy. Henry Coleman is back for what feels like his twelfth year of college basketball. He will provide experienced leadership. Zhuric Phelps comes from SMU and wants to have a second shooter alongside Taylor. If Manny Obaseki can take another step forward this year, the Aggies can be a really good team.

3. Tennessee

The loss of Dalton Knecht will of course hurt a lot. But the cupboard isn't bare in Knoxville. Zakai Zeigler could be a first-team All-SEC player by the end of the year. Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara and Charlotte's Igor Milicic's new-look frontcourt may take some time to gel, but if everything falls into place for Rick Barnes and Co., I expect the Vols to be back in the top three. teams belonging to the league.

2. Auburn

The Tigers return Johni Broome, perhaps the best big man in the entire SEC. Furman's JP Pegues could be the next Wendell Green guy. Georgia Tech's Miles Kelly should be a big contributor. Denver Jones will have another year of experience. This is a strong, experienced starting lineup.

1.Alabama

Mark Sears is the SEC's preseason player of the year. The Crimson Tide acquired big man Clifford Omoruyi from Rutgers this offseason to partner Grant Nelson. Latrell Wrightsell is a devastating 3-point shooter when healthy. Nate Oats once again has a talented squad. Considering this team made a Final Four run last year, there's a lot to like in Tuscaloosa.