| MBB/WBB Switching gears to basketball, how do you see the SEC shaking out this season?

Brandon Van de Graaff

Brandon Van de Graaff

A defensive deity, inventor of the Concussion.
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I've watched less (non-Bama) basketball up to this point than I usually do, so I don't have a great feel for most of the rest of the SEC. I do think 4-5 teams will battle it out for the top spot. I'm interested in seeing how Ole Miss does in conference play... will Beard have them near the top in year 1? Kentucky looks really good from what little I have seen of them, but again, that's not much. auburn is going to hold serve at home IMO, and they'll be a tough out on the road most nights too. Tennessee's style, and their roster, are made for a conference title run... but I don't see them making much noise in March. Arkansas is a wild card... feels like the last couple of years they should have had better results on the court, but they seem to get things figured out ok on the backend of SEC play and in March. A&M actually seems to overachieve on the court, but when they get hot, they get hot... I like Buzz Williams for some reason. Alabama should be able to score most nights, but not sure they can score enough to defend their title. My stab in the dark at how they'll finish the regular season...

1. Tennessee
2. auburn
3. Kentucky
4. Texas A&M
5. Arkansas
6. Alabama
7. Ole Miss
---Don't really care after that---

SEC play starts on Saturday...
 
Brandon Van de Graaff said:
I've watched less (non-Bama) basketball up to this point than I usually do, so I don't have a great feel for most of the rest of the SEC. I do think 4-5 teams will battle it out for the top spot. I'm interested in seeing how Ole Miss does in conference play... will Beard have them near the top in year 1? Kentucky looks really good from what little I have seen of them, but again, that's not much. auburn is going to hold serve at home IMO, and they'll be a tough out on the road most nights too. Tennessee's style, and their roster, are made for a conference title run... but I don't see them making much noise in March. Arkansas is a wild card... feels like the last couple of years they should have had better results on the court, but they seem to get things figured out ok on the backend of SEC play and in March. A&M actually seems to overachieve on the court, but when they get hot, they get hot... I like Buzz Williams for some reason. Alabama should be able to score most nights, but not sure they can score enough to defend their title. My stab in the dark at how they'll finish the regular season...

1. Tennessee
2. auburn
3. Kentucky
4. Texas A&M
5. Arkansas
6. Alabama
7. Ole Miss
---Don't really care after that---

SEC play starts on Saturday...
Click to expand...
Probably close in terms of the top 6-7 teams. It may be in a different order but the same group of teams. Hard to count out Kentucky when they have the pieces in place. I think Bama could end up higher but it really will comes down to their improvement on the D end especially around the rim. Need the Freshmen to improve and contribute in a big way.
 
Florida, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State are three teams that could really wreck a lot of shit this season. Ole Miss did beat Memphis, but their schedule was light. Beard is an excellent coach though and they'll no doubt be tough. I'd say Florida has a good chance to make some noise, but take a look at their conference schedule - it's not easy.

Arkansas has struggled in the OOC before and turned it up come conference play, but this doesn't seem like your typical Musselman squad. Like us, they've really got some defensive issues that aren't easy to fix. As it sits right now, they're 289th in scoring D (Alabama is 280th).

Aggies have their best team under Buzz, but they're surprisingly not playing well on D against good offenses. Also, their due to their style of play, they're going to drop some head scratchers.

Really, it's probably just Kentucky and Tennessee this season. And with the way Cal has dominated Rick Barnes, I'd give them the edge. Kentucky also has finally adjusted to a more modern offense under Cal and that's pretty scary. But as we all know, unfortunately you can never count out Pearl and auburn. Give credit where it's due. He assembled a better roster in the offseason and they're playing tough on both sides. Holloway, Williams, and Jones are three guys that will give any team fits.

Then there's us - a battle tested team with the best offense in the country, but limitations on D. I'm really not sure where we're going to finish. We could easily be 4th or finish 7th or 8th. That said, we have a very manageable SEC schedule to start. We open with Vanderbilt and South Carolina, then a road trip to Mississippi State, and back home vs Missouri. We'll have plenty of Q1 opportunities in the latter portion of our schedule. Estrada is really going to have to play consistently and be that second threat to alleviate pressure from Sears. It's been an up and down sophomore campaign for Griffen. What would really make Alabama dangerous is if Jarin Stevenson kept progressing to the point he becomes a better threat inside and could help us on the boards. He has been really soft IMO at attacking the glass when he's on the court. But he's also very young.

My shit prediction:

1. Kentucky
2. auburn
3. Tennessee
4. Mississippi State
5. Alabama
6. Texas A&M
7. Ole Miss
8. Arkansas
9-14 WGAF
 
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See us finishing somewhere in that 5-7 range to be honest, unless Oats can find or has found a solid and consistent 8-9 player rotation. We also have to defend WITHOUT fouling!!! Move your damn feet and stop reaching and grabbing!!
 
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This team has a pretty high ceiling in my opinion. This team stood toe to toe with Purdue, Creighton and Arizona and all away from home and two true road games. The parity in college basketball is the most I have ever seen with any team getting hot at the right time standing a chance to go far in the tourney this year. There are some young contributors on this team and this team has only been together for a limited time due all the attrition.

I am willing to give this team a chance but if the dominoes were to fall just right, I can see this team contending but not likely winning the SEC. Maybe as high as 3rd? Hoping for even better.
 
bamafan4ever said:
This team has a pretty high ceiling in my opinion. This team stood toe to toe with Purdue, Creighton and Arizona and all away from home and two true road games. The parity in college basketball is the most I have ever seen with any team getting hot at the right time standing a chance to go far in the tourney this year. There are some young contributors on this team and this team has only been together for a limited time due all the attrition.

I am willing to give this team a chance but if the dominoes were to fall just right, I can see this team contending but not likely winning the SEC. Maybe as high as 3rd? Hoping for even better.
Click to expand...

If they can continue to get better on defense, and guys like Pringle and Wague can guard but also stay in games that go down to the wire when they're needed, then UA will make some noise again within the league. I do expect them to get into the NCAA tournament... and I actually feel ok about them at that point... at least in terms of the guards, scoring potential, and how well the team should be meshed by then. If they can get into it with hot shooting, they will be a team nobody wants to matchup with. [A lot if if's in all that, but...]
 
Bammerboy321 said:
What's annoying as hell is that TN player, Vescovi, has been there for 20 something years now. Cannot stand that guy. Gets away with more push offs than any player in basketball.
Click to expand...

Their style grates me... and I like very few fouls called for the most part... but they turn it into a rugby match and it almost always gets called in their favor... in the regular season anyway...
 

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