The Pinnacle of College Hoops

National Rank #36
Projected Postseason- NCAA 1st round loss
2008 Final Record 25-11 (8-8)
2008 Postseason- NCAA 2nd round loss

Key Losses
SG-Dominique Kirk 6′3 190- 8.4ppg 3.6apg 42%FG 41%3pt
C-Joseph Jones 6′9 260- 10.3ppg 5.4ppg 48%FG 69%FT
C-DeAndre Carter 7′0 235- 7.9ppg 6.0rpg 1.3blk 62%FG 44%FT

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Chinemelu Elonu 6′10 225 JR- 2.7ppg 3.0rpg 53%FG 52%FT
PF-Bryan Davis 6′9 245 JR- 8.7ppg 4.9rpg 1.0blk 53%FG 60%FT
SF-Josh Carter 6′6 175 SR- 12.2ppg 3.9rpg 42%FG 39%3pt
SG-Donald Sloan 6′2 190 JR- 9.5ppg 3.4apg 42%FG 28%3pt
PG-Dashan Harris 6′0 175 FR- Top 100 Recruit
Top Bench Players(in order)
PF-David Loubeau 6′8 220 FR- Top 75 Recruit
SG-Derrick Roland 6′4 185 JR- 5.6ppg 1.1apg 44%FG 28%3pt
C-Denzel Bowles 6′9 235 SO- Played Sparingly
SF-Nathan Walkup 6′6 190 SO- Played Sparingly
PG-B.J. Holmes 5′10 160 SO- Played Sparingly
SG-Derek Lewis 6′5 190 SO-Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
The Aggies lose two quality big men from last year in Joseph Jones and DeAndre Jordan.  Jones was a consistent interior scoring threat for four years at A&M and Jordan was an athletic defender and rebounder.  However, A&M still has plenty of options in the front court.  They’re still tall, athletic, can rebound the basketball and should once again be good defensively.
In order for A&M to continue their recent success in basketball they will need a big year out of junior big man Bryan Davis.  Last year Davis came on in a big way and ended up beating out highly prized freshman DeAndre Jordan for starting minutes.  Davis has the ability to be a go to scoring threat in the post.  He has fairly good post moves with his back to the basket, nice hands, good footwork, athleticism and upperbody strength.  He’s also a very underrated defender and a capable rebounder.
The center position will come down to either Elonu or Bowles.  Elonu may be more ready to play.  He has athleticism, size and shot blocking ability in the post but is still raw offensively.  Bowles was a highly recruited big man two years that just had a hard time getting minutes in a crowded front court last year.  However, this year he should see more minutes and would give the Aggies another athletic big man that can rebound, block shots and run the court.
Swing forward Josh Carter is the Aggies best offensive threat from the perimeter.  He’s one of the most lethel shooters on the college level and he’s along athlete that can create problems on the defensive end.  He’s not much of a playmaker though and has yet to master the ability of putting the ball on the floor and creating his own offense.
Other players off the bench that could see minutes are freshman stud David Loubeau and sophomore wing Nathan Walkup.  Loubeau is an intriguing big man because of his athleticism and finishing ability around the rim.  Loubeau has the ability of creating his own offense in the post and if Texas A&M needs scoring he’ll get minutes because he can score the basketball.

Backcourt
The Aggies lose their leader and best perimeter defender in Dominique Kirk.  He was a four year starter and will be very difficult to replace.  Junior guards Donald Sloan and Derrick Roland will need to become leaders and more consistent offensive threats.  Sloan proved last year that he could score the basketball but not at a consistent or efficient rate.  He’s a combo guard that can play either guard spot depending on what the Aggies need. 
If Sloan starts at the point than expect Derrick Roland to get the starting minutes at the other guard spot.  He struggled as a junior with his consistency and shooting and if he contiues to struggle than that will force freshman Dashan Harris into the starting lineup and bump Sloan over to the scoring guard position.  Harris is a pass first year guard that can really create offense for his teammates.  He’s fast, quick and as a pure point guard as you’ll find in this freshman class.  However, he’s not much of a threat to score the basketball.

Final Thoughts
The front court is deep and athletic and the back court has some experience.  This team should be able to once again rebound and defend the basketball at a high rate.  They have perimeter defenders and interior athletes that can block and alter shots.  However, where this tream struggled last year was on the offensive end and they could struggle there once again this year.  They will need Bryan Davis to emerge as a low post scoring threat and for Josh Carter and Donald Sloan to be more consistent scorers from the perimeter.  Freshman lead guard Dashon Harris could be the key though.  Teams that defend and rebound always have a chance at winning enough games to play in March, however, teams that struggle scoring the basketball as much as A&M does also don’t tend to make it all that far in March.

#6 Missouri Tigers

National Rank #48
Projected Postseason- NCAA 1st round loss
2008 Final Record 16-16 (6-10)
2008 Postseason- None

Key Losses
PG-Stefhon Hannah 6′2 185- 14.7ppg 5.3apg 43%FG 39%3pt 1.9stl
SG-Keon Lawrence 6′3 180- 11.0ppg 2.3apg 43%FG 35%3pt
PG-Jason Horton 6′1 185- 3.8ppg 3.3apg 37%FG 22%3pt

C-DeMarre Carroll 6′8 225 SR-13.0ppg 6.7rpg 54%FG 66%FT
PF-Leo Lyons 6′9 230 SR- 13.1ppg 5.7rpg 58%FG 65%FT
SF-Kimmie English 6′5 185 FR- Top 125 Recruit
SG-J.T. Tiller 6′3 185 JR- 6.8ppg 1.8apg 44%FG 27%3pt
PG-Miguel Paul 6′1 160 FR- Top 100 Recruit
Top Bench Players(in order)
PF-Keith Ramsey 6′9 200 JR- Top 25 Juco Transfer
SG-Marcus Denmon 6′1 165 FR- Top 125 Recruit
PG-Zaire Taylor 6′4 190 JR- Redshirted
SF-Matt Lawrence 6′7 200 SR- 8.8ppg 2.9rpg 37%FG 35%3pt
PF-Steve Moore 6′9 225 FR- Top 175 Recruit
SF-Laurence Bowers 6′7 200 FR- Top 175 Recruit
PF-Justin Stafford 6′8 225 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
No team in the Big 12 has as talented of a front court as Missouri this year.  With both Carroll and Lyons returning for their senior seasons, Missouri has two first team All Big 12 caliber players that they can start and run their offense through. 
Lyons is the most talented player Missouri has had since Kareem Rush.  At 6′9 Lyons moves around the court like a guard, he’s athletic and long and can face up and create is own offense off the bounce.  He’s a match-up nightmare for a big man.  Lyons has a very quick first step and a deadly mid range jumper to boot.  A true go to scorer on the college level that can finish around the hoop and get to the foul line at a high rate.  Defensively, however, he’s a work in progress and he tends to have a hard time staying out of head coach Mike Anderson’s dog house.
Carroll was the teams most consistent player last year.  He’s a hardworker and athletic forward that is not afraid of contact or physical play.  His skill set is not as polished as Lyons but he’s an aggressive scorer, a very good offensive rebounder, a tireless worker and a solid defensive player.
Freshman Kimmie English and senior Matt Lawrence will fight it out for minutes at the other forward spot.  Lawrence is a perimeter shooter that has started a decent amount over the last couple of years but is more suited to play a reserve role as he is mostly a role player and very little else.  English is a physical speciman that would immediatly help out Missouri defensively and on the boards.  He’s a freakish athlete that is strong, can rebound, run the court and finish around the rim with his impressive leaping ability.  However, his ball handling, perimeter shot and overall offensive skill set is rather raw and undeveloped.
Off the bench Missouri will have three key newcomers in junior college transfer Keith Ramsey and freshmen Lawrence Bowers and Steve Moore.  The coach staff is very high on junior Keith Ramsey.  He’s a multi-tooled forward that fits perfectly into Mike Anderson uptempo syle of play.  He handles and passes the basketball like a guard which makes him a threat to attack the hoop off the bounce.  Don’t be surprised to see Ramsey average double figures in points this year.
Bowers and Moore will have a hard time finding minutes but both are athletic players that have bright futures.  Moore is a lefty with good hands and can finish around the hoop.  Bowers is athletic forward that can handle the basketball and push the tempo.

Backcourt
Missouri loses quite a bit from their back court but at the same time they add some very talented newcomers.  This will be a young back court that will have to learn on the fly which could make Missouri a dangerous team come March.  The only returnee is J.T. Tiller but he’s no lock to start and will have to fight for minutes as a junior. 
The point guard position will come down to either redshirt freshman Zaire Taylor or true freshman Miguel Paul.  Taylor is unbelievable athlete that handle the basketball and see the court.  His defense, size and athleticism though are his biggest assets.  Offensively, in terms of scoring the basketball he’s not expected to contribute much because he’s not much of a shooter and doesn’t look for his offense all that much.
Paul is the cousin of NBA point guard Chris Paul and he’s just as lighting quick.  If Mike Anderson is looking for someone to push the tempo than Paul is his man at the point.  Paul is a superb playmaker that is nearly impossible to keep out of the lane.  He’s also a heady point guard with a high basketball IQ and would be a nightmare for opposing teams on the defensive end because of his quickness and intelligence..  His perimeter shot is considered to be average at best though, he’s rather smallish and he can tend to be a little turnover prone at times.
Freshman Marcus Denmon is considered by many to be not only the most ready but most talented of all of Missouri’s newcomers.  He’s a shoot first combo guard that can really light up a scoreboard.  However, he’ll have to beat out junior J.T. Tiller for minutes.  Tiller is a well built guard that is not afraid to put the ball on the floor and attack the hoop.  He’s also the only experieced guard on the roster which may give him an advantage.

Final Thoughts
This is a very talente, deep and athletic Missouri team.  They have two NBA caliber players in the front court with Lyons and Carroll and some very athletic young guards.  It’s also a very deep roster that should be able to out run and out hustle just about any team in the Big 12.  They will need to pick it up defensively because that’s where this team struggled last year.  Another key will be the point guard position with Taylor and Paul.  Both are talented but unproven and there’s not a lot of perimeter shooting or size on the roster either.  In the end though this team is too talented and too deep to not improve from last year.  Expect Missouri to play come March but eventually the teams lack of rebounding, shooting and inexperience in the back court will make it difficult for them to be a serious threat this season.

#7 Oklahoma State

National Rank- Outside the top 50
Projected Postseason- NIT
2008 Final Record 17-16 (7-9)
2008 Postseason- NIT 1st round loss

Key Losses
SF-Marcus Dove- 9.5ppg 5.7rpg 43%FG 1.9stl 1.1blk

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Ibrahim Thomas 6′11 240 SO- 6.0ppg 4.1rpg 50%FG 58%FT
PF-James Anderson 6′6 195 SO- 13.3ppg 3.7rpg 44%FG 38%3pt
SF-Obi Muonelo 6′4 215 JR- 9.8ppg 3.3rpg 40%FG 34%3pt
SG-Terrell Harris 6′3 185 SR- 10.5ppg 4.2rpg 41%FG 28%3pt
PG-Byron Eaton 5′11 215 SR- 11.5ppg 3.5apg 41%FG 37%3pt 2.1stl
Top Bench Players(in order)
PF-Teeng Akol 6′10 215 FR- Top 125 Recruit
PF-Anthony Brown 6′6 225 SR- 4.5ppg 3.0rpg 45%FG 54%FT
SG-Brad Garrett 6′5 190 JR- Played Sparingly
SF-Marshall Moses 6′6 215 SO- Played Sparingly
SG-Nick Sidorakis 6′4 175 SO- Played Sparingly
PG-Keiton Page 5′10 165 FR- Top 250 Recruit

Frontcourt
An undersized front court that will once again struggle to defend inside as well as rebound the basketball.  They lose their top defensive player in Marcus Dove to graduation and heading into the season have very few options to replace him.  They do return a promising big man at center in sophomore Ibrahim Thomas though.  He has good size, athleticism and a decent skill set on the offensive end.  Thomas can rebound the basketball and could develop into an interior shot blocker.  He just needs to become more consistent and play much smarter than he did a year ago. 
The teams most talented player is wing James Anderson.  He’s a good athlete that can really score the basketball.  However, at times as a freshman he fell in love with his jumpshot a little too much.  As a sophomore he may be asked to play a little out of position at times which would hurt OSU defensively but offensively he should have a break out season in 09.  With his athleticism and ability to attack the hoop and shoot from the outside make him potentially a big time scorer in the Big 12.
Other options in the front court include undersized big forwards Anthony Brown and Marshall Moses as well as freshman Teeng Akol.  Akol is an interesting and intriguing freshman.  He’s extremely long at 6′10 and has the ability to knock down perimeter jump shots.  He is rail thin though and doesn’t offer much in the post as a freshman.

Backcourt
Most of Oklahoma State’s offensive fire power will come from their back court in 09.  Byron Eaton stepped up as the teams go to scorer as a junior and improved his decision making at the point.  He’s a bulky lead guard that is not afraid of contact and has the ability to get to the foul line at an extremely high rate.  His perimeter jumpshot is streaky but capable and as long as he is able to keep his turnovers down he’s an All Big 12 caliber point guard.
The other two guards that are expected to start are upperclassmen Obi Muonelo and Terrell Harris.  Both are fairly good athletes that can can score and create their own offense.  However, both were very inconsistent last year.  Muonelo came into last season with high expectations after a solid freshman season but was out of rhythm for most of the y ear and had a sophomore slump.  He has a shooters touch though and can attack the hoop and score the basketball.  Harris is a versatile guard that can score and disribute the basketball but is also very turnover prone and dangerously streaky.
Off the bench Oklahoma State has a couple of guards that can really knock down open jump shots in Brad Garrett and Nick Sidorakis.  Both should see increased playing time with more experience and better understanding of what is needed and expected out of them.

Final Thoughts
This is a very perimeter oriented offensive team that relies on generating offense from the outside.  They have little on the interior and will be a smallish and attacking team in 09 that does not figure to be an overly efficient offensive team.  James Anderson has breakout potential and they have experience in the back court with Eaton, Harris and Muonelo.  Losing Dove’s toughness, defense and leadership is going to hurt them though.  The Cowboys should struggle defending teams and rebounding the basketball all year long and it’s unlikely that their perimeter attack will be able to be efficient enough to get this team over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament.  However, there is enough athleticism, experience and perimeter scoring to get them another NIT birth.

#8 Iowa State Cyclones

National Rank- Outside the top 75
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 14-18 (4-12)
2008 Postseason- None

Key Losses
SF-Wesley Johnson 6′7 200- 12.4ppg 4.0rpg 40%FG 33%3pt
C-Jiri Hubalek 6′11 230- 12.4ppg 7.3rpg 46%FG 73%FT

Projected Starting Lineup
C-L.A. Pomlee 6′8 220- FR- Top 125 Recruit
PF-Craig Brackins 6′9 230 SO- 11.4ppg 5.0rpg 1.0blk 43%FG 29%3pt
SF-Lucca Staiger 6′5 220 SO- Ineligible in 2007/08
SG-Bryan Peterson 6′1 180 SR- 5.9ppg 2.9apg 38%FG 38%3pt
PG-Diante Garrett 6′3 180 SO- 6.3ppg 2.8apg 35%FG 22%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
PG-Dominique Buckley 6′2 175 FR- Top 150 Recruit
C-Justin Hamilton 6′9 215 FR- Top 175 Recruit
SG-Wes Elkmeier 6′3 170 FR- Top 200 Recruit
C-Alex Thompson 6′10 250 SR- 2.1ppg 2.1rpg 35%FG 42%FT
PF-Clinton Mann 6′7 220 FR- Top 200 Recruit
SG-Sean Haluska 6′3 200 SR- 3.4ppg 0.9apg 35%FG 25%3pt
SG-Charles Boozer 6′3 195 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
The Cyclones lose two starters to their front court with the graduation if center Jiri Hubalek and the transfer of wing Wesley Johnson.  This will put more pressure and emphasis on the development of sophomore big man Craig Brackins.  Brackins is easily the teams most talented player.  He’s a versatile offensive threat that can run the court and score inside and outside.  However, he tends to fall in love too much with his inconsistent and streaky jumpshot.  His rebounding and defense are two areas he will need to improve in greatly as well.  There are few players in the Big 12 though with as much talent and potential as Brackins. 
The starting center position will more than likely come down to a pair of freshmen in L.A. Pomlee and Justin Hamilton.  Pomlee is a physical interior player that can run the court, rebound and finish around the rim.  However, he’d be undersized inside, is raw inside and needs to  refine his offensive skill set.  Hamilton has more length and better size but he’s even more raw offensively and not as built or as strong.  If both freshman struggle than Iowa State may be forced to go with senior Alex Thompson.

Backcourt
It’s a deep back court but there is no one in it that really stands out.  Both Bryan Peterson and Diante Garrett split playing time at the point last year.  Peterson is the better shooter and less turnover prone but Garrett is the superior athlete and playmaker.  Both may start alongside each other this season if needed.  Freshman Dominique Buckley may just be the teams best option at the point though.  He’s a very smart and smooth guard that is crafty with the ball and is a true floor leader.  He’s not as quick or as athletic as Garrett and he’s not as deadly from the perimeter as Peterson but he has a more complete overall package. 
One player to really look out for this year is sophomore guard Lucca Staiger.  He was ineligible to play as a freshman last year because he played for a club team in Germany the year before.  Staiger will give Iowa State an absolute dead eye shooter that can spread out the court and light up opponents from the perimeter.  Freshman shooting gaurd Wes Elkmeier is another sharp shooter from the perimeter that could find some minutes off the bench or in the starting lineup as well.

Final Thoughts
One thing that really stands out about this Iowa State team is the amount of shooters they have.  This team will be able to shoot the rock and if they can get All Big 12 caliber of play from sophomore Craig Brackins and consistent and reliable lead guard play from Garrett and Buckley at the point this could be a dangerous offensive team.  Defensively, they lose a lot of athleticism and size from last year and may struggle defending teams.  Don’t be surprised to see Iowa State upset a few teams in 09 and challenge for an NIT birth but an NCAA Tournament appearance is probably too much to ask for this year. 

#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders

National Rank- Outside the top 100
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 16-15 (7-9)
2008 Posteason- None

Key Losses
SG-Martin Zeno 6′5 200- 16.ppg 4.5rpg 2.9apg 47%FG
PG-Charlie Burgess 6′1 185- 6.5ppg 2.0apg 40%FG 21%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Esmir Rizvic 7′0 245 SR- 2.9ppg 2.1rpg 52%FG 47%FT
PF-Damir Suljagic 6′8 245 SR- 4.7ppg 4.0rpg 58%FG 55%FT
SF-Mike Singletary 6′5 225 SO- 7.3ppg 3.0rpg 49%FG 77%FT
SG-Alan Voskuill 6′3 175 SR- 13.1ppg 1.4apg 48%FG 50%3pt
PG-John Roberson 5′11 165 SO- 12.3ppg 3.3apg 42%FG 40%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
SF-Corbin Ray 6′8 210 FR- Top 150 Recruit
PF-Darko Cohadarevic 6′9 245 JR- Juco Transfer
PG-Tryee Graham 6′1 190 FR- Top 200 Recruit
SF-Dwalyn Roberts 6′7 195 SO- 2.5ppg 1.8rpg 41%FG 58%FT
PG-Nick Okurie 6′0 180 JR- Juco Transfer
PF-Rogdrick Craig 6′6 225 JR- Played Sparingly
SF-Michael Prince 6′7 205 SR- Played Sparingly
PF-Robert Leandowksi 6′9 250 FR- Top 400 Recruit

Frontcourt
There is depth here but very little returning production and the talent level is bleak.  The top returning front court player is sophomore Mike Singletary.  He’ an undersized power forward that may be asked to develop his perimeter game this year.  Singletary is a very physical and well built forward that can finish around the hoop.  His perimeter jumpshot and ball handling need refining and improvement.
On the interior Texas Tech will look to seniors Esmir Rizvic and Damir Suljagic.  Neither is much of an athlete but both are probably the teams best options inside.  Rizvic is a 7′0 footer that would give Texas Tech size and shot blocking on the interior.  His offensive game and conditioning, however, were lacking last year.  Suljagic is not an offensive low post player but he does rebound the basketball and can finish around the hoop on occassion. 
Don’t be surprised to see Texas Tech go with a smaller lineup and have Singletary play in the post.  That would open up minutes for forwards like Corbin Ray, Dwalyn Roberts, Michael Prince and Rogdrick Craig.  Ray is the highest rated newcomer on the team but it’s uncertain as to whether or not he’ll be ready to play this year.  He may not be athletic or strong enough to play right away, however, in terms of offensive production he may be needed because he’s one of the best options head coach Pat Knight has at his disposal.  Roberts and Prince have struggled when given minutes and Rogdrick Craig hasn’t been to able to find any sort of playing time thus far in his career.

Backcourt
The Red Raiders will live and die with their back court this season.  Their two best players are point guard John Roberson and sharp shooting senior Alan Voskuill.  Roberson is the teams most valuable player.  He’s one of the few players that can actually create his own offense.  He’s also the teams best playmaker and behind Voskuill he’s the teams best shooter as well.  Texas Tech will go as far as Roberson can take them this year and that might not be very far.
Voskuill last year shot a staggering 50% from behind the arc.  He’s one of the most dead eye shooters in the entire country.  His role is to shoot and score and that’s really about all that should be asked out of him.  He’s not much of a playmaker or ball handler and his defense is supsect.
Off the bench Texas Tech has a couple newcomers in guards Tyree Graham and Nick Okurie.  Both are more offensive minded guards than that of playmakers.  Graham is a scorer that will be asked to bring firepower off the bench for the Red Raiders.  Okurie might be the more ready recruit to play from day one though and will likely back up Roberson at the point. 

Final Thoughts
Losing do it all guard Martin Zeno really hurts and this will be the first full year of coaching for Pat Knight.  It will be interesting to see how this team develops throughout the year.  One thing is for sure though and that’s that they have good enough guard play to compete and win some games.  Roberson and Voskuill form one of the better back courts in the Big 12 and they have guards off the bench that can contribute as well.  However, the front court is void of talent and athleticism.  Singletary is a nice option but there is very little behind him.  Not a lot is expected out of this group and there is very little pressure for this team to perform though.  Pat Knight has a team that could fly under the radar and scare some teams in the Big 12 but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to make any noise come March.

#10 Kansas State Wildcats

National Rank- Outside the top 125
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 21-12 (10-6)
2008 Postseason- NCAA 2nd Round

Key Losses
PF-Michael Beasley 6′8 235- 26.2ppg 12.4rpg 1.6blk 53%FG 38%3pt
SF-Bill Walker 6′6 220- 16.1ppg 6.3rpg 47%FG 31%3pt
PG-Clent Stewart 6′3 195- 6.7ppg 3.1apg 34%FG 31%3pt

Projected Starting Lienup
C-Ron Anderson 6′8 245 SO- 3.3ppg 3.6rpg 55%FG 46%FT
PF-Jamar Samuels 6′8 210 FR- Redshirted
SF-Dominique Sutton 6′4 210 SO- 3.3ppg 2.5rpg 52%FG 14%3pt
SG-Denis Clemente 6′0 185 JR- Transfer from Miami
PG-Jacob Pullen 6′1 185 SO- 9.7ppg 3.2apg 40%FG 30%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
C-Abdul Herrera 6′11 250 JR- Juco Transfer
SG-Fred Brown 6′3 185 SO- 3.9ppg 0.7apg 40%FG 38%3pt
SG-Buchi Awaji 6′3 175 JR- Juco Transfer
PF-Darren Kent 6′10 215 SR- 2.5ppg 2.3rpg 40%FG 50%FT
C-Luis Colon 6′10 275 JR- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
To say that Kansas State is losing some talent from last year is an understatment.  They lose both Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.  Both freshmen were easily the teams two best players and Beasley was the most productive player in the country last year.  Replacing them will be impossible and Kansas State will be lucky to finish the year above .500 without both of their young stars. 
The front court is going to be a work in progress from start to finish.  The Wildcats have a number of options but nothing that can be relied on.  The most experienced options are senior Darren Kent and junior Luis Colon but both are extremely limited offensively and bring very little tot he table on the defensive end as well.  In other words, both are reserves at best.  Two newcomers in redshirt freshman Jamar Samuels and Juco Transfer Abdul Herrera add athleticism and length to the team but neither has much of an offensive game in the post.  Ron Anderson is the most productive returning big man on the roster but he’s little more than a wide bodied brusier that takes up space on the interior.
On the wing Kansas State has possibly it’s most talented player in Dominique Sutton.  Sutton missed the first 11 games of last year season because of academic issues and was never able to get into a flow.  However, he started for the team towards the end of the season(including NCAA Tournament) and as a sophomore will be asked to log a lot of minutes.  He’ll give Kansas State an athletic defender, rebounder and finisher but until the develops his jump shot and ball handling he’ll be an average at best offensive performer.

Backcourt
This is where Kansas State will find it’s offense.  Guards Jacob Pullen, Denis Clemente, Fred Brown and juco transfer Buchi Awaji will need to be able to generate offense from the perimeter in order for Kansas State to have any chance of winning games this season.  Pullen is the only returning player on the team that averaged more than four points a game last season.  He’ll be the teams primary ball handler and scorer as a sophomore.  As a freshman he proved to be a capable but streaky scorer and will need to be a much more consistent threat as a sophomore.  He has range on his jump shot and is an adequate playmaker at the point.
The teams most lethel scorer might just be Miami transfer guard Denis Clemente.  He’s a smallish two guard that can play some point if needed but is best used off the board as a scorer.  His ability to get into the lane and shoot from the outside will be vitale towards Kansas State’s success this year. 
Both Fred Brown and juco transfer Buchi Awaji will be asked to score off the bench and possibly start.  Brown played sparingly as a freshman last season but he has a decent outside shot and can score the basketball if needed.  Awaji is the darkhorse on this team.  He’s a do it all type of guard that can rebound, defend and has the ability to shoot from behind the arc.

Final Thoughts
Kansas State had it’s chance to make major noise on the college basketball scene last season but that time has passed.  This years team has athletes but very little offensive production.  The guards will need to score the basketball and this team will need to play great defensive in order to win games because there is just not enough offense on the roster.  No one in the front court has much of an offensive game and the Wildcats may just need to throw out their best athletes and hope to get out and run as much as possible in order to find ways to win games.  With firepower in the back court and athleticism in the front court this team may find a way to pull of some upsets here and there but in the end there is not near enough talent on the roster to get this team back into the NCAA Tournament.  An NIT appearance should be considered a successful breakthrough.

#11 Nebraska Cornhuskers

National Rank- Outside the top 150
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 20-13 (7-9)
2008 Postseason- NIT 2nd round

Key Losses
C-Aleks Maric 6′11 265- 15.7ppg 10.2rpg 1.7blk 58%FG

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Alonzo Edwards 6′7 225 FR- Redshirted
PF-Ade Dagunduro 6′5 195 SR- 8.9ppg 3.6rpg 49%FG 61%FT
SF-Ryan Anderson 6′4 200 JR- 8.4ppg 5.3rpg 42%FG 37%3pt
SG-Steve Harley 5′11 170 SR- 9.1ppg 1.5apg 43%FG 71%FT
PG-Cookie Miller 5′7 155 SO- 6.1ppg 3.6apg 38%FG 25%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
SG-Sek Henry 6′3 195 JR- 5.9ppg 1.5apg 39%FG 29%3pt
SG-Eshaunte Jones 6′4 175 FR- Top 175 Recruit
SG-Paul Velander 6′1 190 SR- 4.2ppg 0.6apg 38%FG 38%3pt
PF-Alex Chapman 6′9 225 SO- Redshirted
SF-Toney McCray 6′5 185 FR- Redshirted
PF-Chris Bahlman 6′8 235 JR- Played Sparingly
PG-Brandon Richardson 6′0 175 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
Everything last season started and stopped with big man Aleks Maric.  Check that, everything the past two seasons started and stopped with big man Aleks Maric.  How will Nebraska function offensively and defensively without Maric?  That’s the question head coach Doc Sadler needs to find an answer to this season.  He doesn’t have anyone on his roster capable of replacing Marics production inside.  His options are redshirt freshman Alonzo Edwards, redshirt sophomore Alex Chapman and sparingly used Chris Bahlman.  Edwards is the most physical and most athletic player of the three.  He would give Nebraska explosiveness and rebounding msucle inside.  Chapman and Bahlman are both considered to be works in progress that would be cut from most Big 12 rosters.  Unfortunetly, they’ll be forced to play and neither looks capable of producing at a high level this season. 
Ade Dagunduro returns and will need to have a big senior season.  He’s a good athlete that can create his own shot and defend but will likely be forced to play out of position this year.  Another option is redshirt freshman Toney McCray.  He’s another good athlete that took a redshirt year in order to get stronger and should be ready to contribute this season.

Final Thoughts
It’s a team filled with undersized guards and talentless big men.  Doc Sadler is a good coach though and this will not be an easy team to score on.  Defensively, they will get after it but without much size on the interior they will struggle rebounding the basketball.  Offensively, it’s going to be a real challenge.  They don’t have a player that they can rely on to score the basketball on from the perimeter, they don’t have an interior scoring option and they’re not a good outside shooting team.  Players like Ryan Anderson, Steve Harley and Ade Dagunduro will need to really pick up their play this season and make and hit big shots.  It’s very unlikely that this team will be able to generate enough offense to scare or challenge too many teams in the Big 12 though. 

#12 Colorado Buffaloes

National Rank- Outside the top 200
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 12-20(3-13)
2008 Postseason- None

Key Losses
SG-Richard Roby 6′5 190- 17.0ppg 6.7rpg 48%FG 38%3pt
PG-Marcus Hall 6′1 190- 14.0ppg 4.0apg 48%FG 38%3pt
SG-Xavier Silas 6′5 19- 9.7ppg 1.7apg 39%FG 32%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Trey Eckloff 6′9 215 FR- Top 150 Recruit
PF-Toby Veal 6′7 220 FR- Top 125 Recruit
SF-Cory Higgins 6′5 175 SO- 8.3ppg 2.3apg 46%FG 33%3pt
SG-Levi Knutson 6′4 190 SO- 4.6ppg 1.2apg 42%FG 33%3pt
PG-Nate Tomlinson 6′2 175 FR- Top 200 Recruit
Top Bench Players(in order)
PF-Jermyl Jackson-Wilson 6′6 220- 4.7ppg 4.4rpg 46%FG 53%FT
PG-Dwight Thorne 6′2 180 JR- 3.3ppg 0.9apg 40%FG 28%3pt
PF-Austin Dufault 6′8 210 FR- Top 200 Recruit
PF-Casey Crawford 6′9 230 SO- Transfer from Wake Forest
SG-Ryan Kelley 6′4 185 FR- Top 400 Recruit
PF-Jeremey Williams 6′7 230 SO- Redshirted

Final Thoughts
Colorado has a long ways to go before they can compete at a high level in the Big 12.  They’ve really struggled winning games the last two years and this season will be much the same.  The team is young, unathletic and void of talent.  However, the recruiting class is a good one and while it does not have any sort of McDonalds All-American type of talent it does include four newcomers that should contribute and they’re the type of players that fit the open style of play under head coach Bdzelik.  Both Eckloff and Default are good offensive players that may just need a year or two in order to develop into complete players, Veal is ready to play right away and Tomlinson is a heady and poised guard with a bright future.  The past is bad, the present is ugly but the future looks better.

All SEC 2nd Team
PG-Chris Warren, SO- Mississippi
PG-Ronald Steele, SR- Alabama
SG-Marcus Thorton, SR- LSU
PF-Tasmin Mitchell, JR- LSU
PF-Jarvis Varnado, JR- Mississppi State

All SEC 3rd Team
SG-Jodie Meeks, JR- Kentucky
SF-Alonzoe Gee, SR- Alabama
SF-Scotty Hopson, FR- Tenenssee
PF-Wayne Chism, JR-Tennessee
PF-JaMychal Green, FR- Alabama

Honorable Mention
SG-Eniel Polynice, JR- Mississippi
SG-Barry Stewart, JR- Mississippi State
SF-Chandler Parsons, SO- Florida
SF-Terrence Woodbury, SR- Georgia
PF-Dominique Archie, JR- South Carolina

All Freshman Team
SF-Scotty Hopson, Tennessee
PF-JaMychal Green, Alabama
PG-Courtney Fortson, Arkansas
SG-DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky
C-Kenny Kadji, Florida

Player of the Year
Nick Calathes, Florida

Freshman of the Year
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee

Defensive Player of the Year
Jarvis Varnado, MIssissippi State

Tournament teams
Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt

#1 Florida Gators

National Rank #6
Projected Posteason- Elite 8
2008 Final Record 24-12 (8-8)
2008 Postseason- NIT Semis

Key Losses
C-Marreese Speights 6′11 255- 14.5ppg 8.1rpg 1.4blk 62%FG

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Kenny Kadji 6′10 250 FR- Top 35 Recruit
PF-Dan Werner 6′7 230 JR- 9.1ppg 6.4rpg 2.5apg 44%FG
SF-Chandler Parsons 6′8 200 SO- 8.1ppg 4.0rpg 47%FG 32%3pt
SG-Walter Hodge 6′1 175 SR- 10.4ppg 2.9apg 48%FG 37%3pt
PG-Nick Calathes 6′5 185 SO- 15.3ppg 5.2rpg 6.1apg 43%FG 37%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
PG-Jai Lucas 5′11 155 SO- 8.5ppg 2.3apg 46%FG 44%3pt
PF-Alex Tyrus 6′8 210 SO- 4.3ppg 2.6rpg 54%FG 54%FT
PF-Eloy Vargas 6′9 220 FR- Top 35 Recruit
SG-Rayford Shipman 6′4 185 FR- Top 75 Recruit
PF-Allan Chaney 6′8 230 FR- Top 100 Recruit
PG-Erving Walker 5′8 155 FR- Top 150 Recruit
SF-Adam Allen 6′8 205 SO- 4.0ppg 48%FG 42%3pt

Frontcourt
Losing Speights to the NBA draft hurts because he developed into a quality big man last year but Florida has more than enough depth and incoming talent to make up for the loss of Speights.  The only problem Donovan may have is trying to find enought minutes for all of his young and quality front court players. 
We’ll start with the returnees in Dan Werner, Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyrus.  Werner started all of last year and proved to be a capable offensive player even though he struggled with his shot and his lack of athleticsm and size hurt them defensively.  He is a good rebounder though and should be  considered a threat to score the basketball from all over the court.  However, don’t be surprised to see him lose out on some minutes this year to a player like Alex Tyrus.  Tyrus is a much more athletic player that would give Donovon more defense and energy. 
Parsons could be the sleeper player in the SEC this year and possibly the key to Florida’s ultimate success this year.  He is a very long and athletic talent that struggled with his shot last year.  However, he is a more than capable offensive player that can put the ball on the floor, create his own offense and get to the foul line.  If he can improve his jump shot and his overall offensive mentality he could develop into an All SEC player this year.
Now for the newcomers.  Florida adds three in Kenny Kadji, Eloy Vargas and Allan Chaney.  At least one will start and possibly two could be starting mid way through the year.  The most likely to start is Kadji because of his size, athleticism and defense at center.  He’s expected to come in and replace Speights and he should be able to on the defensive end but he won’t replace Speights offensive production.  Kadji is a strong and athletic big man with a lot of potential but his offensive game needs development. 
If Kadji is too raw to play right away than expect Vargas to get the shot inside.  Vargas is a more skilled offensive player.  He can step out to 17 feet and shoot the basketball as well as face up and score.  He’s still a little weak physically though and is not as good of a finisher isnide as Kadji but he’s just as athletic and active.  Allan Chaney is the most skilled offensively of the three incoming big men.  He can score inside and outside and has a very smooth offensive game for a player his size.  He’s not as athletic as the other two freshman though and may struggle defending in the post as a  freshman.

Backcourt
The back court is just as deep as the front court but more talented and proven.  It also includes the teams best player in NIck Calathes who many consider to be the preseason favorite to win Player of the Year in the SEC.  Calathes offensive skill set is second to none at the guard postion on the college level.  His ability to play smart but still create offense is simply phenomal.  His passing, ball handling and finishing ability make him a nightmare to defend.  His main weakness right now is his defense which needs to be improved.
Both Walter Hodge and Jai Lucas started last year and both may this year unless Donovon elects to go with a bigger and more defensive oriented lineup this year.  Hodge is the teams best on ball defender and a good outside shooter with a lot of experience on the college level.  He’s also a capable ball handler that can create offense off the bounce for others.  Lucas is the quickest player on the team and also has the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter.  He may be best suited coming off the bench this year and would give Florida energy, ball handling and offense behind Calathes and Hodge.
Two freshman in Rayford Shipman and Erving Walker will really have to fight hard in practice for playing time this season.  Shipman is a slasher who loves to get out in the full court and create havoc.  His perimeter shot needs a ton of work though and until he develops a better overall game he’ll likely be a role player off the bench.  Walker is probably about a year away from getting enough minutes in the rotation but he’s an extremely quick and skillful young guard.

Final Thoughts
Florida is one of the deepest teams in the country.  If not the deepest.  They have size, athleticism, point guard play, a ton of shooting and a good amount of experience.  Everything starts and stops with Nick Calathes.  He’s the teams catalyst and he’s a great floor general that can score the basketball at a very high rate.  He has scoring options on the perimeter in Hodge, Lucas, Parsons, Werner and Shipman and has a ton of athletes on the interior in Kadji, Tyrus, Vargas and Chaney to work with as well.  However, in order for Florida to take that next step and become a final four caliber team they will need someone step up as a reliable secondary scoring option behind Calathes.  That player may be Parsons and his development as a sophomore will prove crucial to just how far this Florida team goes in 09.

#2 Tennessee Volunteers

National Rank #13
Projected Postseason- Sweet 16
2008 Final Record 31-5 (14-2)
2008 Postseason- NCAA Second Round loss

Key Losses
SG-JaJuan Smith 6′2 190- 14.4ppg 2.3apg 46%FG 38%3pt
SG-Chris Lofton 6′2 185- 15.5ppg 1.8apg 40%FG 38%3pt
PG-Ramar Smith 6′2 200- 7.4ppg 3.2apg 44%FG 28%3pt
PF-Duke Crews 6′7 235- 5.4ppg 4.0rpg 51%FG 67%FT

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Wayne Chism 6′9 240 JR- 9.9ppg 5.8rpg 1.4blk 47%FG
PF-Tyler Smith 6′7 210 JR- 13.6ppg 6.7rpg 3.4apg 54%FG 38%3pt
SF-Scotty Hopson 6′5 185 FR- Top 10 Recruit
SG-J.P. Prince 6′6 180 JR- 8.0ppg 1.8apg 50%FG 15%3pt
PG-Bobby Maze 6′3 175 JR- Top 25 JUCO Transfer
Top Bench Players(In order)
PF-Emmanuel Negedu 6′7 240 FR- Top 50 Recruit
C-Brian Williams 6′10 265 SO- 2.8ppg 3.5rpg 60%FG 50%FT
SF-Renaldo Woolridge 6′7 185 FR- Top 100 Recruit
C-Phillip Jurick 6′11 250 FR- Top 100 Recruit
SG-Josh Tabb 6′4 190 JR- Played Sparingly
SF-Cameron Tatum 6′6 195 FR- Redshirted
PF-Ryan Childress 6′9 250 SR- Played Sparingly
PG-Daniel West 6′1 175 FR- Top 350 Recruit

Frontcourt
Both frontcourt starters return in Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith and Tennessee adds a number of talented recruits as well as sophomore big man Brian Williams inside.  Not many teams in the SEC will be able to match Tennessee’s size, depth and athleticism in the frontcourt.  Everything starts and stops with junior forward Tyler Smith.  He is one of the best all around players in the country.  He fills up a stat sheet like no one else can.  He scores inside, off the bounce as well as from the outside.  He defends, rebounds, passes and creates offense for others at a very high rate.  There is nothing Smith cannot do on the basketball court and that makes him one of the five best players in the SEC heading into the 09 season.
Chism is the teams best big man and is one of the most versatile big men in the SEC.  He can step outside and shoot the basketball as well as score with his back to the basket.  Chism’s defense and rebounding have improved and all he needs in order to become an All SEC player is more consistency and smarter decision making.
The prize recruit of this top five recruiting class is Scotty Hopson.  Hopson will play minutes at the wing from day one and he’ll give Tennessee an elite athlete that can put the ball on the floor and create his own offense.  He’s extremely quick off the bounce, has tremendous leaping ability and has a fundamental skill set that is needed in order to one day play in the NBA.
Tennessee has options off the bench as well with Brian Williams and freshmen Emmanueal Negadu, Phillip Jurick and Renaldo Wooldridge.  Williams is a skilled and smooth big man that has simply lacked the proper conditioning in order to play a good amount of minutes in Pearls uptempo brand of basketball.  Jurick is a very big and physical player in the same mold of Williams.  Neither big man is athletic but both score in the low post, rebound the basketball and take up space inside.  Woolridge is another freakish athlete that Pearl loves to throw out onto the court, however, this athlete might be a little too raw offensively to earn quality minutes this season.
Last but not least is one time Arizona commitment, freshman Emmanuel Negedu.  Negedu is a great athlete with outstanding upper and lower body strength.  He’s a little short in stature but makes up for it with his freakishly long arms.  He’ll play this year and could even start because of his ability to block shots and defend in the both the post and the open court.  Offensively, he’s raw and will get most of his points off of put backs and general garbage around the hoop.

Backcourt
The backcourt is not near as deep as the front court because of the losses of all three starting guards in Jajuan Smith, Chris Lofton and Ramar Smith.  That’s a lot to lose and for most programs would cripple a team.  The Volunteers back court will not be as lethal as it as has been in the past years but it’s far from lacking in talent.  J.P. Prince returns and he has argaubly more potential than anyone on the team and mabye even the entire SEC.  He’s an extremely versatile perimeter player that can play just about every position on the court.  This year he’ll likely be asked to do a little bit of everything.  His greatest asset as a player is his ball handling and length.  He can get to hoop at an alarming rate but must improve his decision making and at least attempt to become somewhat of a threat from behind the arc.
The point guard position is Tennessee’s weakest postion, at least in terms of depth.  Juco transfer Bobby Maze will have the job all to himself with Prince as his back up.  Maze is a very talented Junior College transfer who should be able to handle the job but injuries and foul trouble loom large and could crush this team quite easily.

Final Thoughts
It will be interseting to see what Pearl does with this group of kids.  In years past he has thrived off full court pressure and uptempo basketball but on paper this team of his appears to be more suited to play in a half court setting with their size, depth and athleticism up front to wear teams out.  Tyler Smith is the star of the team and he’s type of player that can carry a team on his back for stretches but Tennessee will need improvement and leadership from both Chism and Prince and will need instant impact from many of their newcomers, most notably, Scotty Hopson and Bobby Maze.  The depth, talent and athleticism is there but the ball handling, point guard play and perimeter shooting are serious question marks that may leave Tennessee just outside the elite teams in 09 and behind Florida in the SEC.

#3 Alabama Crimson Tide

National Rank #32
Projected Posteason- NCAA Second Round
2008 Final Record 17-16 (5-11)
2008 Posteason- None

Key Losses
PF-Richard Hendrix 6′8 255- 17.8ppg 10.1rpg 2.0blk 60%FG
SG-Mykal Riley 6′6 185- 14.9ppg 5.2rpg 45%FG 43%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Demetruis Jemison 6′7 235 JR- 5.6ppg 5.3rpg 46%FG 73%FT
PF-JaMychal Green 6′8 220 FR- Top 25 Recruit
SF-Alonzo Gee 6′6 215 SR- 14.5ppg 6.8rpg 42%FG 31%3pt
SG-Senario Hillman 6′2 195 SO- 4.3ppg 1.2apg 43%FG 15%3pt
PG-Ronald Steele 6′1 190 SR- Medical Redshirt
Top Bench Players(in order)
C-Yamene Coleman 6′9 240 JR- 2.3ppg 1.9rpg 45%FG 38%FT
SF-Tony Mitchell 6′6 180 FR- Top 50 Recruit
PG-Brandon Hollinger 5′11 165 SR- 6.3ppg 3.2apg 43%FG 43%3pt
PG-Mikhail Torrance 6′4 190 JR- 3.3ppg 2.4apg 46%FG 18%3pt
SG-Andrew Steele 6′3 200 FR- Top 100 Recruit
PF-Justin Knox 6′9 235 SO- Played Sparingly
PG-Anthony Brock 5′9 165 JR- Juco Transfer

Frontcourt
Alabama loses it’s best player in Richard Hendrix.  He was one of the more underrated players in the country last year.  His loss will be felt but it helps when you add a recruit the caliber of JaMychal Green.  Green is one of the most ready freshman big men entering college this year.  He’s extremely powerful with very long arms and will out work and out hustle just about every player he faces this season.  He doesn’t have tremendous size andhis low post game is still a work in progress but the kid has very soft hands, quick feet, is a great rebounder and will help improve Alabama defensively from the very moment he steps on the court.
The other interior position will be between Demetrius Jemison, Yamene Coleman and Justin Knox.  Jemison would be the best option offensively but he doesnt have the size or interior strength as that of Coleman or Knox.  Coleman has more experience than Knox and could be ready to step up and man the center position for the Tide this year.  None of these guys are great options to have but most of Alabama’s offense is going to be coming from the perimeter and not the interior anyway.
Alonzo Gee returns on the wing for Alabama and he’s the teams leading returning scorer and their most capable all around scorer.  Gee has the ability to put the ball on the floor, create his own offense and get to the foul line.  He’s not the best shooter in the world and he does tend to shoot a little too much.  Backing up Gee will be athletic freshman Tony Mitchell.  Mitchell is the teams best athlete and one of the best athletes in this year incoming freshman class.  He’ll give Bama a defensive athlete on the perimeter, a ton of energy off the bench and a dangerous player in the open court.

Backcourt
Exactly what type of season Alabama has rests on the shoulders of their injury riddled point guard, Ronald Steele.  When healthy Steele is one of the five best point guards in the country.  However, it’s unknown as to whether or not Steele is a shell of his former self or capable of doing the type of things that made him into an All-American at Alabama.  He tested the draft waters this summer and impressed quite a few scouts before choosing to return to school.  Steele gives Alabama leadership, shooting, ball handling and elite decision making at the point.  Don’t expet Steele to be an All-American guard this year but don’t be surprised if he’s an All SEC guard.
His running mate in the back court could be a number of different players.  Sophomore Senario Hillman has as good of shot as anyone at taking over as the teams starting two guard.  He’s another great athlete that should help improve Alabama’s defense with increased playing time.  He can really get to the hoop and finish above the rim.  However, his periemter shot and decision making leave much to be desired.
Brandon Hollinger is an experienced point guard who could start if Bama wants to play Ronald Steele off the ball as a shooter.  Hollinger is a stable lead guard with a good outside shot but he’s a liability defensively and will not create a lot of offense off the bounce.  Another player that could see some minutes is Ronald Steele’s younger brother, Andrew.  Andrew Steele is a very well built young guard that is more suited playing off the ball.  His jump shot needs some work though as does his ball handling but he’s another athlete that can defend.

Final Thoughts
Alabama struggled last year because they lacked reliable guard play and struggled defending teams.  This year they have more athletes and should be better defensively as a whole.  Guard play will most certainly be better if Steele can stay healthy and play at the level that Alabama fans are used to.  This is the type of team that is hard to predict going into a season but they have a lot of what  a team needs to be successful.  They have athletes, depth, an interior scoring presence in Green, a go to scorer in Gee, perimeter shooting and point guard play.  At least on paper they have all of these things.  In all comes down to the health of Ronald Steele.

#4 Kentucky Wildcats

National Rank #33
Projected Postseason- NCAA First Round
2008 Final Record 18-13 (12-4)
2008 Postseason- NCAA First Round loss

Key Losses
SG-Joe Crawford 6′4 200- 17.9ppg 2.1apg 47%FG 36%3pt
PG-Ramel Bradley 6′2 175- 15.9ppg 3.4apg 42%FG 38%3pt
PG-Derrick Japser 6′5 190- 4.2ppg 5.5rpg 2.4apg 43%FG

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Patrick Patterson 6′9 235 SO- 16.4ppg 7.7rpg 57%FG 73%FT
PF-Perry Stevenson 6′9 205 JR- 5.9ppg 5.1rpg 1.5blk 58%FG
SF-Ramon Harris 6′6 215 JR- 4.2ppg 3.5rpg 51%FG 60%FT
SG-Jodie Meeks 6′4 200 JR- 8.8ppg 1.5apg 31%FG 32%3pt
PG-DeAndre Liggins 6′6 185 FR- Top 35 Recruit
Top Bench Players(in order)
PG-Kevin Galloway 6′6 205 JR- Top 10 JUCO Transfer
SF-Darius Miller 6′6 215 FR- Top 50 Recruit
PF-Josh Harrellson 6′9 280 SO- JUCO Transfer
PG-Michael Porter 6′1 185 JR- 2.0ppg 1.1apg 31%FG 42%3pt
SF-A.J. Stewart 6′8 205 SO- Played Sparingly
C-Jared Carter 7′2 260 JR- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
Kentucky returns both of their starting big men from last year and bring in a couple recruits that look to help out as well.  The star of the team is sophomore big man Patrick Patterson.  As a freshman he emerged as one of the most consistent big men in the SEC and as a sophomore figures to be the teams focal point offensively.  He’ll have to carry a lot of the scoring load with the losses in the back court and as long as he can stay healthy Kentucky should be able to compete at a very high level all year long.  Not many players in the country can match Patterson’s size, athleticism and skill set.  He’s one of the truly special players in college basketball this year.
His returning teammate inside is long and athletic big man Perry Stevenson.  Stevenson improved more than any player for Kentucky last year.  His defense and length are his greatest assets.  Offensively, he’s still rather raw but learned not to make silly mistakes as the year progressed last season.  This year his role figures to very similiar but he’ll get stiff competition from JUCO big man Josh Harrellson.  Harrellson would give Kentucky more offensive firepower and shooting which are two things that this Kentucky team figures to be lacking in quite a bit heading into the new season.  He’ll need to trim his weight down a little bit and improve his conditioning and he will not give Kentucky as much athleticism or defense as that of Stevenson.
The small forward position is going to be an interesting situation this year for Kentucky.  Ramon Harris returns and depending upon what Kentucky needs he could find his way into the starting lineup.  He’s Kentucky’s best on ball defender and he can rebound the basketball.  Offensively, he doesn’t offer much though.  Freshman Darius Miller is a much more skilled offensive player than Harris and would give Kentucky more ball handling and offensive versatility. 

Backcourt
Kentucky loses three players from it’s back court and return very little ball handling and experience.  The lone returnees are Jodie Meeks and Michael Porter.  Meeks was injured and rather ineffective for all of last year.  However, he’ll be needed this year in a very big way and he has the type of offensive game to deliver the neccessary results.  Meeks is Kentucky’s best and to an extent only perimeter shooting option.  Both he and Patterson will be asked to carry the scoring load this season and whether or not Meeks can both stay healthy and produce will determine much of Kentucky’s success this year.
The point guard position is Kentucky’s biggest question mark heading into the season.  They lose both of their point guards from last year in Ramel Bradley and Derrick Jasper.  Michael Porter returns but he figures to play behind two newcomers in DeAndre Liggins and Kevin Galloway.  Neither newcomer is a true point guard and both will have their fair share of ups and downs throughout the season but both are extremely talented young men. 
Galloway may be more ready to play from day one considering he already has college experience but he’s more of an unknown at the time.  He’s considered to be more of a pass first, shoot second guard with length and athleticism.  Liggins is very similiar to Galloway in size and ability.  Both players hover around 6′6 and neither has much of a perimeter shot to offer.  Liggins is a multi skilled point forward with very good vision and passing ability.

Final Thoughts
Kentucky has the potential to be a very dangerous team in 09 and could finish much higher than a first round exit in March.  Patterson is one of the very best big men in the country and they have size, athleticism and should be a good defensive team.  The questions that need answered are mostly in the back court.  Can Meeks step up and become a go to scorer?  Does this team have enough perimeter shooting to keep teams out of the lane and away from Patterson?  Does this team have a leader in the back court that can set up and run the offensive effectively?  One thing is for certain though and that’s that head coach Billy G has this program headed in the proper direction.

#5 Vanderbilt Commodores

National Rank #41
Projected Postseason- NCAA First Round
2008 Final Record 26-8 (10-6)
2008 Postseason- NCAA first round loss

Key Losses
SG-Shan Foster 6′6 195- 20.3ppg 4.9rpg 52%FG 47%3pt
PG-Alex Gordon 6′0 175- 10.8ppg 3.1apg 40%FG 40%3pt
PF-Ross Neltner 6′9 245- 8.3ppg 5.6rpg 45%FG 79%FT

Projected Starting Lineup
C-A.J. Ogilivy 6′10 250 SO- 17.0ppg 6.7rpg 1.4blk 59%FG 78%FT
PF-Steven Tchiengang 6′9 230 FR- Top 100 Recruit
SF-Andre Walker 6′7 210 SO- 2.4ppg 2.0rpg 38%FG 20%3pt
SG-Brad Tinsley 6′3 190 FR- Top 100 Recruit
PG-Jermaine Beal 6′3 200 JR- 7.6ppg 4.6apg 38%FG 32%3pt
Top Bench Players(In order)
PF-Lance Goulborne 6′7 200 FR- Top 100 Recruit
SG-George Drake 6′4 210 JR- Played Sparingly
PF-Darshawn McClellan 6′7 220 SO- 2.7ppg 3.0rpg 43%FG 50%FT
C-Festus Ezeli 6′11 245 FR- Redshirted
SF-Charles Hinkle 6′5 210 FR- Redshirted
PG-Elliot Cole 5′11 175 SO- Played Sparingly
PF-Joe Duffy 6′8 225 SO- Played Sparingly
SF-Jeff Taylor 6′7 190 FR- Top 400 Recruit

Frontcourt
The true strength of this Vanderbilt team will come from their frontcourt this year.  They’ll be led by one of the very best players in the country in Australian big man A.J. Ogilvy.  He’s one of the most skilled offensive big men in the country.  In the low post he is as polished and as talented as anyone in the country.  Add to the fact that he has tremendous size and a very good understanding of how to operate on the low block and you have arguably the most complete offensive low post player in the country.  With Ogilivy’s skill set inside, Vanderbilt should be able to throw the ball inside to him just about whenever they want and get some sort of production out of it.
The question becomes what does Vanderbilt have to offer outside of Ogilivy.  What they have are two very good offensive freshman in Lance Goulborne and Steven Tchiengang.  The problem is that they’re both freshman and they both play the same position.  Tchiengang has thje bigger body and is considered a slightly better shooter from the outside which could give him the edge.  He’ll give Vanderbilt more size and rebounding and should be able to spread defenses with his excellent shooting ability to keep defenses out of the paint so that Ogilivy can operate inside. 
Goulborne will see get minutes too though and could possibly start ahead of his fellow freshman teammate.  He’s the slightly better athlete and has an offensive game that really flows within an offense.  He can also step outside and shoot the basketball at a high rate.  Neither fershman has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create their own offense though.
The other forward position will likely come down to a pair of sophomores in Andre Walker and Darshawn McClellan.  Neither has the offensive skill set from the perimeter like the two freshman but both are better athletes and would give Vanderbilt more defense.  Walker is the more natural fit at the wing but his offensive skills need some serious refining.  McClellan is really more of a rebounding and low post forward at this stage in his career and will more than likely be used off the bench for energy.

Backcourt
The backcourt is not near as deep or as talented as the frontcourt.  Vanderbilt loses two starters from it’s three guard lineup last year in Shan Foster and Alex Gordon.  Shan Foster was the SEC Player last year and his loss will be greatly felt.  He was one of the best and most efficent scorers and one of the deadly shooters the SEC has seen in quite some time.  No one will be able to replace his offense this season but incoming freshman Brad Tinsley will try his best.  Tinsley is an absolute dead eye shooter with a very high basketball IQ.  He may even be asked to play a little point guard this year as well.  However, he doesn’t have Fosters length, athleticism or creative ability off the bounce.
Vanderbilt does return Jermaine Beal though at the point guard position.  Beal is not a natural point guard but he understands the offense, is intelligent, makes great decisions and takes great care of the basketball.  He’s not a deadly shooter and won’t beat that many people off the dribble but at the same time he’s not going to lose any games for Vanderbilt with foolish plays either.
Behind Beal and Tinsley there is very little depth.  Players like George Drake, Charles Hinkle and Elliot Cole may need to have bigger roles on the roster this year, however, it’s unclear as to whether or not any of them are capable of bringing much to the table for Vanderbilt in 09.

Final Thoughts
Anytime you have a player like A.J. Ogilivy on the interior and experienced lead guard play in Jermaine Beal you have the starting blocks for a competitive team which is what Vanderbilt most certainly will be this year.  The qusetion though is how competitive?  NIT or NCAA competitive?  A lot of that will depend on the freshmen and Vanderbilt brought in three very talented ones in Goulborne, Tchiengang and Tinsley.  All three will likely need to contribute and possibly start.  As of now it appears as though Vanderbilt should be able to score the basketball although not at the efficient rate that they scored it last year.  Defense, however, is still an issue and the teams depth is rather thin.  Vanderbilt will more than likely be a bubble team in 09.

#6 LSU Tigers

National Rank  #50
Projected Postseason- NIT
2008 Final Record 13-18 (6-10)
2008 Postseason- None

Key Losses
PF-Anthony Randolph 6′10 205- 15.6ppg 8.5rpg 2.3blk 46%FG

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Chris Johnson 6′10 210 SR- 11.6ppg 6.6rpg 2.6blk 53%FG
PF-Tasmin Mitchell  6′7 230 JR- Medical Redshirt
SF-Terry Martin 6′5 205 SR- 8.3ppg 2.5rpg 37%FG 31%3pt
SG-Marcus Thornton 6′4 200 SR- 19.6ppg 5.6rpg 44%FG 38%3PT
PG-Garrett Temple 6′6 190 SR- 6.4ppg 3.6apg 39%FG 31%3pt
Top bench players(in order)
PF-Storm Warren 6′7 220 FR- Top 100 Recruit
SF-Delwan Graham 6′6 220 FR- Top 125 Recruit
PG-Bo Spencer 6′0 180 SO- 3.4ppg 1.4apg 32%FG 32%3pt
PF-Quinton Thorton 6′8 230 SR- Played Sparingly
SG-Alex Farrer 6′5 195 JR- 3.0ppg 1.7rpg 38%FG 24%3pt
PG-Chris Bass 6′1 170 FR- Top 300 Recruit
PF-Garret Green 6′9 220 SO- Played Sparingly
PF-Dennis Harris 6′10 205 FR- Top 400 Recruit

Frontcourt
There is good news and bad news this year in the front court.  The good news is LSU gets Tasmin Mitchell back from the injury and the bad news is they lost Anthony Randolph to the NBA.  Randolph was a one and done type of talent that put up good numbers as a freshman but probably was not as valuable to the team as his numbers would have indicated.  Randolph could score, rebound and block shots but he wasn’t an efficient scorer and was out of position on defense quite a bit.  Tasmin Mitchell is not as athletic as Randolph and doesn’t have quite as much raw talent but he’s probably the better college player.  Mitchell will give LSU more leadership, experience and toughness.  He’s the teams best all around player, he’s a versatile inside/outside scorer and a proven winner.
Chris Johnson returns as a starter from last year on the interior.  He’s a very slender athlete that has the ability to slash to the hoop, block shots and can really get out and run the in the open court.  However, he’s extremely thin, tends to float on the perimeter and does not respond well to contact or physical play at all.
Another player that returns from last year is small forward Terry Martin.  Martin is a shooter but he has realy struggled with his shot while at LSU and in return has actually hurt the team more than he has helped them.  However, Martin has the talent and skill set to be a capable outside shooter for LSU and whether or not he develops the confidence in his shot will determine not only how much he plays but likely also the amount of the success the Tigers have in 09.
LSU has two talented freshman that could see starting minutes in the frontcourt.  Storm Warren is an undersized warrior on the interior.  He’s a kid that is not going to give head coach Trent Johnson back to the basket scoring but he will give LSU some rebounding, interior defense and a lot of energy and toughness.  Graham is considered to be a sleeper heading into the season.  Not a lot of people considered Graham a high prospect coming out of high school but the kid can flat out score the basketball.  He has a nice outside shot and is athletic, strong and explosive enough to get into the lane and finish around the hoop.  If Terry Martin continues to struggle with his shot don’t be surprised to see one of these freshman step in as starters in the frontcourt alongside Mitchell and Johnson.

Backcourt
LSU has not had effective lead guard play for what feels like forever now and that has been a big part of this team teams struggles the past two seasons.  Garrett Temple has, to say the least, struggled handling the point guard duties the last couple of years but LSU has yet to bring in anyone that can help relieve Temple of his duties.  It’s likely that Temple be will be asked to run the offense once again this year.  He’s had three years now to develop his ability to run the offense and while he’s still not a great option at the point, he is at least a servicable option.  One positive that Temple continues to bring the team though is his athletic defensive play on the perimeter. 
The other guard spot goes to senior Marcus Thorton.  He’s the teams leading returning scorer and one of the best shooting guards in the SEC.  Thorton gives LSU a consistent go to scorer that can be relied on game in and game out to put points up on the scoreboard.  Don’t be surprised to see him possibly lead the SEC in scoring this year.
If Temple struggles at the point than LSU will go to either Bo Spencer or freshman Chris Bass.  Bass is the younger brother of one time LSU great Brandon Bass.  Chris figures to be a work in progress though.  Spencer is more or less a below average SEC player with a very limited skill set.  Needless to say, neighter is a very good option at the piont.

Final Thoughts
The last couple seasons have been very difficult for LSU fans.  High expections and underachieving teams.  This year, however, feels different and that’s mostly because they bring in a very promsing coach in Trent Johnson and return their best player in Tasmin Mitchell from injury.  This team is filled with question marks but the answer might be the head coach because this is a team with talent that may have just needed proper direction the past couple seasons.  They have a low post scorer and leader in Mitchell, they have length, experience and athleticism with Johnson and Temple, perimeter firepower with Thorton and Martin and two freshman that appear ready to contribute in Warren and Graham.  The talent is there, the athleticism is there, the experience is there and now maybe the leadership is finally there.  Does all this add up to an NCAA Tournament appearance though?  Probably not.  They still have shaky lead guard, inconsistent periemter shooting and not enough size inside to defend and rebound the basketball at a high  enough level.

#7 South Carolina Gamecocks

National Rank- Outside the top 50
Projected Postseason- NIT
2008 Final Record 14-18 (5-11)
Postseason- None

Key Losses
SG-Dwayne Day 6′5 185- 5.1ppg 3.7rpg 37%FG 25%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Mike Holmes 6′7 235 SO- 8.5ppg 5.7rpg 50%FG 62%FT
PF-Dominique Archie 6′7 205 JR- 10.6ppg 5.7rpg 49%FG 67%FT
SF-Evaldas Baniulis 6′6 200 JR- 5.4ppg 2.2rpg 43%FG 44%3pt
SG-Zam Frederick 6′1 210 SR- 14.8ppg 3.2apg 40%FG 35%3pt
PG-Devan Downey 5′10 175 JR- 18.4ppg 5.4apg 3.2stl 42%FG 35%3pt
Top Bench Players(In order)
SG-Brandis Raley-Ross 6′2 180 JR- 6.0ppg 0.9apg 49%FG 51%3pt
PF-Sam Muldrow 6′8 210 SO- 3.1ppg 3.5rpg 1.blk 48%FG
C-Mitchell Carter 6′11 250 SO- Played Sparingly
PF-Austin Steed 6′8 205 FR- Redshirted
PG-Robert Wilder 6′1 185 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
The frontcourt simply just does not have a lot ot offer.  There is not a tremendous amount of skill, size, athleticism, depth or experience.  Both Holmes and Archie are nice players but nothing great and both are undersized at their respective positions.  Archie does, however, give USC an athletic and versatile defender with fairly solid and developing offensive skills.  If Holmes were able to play at his more natural position at the power forward spot he would be a more effective post option, however, while he tries hard and works hard he is simply too undersized to be a truly efficient low post scoring presence and to top it off he’s a defensive liability at his position.
Off the bench USC has options with Sam Muldrow, Mitchell Carter and Austin Steed.  Muldrow is a physical player that can block shots and rebound but is very ineffective on the offensive end.  Carter has yet to put his skills and size together but if he does he could be the key piece to the puzzle for Dave Odoms team.  He came in as a somewhat highly recruited big man but has yet to make a physical impact on the team.  Better conditioning and work ethic are key.
Evaldas Baniulis is used only as a shooter but he’s a solid shooter.  Dave Odom would prefer to play a bigger lineup and bring Baniulis off the bench but that would have to involve Mitchell Carter developing into a reliable low post player and it is yet to be determined whether or not that is a possiblity this year.

Backcourt
USC road their back court last year to a 14-18 record and they’ll once again have to ride that same back court this year.  It is indeed a good back court but there is little depth behind Frederick and Downey and the coaching staff brought in absolutely no one in the recruiting class to help out. It’s nice to bring back your starting back court but is that going to be enough to get USC over the hump?
One thing is for sure though and that’s that Devan Downey is one of, if not the best guard in the entire country.  Devan Downey can flat out play basketball.  No returning player in the country averaged 18 points, 5 assists and 3 steals last year.  He’s relied on more heavily by his team than just about any player in the country and the pint sized guard is about as consistent a player as a coach could hope for.
Downeys running mate is senior guard Zam Frederick.  Frederick is a good but not great combo guard.  His numbers last year were good in terms of the totals but in terms of efficiency they were below average.  He’ll be asked yet again to carry much of the scoring load because outside of Downey the team has very little to offer in that department.
Off the bench USC has Brandis Raley-Ross.  Ross gives USC an accurate outside shooter and reliable ball handler.  However, Ross is not a playmaker, he cannot create his own offense and he’s undersized.

Final Thoughts
USC returns a lot of experience and a lot of minutes from last year but they added absolutely nothing in the recruiting class and will still be an undersized team with average overall talent and very little depth.  Having Downey run the team is a blessing as he truly is an elite player on the national level but after Downey there is a huge drop off in talent.  Players like Frederick, Archie and Holmes are role players that are all playing out of position.  With that being said there is absolutely no reason to think that USC shouldn’t be improved from lat year considering they return basically the entire team but it’s unlikely that they will be improved enough to get a birth into the NCAA Tournament in 2009.

#8 Mississippi State Bulldogs

National Rank- Outside the top 50
Projected Postseason- NIT
2008 Final Record 23-11 (12-4)
2008 Postseason- NCAA 2nd round loss

Key Losses
SG-Jamont Gordon 6′4 225- 17.2ppg 6.6rpg 4.9apg 42%FG
C-Charles Rhodes 6′9 245- 17.4ppg 7.8rpg 1.4blk 56%FG
SG-Ben Hansbrough 6′2 190- 10.5ppg 2.6apg 42%FG 36%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Jarvis Varnado 6′9 215 JR- 7.9ppg 7.8rpg 4.6blk 64%FG
PF-Romero Osby 6′8 215 FR- Top 50 Recruit
SF-Ravern Johnson 6′7 180 SO- 2.5ppg 1.0rpg 48%FG 29%3pt
SG-Barry Stewart 6′2 170 JR- 11.5ppg 2.6apg 38%FG 33%3pt
PG-Dee Bost 6′2 175 FR- Top 100 Recruit
Top Bench Players(In order)
PF-Brian Johnson 6′8 245 JR- 2.3ppg 2.2rpg 63%FG 77%FT
SG-Phil Turner 6′3 175 SO- 4.0ppg 2.8rpg 33%FG 30%3pt
SF-Kodi Augustus 6′7 220 SO- Played Sparingly
SG-Antiquan Beckham 6′4 185 FR- Top 200 Recruit
PF-Elgin Bailey 6′8 265 SO- Played Sparingly
SG-Riley Benock 6′4 180 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
The Bulldogs are losing their lone interior scoring option in Charles Rhodes but they are returning one of the very best interior defenders and shot blockers in the country in Jarvis Varnado.  Last season, with increased playing time, Varnado was ability to develop his offensive game and display his overall defensive dominance.  With Varnado back, Mississippi State should once again be right at the top in terms of defense in the SEC.
However, it’s the offensive end of the court where the Bulldogs are likely going to struggle.  They don’t have anyone that can or will replace Rhodes interior production on offense.  Big man Brian Johnson returns and gives the Bulldogs a strong interior player that can rebound the basketball and take up space but he gives them very little offense.
Mississippi State has a number of talented but young and extremely inexperienced players in Romero Osby, Ravern Johnson, Kodi Augustus and Elgin Bailey that will need to step up this season in order for the Bulldogs to compete in the SEC.  With the exception of possibly Osby these are the types of players that coaches typically would rather have another year to work with before throwing them out on the court.  Unfortunetly for Rick Stansbury he does not appear to have that option.
Osby is the most promising of this group as he has an NBA ready body and a versatile enough offensive game to play on the SEC level.  Osby is an inside/outside threat that is long, sleek and athletic.  He has a nice outside shot and has the ability to finish around the rim with both hands.  His defense will need work though as he lacks intensity on the interior and doesn’t have the defensive skill set to defend on the perimeter just yet.
Ravern Johnson is a very athletic wing player that has the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter.  However, his handle needs work and he’s still extremely thin and will need to have added some muscle in the offseason in order to crack the starting lineup.  Augustus is more built and has a better body than Johnson but his offensive game is still developing.  He has the body of a big man but the game of a wing player.  Bailey is a husky and big bodied low post scorer that wasn’t in good enough shape to get minutes as a freshman.

Backcourt
Last season the Bulldogs went with a three guard lineup with Gordon, Hansbrough and Stewart.  Gordon left school to play pro ball somewhere and Hansbrough transfered to Notre Dame which leaves only Stewart to return and a host of very green newcomers and returnees to fill in the gaps.  Barry Stewart will need to be a much more reliable and consistent offensive performer as a junior.  He’s the teams leading returning scorer and most proven offensive threat.  He’s a streaky outside shooter that has good quickness and can get to the hoop.  He’ll be asked this year to be the teams go to scorer.
The other guard spot will likely be between two freshmen in Dee Bost and Antiquan Beckham.  Bost is the more highly regarded of the two but Beckham maybe the most ready to play.  Beckham is a pass first guard with good size but doesn’t have the breakdown ability or explosiveness of Bost.  Bost would give Stansbury more offense at the point but also more headaches.  Either way, Mississippi State will be breaking in a new point guard unless they elect to go with Stewart at the point.
Another player who may have a shot at starting is sophomore combo guard Phil Turner.  Turner really struggled as a freshman with his shooting but he’s the third most experienced player on the roster behind Varnado and Stewart.  Unfortunetly, he’s not a point guard and the Bulldogs will not be going with a three guard lineup this year so unless Stewart runs the point, it’s more than likely that Turner will be coming off the bench in 09.

Final Thoughts
The Bulldogs lose a lot of talent and experience from last year.  Rhodes, when healthy, was one of the most effective low post scorers in the SEC, Gordon was one of the most talented all around players in the country and losing Hansbrough just adds to the fire.  This team was a team that won with their defensive last year though and their defense should not drop off drastically despite losing three starters.  However, this was an average at best offensive team last year and they lose arguably their three most effective and capable offensive players.  If players like Ravern Johnson and Kodi Augustus can develop into reliabe players as sophomores and the freshman class can hold it’s own than this team would have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament because of their ability to defend the basketball in the half court setting.  In the end though this team is probably just too young and a little too raw offensively to do any real damage in the SEC this season.

#9 Mississippi Rebels

National Rank- Outside the top 75
Projected Postseason- NIT
2008 Final Record 24-11 (7-9)
Postseason- NIT Semifinals

Key Losses
C-Dwayne Curtis 6′9 275- 14.9ppg 9.6rpg 63%FG 67%FT
PF-Kenny Williams 6′8 240- 8.5ppg 6.6rpg 53%FG 49%FT

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Malcom White 6′8 225 SO- Played Sparingly
PF-Terrance Henry 6′9 190 FR- Top 75 Recruit
SF-Eniel Polynice 6′4 200 JR- 10.7ppg 5.3rpg 4.1apg 45%FG 27%3pt
SG-David Huertas 6′3 190 JR- 10.7ppg 1.9apg 38%FG 36%3pt
PG-Chris Warren 5′11 170 SO- 15.8ppg 4.5apg 40%FG 39%3pt
Top Bench Players(in order)
SF-Terrico White 6′6 200 FR- Top 100 Recruit
SF-Murphy Holloway 6′7 200 FR- Top 125 Recruit
SG-Trevor Gaskins 6′2 205 SO- 5.9ppg 1.1apg 37%FG 39%3pt
SF-Zach Graham 6′4 220 SO- 5.9ppg 2.7rpg 46%FG 43%3pt
PF-Kevin Cantinol 6′9 240 FR- Redshirted
PF-DeAndre Cranston 6′8 245 FR- Top 300 Recruit
SF-Brandon Wilson 6′5 190 FR- Top 250 Recruit
PG-Will Bogan 6′1 175 FR- Top 400 Recruit

Frontcourt
Ole Miss loses their two starting interior post players in Curtis and Williams as well as their top back up in Jeremy Parnell.  That’s a lot of size and experience to lose in one year.  Curtis was one of the most efficient offensive finishers in all of college basketball last season.  He was also easily one of the best rebounders in the country.  With Curtis and Williams inside Ole Miss was able to outrebound and outmuscle most of their opponents last year.  That is most certainly not going to be the case this year as Ole Miss lacks a great amount of size and experience on the interior..
The only post players that return are Malcom White and Kevin Cantinol.  White played a total of a 173 minutes last year and Cantinol redshirted.  White has a decent amount of potential but struggled finding the time to play last year behind Curtis, Williams and Parnell. 
The recruiting class adds very little size and strength but does add some athleticism and length with Terrance Henry, Murphy Holloway and Terrico White.  All three freshman will be asked to play right away. 
Henry is the only “post” player of the three and is also the most highly touted.  He’s a long, athletic and lanky lefty that is very active around the rim and can get out in transition and runs like a guard.  However, he needs to put on some serious muscle and his interior offensive game is extremely raw and unproductive.  Holloway gives Ole Miss an outside shooter with good size.  He can also run and jump and will help out on the glass as much as he possibly can.  He’s considered to be the most ready of the recruits for Ole Miss.  White on the other hand is a silky smooth scorer from the wing who will have to fight out one of the three returning starting guards for minutes.

Backcourt
This will be the Rebels strength in 2009.  They return all three starters and have one of the most underrated players in the country in sophomore lead guard Chris Warren.  The Rebels will go as far as Warren can take them this year.  He’s one of the most complete all around offensive guards in the country because of his quick release and deadly outside shot but he can also get into the lane with his quickness and create offense for himself as well as his teammates.  He’ll likely need to take on more of a scoring role this year with more of a spread out attack because of the losses inside.
The other returning guards are Eniel Polynice and David Huertas.  Polynice is a well built guard that is most effective in the open court or when he’s attacking the hoop.  He’s arguably the teams best ball handler and is also the teams leading returning rebounder.  Huertas was used mostly as an outside shooter last year.  He’s a fearless shooter that’s not afraid to huck up three pointers whenever and wherever.  That sometimes can be a good thing and a bad thing but one thing is for sure and that is unless Huertas improves his ball handling, he’ll likely lose some of his minutes to one of the incoming freshman.
Sophomores Zach Graham and Trevor Gaskins will give Ole Miss a little bit of firepower off the bench.  Gaskins is used for his shooting and very little else while Graham is a strong and sturdy forward that is effective at drawing contact and getting to the foul line.

Final Thoughts
Andy Kennedy is an up and coming head coach and Chris Warren is one of the best lead guards in the country and that gives Ole Miss a solid foundation to work with this year.  However, they’re going to have to rely heavily on their back court for offensive support this year because they have very very little to offer on the inside.  Interior scoring and offensive rebounding will not be strengths for this team like they were last year and that will greatly effect them on the offensive end.  Defensively, they should be improved as they add more athleticism and length but they were not exactly a good defensive team last year.  Anytime you have guard play like Ole Miss though you’ll have a chance to compete and this will be a competitive team that should be able to make the NIT.

#10 Arkansas Razorbacks

National Rank- Outside the top 75
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 23-12 (9-7)
2008 Postseason- NCAA Tournament 2nd round loss

Key Losses
SF-Sonny Weems 6′6 200- 15.0pg 4.5rpg 2.6apg 46%FG 37%3pt
SG-Patrck Beverly 6′2 175- 12.1ppg 6.6rpg 2.4apg 41%FG 38%3pt
C-Darian Townes 6′10 250- 12.1ppg 5.5rpg 60%FG 62%FT
PG-Gary Ervin 6′0 180- 9.5ppg 3.8apg 43%FG 29%3pt
PF-Charles Thomas 6′7 235- 9.2ppg 4.5rpg 52%FG 73%FT
C-Steven Hill 7′0 245- 4.2ppg 2.9blk 68%FG

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Michael Sanchez 6′8 235 FR- Redshirted
PF-Michael Washington 6′9 230 JR- 4.3ppg 3.9rpg 41%FG 62%FT
SF-Montrell McDonald 6′6 205 JR- Top 25 Juco
SG-Rotnei Clarke 6′1 185 FR- Top 100 Recruit
PG-Courtney Fortson 5′11 175 FR- Top 50 Recruit
Top Bench Players(in order)
SF-Jason Henry 6′6 180 FR- Top 75 Recruit
SG-Stefan Welsh 6′2 180 JR- 5.3ppg 2.1apg 36%FG 33%3pt
PF-Andre Clark 6′10 205 FR- Top 175 Recruit
PF-Brandon Moore 6′9 215 FR- Top 175 Recruit
SG-Marcus Britt 6′3 180 SO- Played Sparingly
SG-Levan Patsatsia 6′6 205 SO- Played Sparingly

Frontcourt
No team in the SEC lost more frontcourt talent than that of Arkansas.  They lost all three starters in Townes, Thomas and Weems as well as top back ups in Steven Hill and Vincent Hunter.  That’s a lot to lose and it’s enough to lose that it will likely take Arkansas a couple years to get back to form.  They do bring in a healthy dose of athletic and talented young recruits though.  Juco Transfer Montrell McDonald is the type of recruit that is physicaly mature and ready to play from day one.  He’ll likely replace Sonny Weems at the wing position, however, who starts on the interior is up for grabs. 
Michael Washington is the only post player on the team with any college basketball experience at all.  That should give him an edge heading into the season but don’t be surprised to see athletic freshmen like Andre Clark, Brandon Moore and Michael Sanchez eat up some of his minutes. 
Especially Sanchez who could a sleeper player in the SEC this season.  He had a busy summer playing for the U21 USA team and is the teams most gifted low post player right now.  Clark and Moore are long and athletic forwards that haven’t yet developed their offensive games and need to really hit the weight room in order to play against SEC competition.
Last but not least is freshman wing Jason Henry.  He’s arguably the most touted of all the incoming freshmen.  He’ll give Arkansas an extremely athletic wing player that can leap, slash and attack the hoop.  Not many players in the SEC will be able to match Henry’s raw athleticism and he could be a deadly threat in the open court.  His perimeter game, shot and handle need a little refining though.

Backcourt
The loss of Patrick Beverly to grades is a big loss.  Add to the fact that they’re also losing inconsistent but starting point guard Gary Ervin and you have a situation where Arkansas also loses both of their starters in the back court as well as the front court.  With Beverly this is a team that could compete for a possible NCAA Tournament birth but without his leadership, experience, versatility, defense and all around talent, Arkansas will likely be fighting for an NIT birth insead.  The good news though is that Arkansas brought in two very talented young guards in Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke and they return junior guard Stefan Welsh to boot.
Fortson is an extremely dynamic lead guard that is unquestionably good enough to run the offense from day one.  He’ll have his fair share of ups and downs as a freshman but as a whole this is a kid with a very bright future at Arkansas.  First off, he plays with heart and competes at a very high level.  He’s a quick lefty that is heady and can penetrate at will.  HIs outside shot is a little streaky and he can tend be a bit turnover prone at times when he tries to do too much.
Rotnei Clarke is a undersized two guard who has the ability to run an offense but is more suited towards playing off the ball.  He’s one of the best shooters in this freshman class.  In fact some pundits and recruiting gurus have even gone as far as to say that he is the best incoming shooter in the country.  Whether he is or isn’t doesn’t really matter because he can flat shoot the basketball.  There is no question about that. 
Off the bench Arkansas will have Stefan Welsh who depending upon how the freshman play could wind up starting at some point in the season.  He struggled last season with his jumpshot but he’s proven in the past that he has the ability to score the basketball from the deep and as one of the few upperclassmen on the team he will be called upon to be more of a leader and more of a consistent performer which he is capable of doing.

Final Thoughts
The Razorbacks recruiting class is a good one but it’s not good enough to replace five starters and that’s just what Arkansas is losing from last year.  Newcomers like McDonald, Fortson, Clarke and Henry will be ready to play and will give Arkansas fans something to chear about for the future but this is a team that lacks way too much experience to be considered a conteder in 2009.  They don’t have a player heading into the season that they can rely on to score the basketball and interior defense and rebounding could be an issue as well.  It’s also not a good thing to have to break in a new point guard when you lose so much experience and talent from the year before.  That being said this is still a talented team yet youth team and it’s a program that is heading in the right direction under second year head coach John Pelphrey.  Unfortunetly, they’re probably about a year away from really competiting at a high level in the SEC.

#11 Auburn Tigers

National Rank- Outside the top 100
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record 14-16 (4-12)
2008 Postseason- None

Key Losses
PF-Quan Prowell 6′8 215- 15.0ppg 6.3rpg 54%FG 41%3pt
SG-Frank Tolbert 6′4 205- 13.4ppg 5.2rpg 43%FG 31%3pt

Projected Starting Lineup
C-Johnie Lett 6′9 240 JR- Juco Transfer
PF-Korvotney Barber 6′7 225 SR(10 games)- 13.8ppg 6.9rpg 1.3blk 72%FG
SF-Rasheem Barrett 6′4 220 SR- 13.6ppg 4.0rpg 44%FG 34%3pt
SG-Dewayne Reed 6′0 175 JR- 8.9ppg 3.7apg 35%FG 30%3pt
PG-Quantez Robertson 6′2 195 SR- 7.8ppg 5.0rpg 4.1apg 2.1stl 41%FG
Top Bench Players(in order)
C-Boubacar Sylla 7′1 275 FR- Redshirted
PG-Tony Neysmith 6′3 190 SO- Transfer from Oklahoma
PG-Frankie Sullivan 6′1 185 FR- Top 100 recruit
SF-Lucas Hargrove 6′5 195 JR- 7.8ppg 4.4rpg 48%FG 35%3pt
C-Brendon Knox 6′10 225 JR- Juco Transfer
PF-Kenny Kabriel 6′8 200 FR- Top 200 Recruit
SG-Tay Walker 6′2 180 JR- Juco Transfer
PF-Francis Aine 6′9 215- JR= Juco Transfer

Frontcourt
Auburn was one of the worst defensive teams in the country last season and a lot of that was because of their lack of size inside.  Their two best interior players in Josh Dollard and Korvotney Barber both went down with injuries and freshman big man Boubcar Sylla redshirted to prepare for this season.  That left Auburn with very little size, interior defense or rebounding and it forced them to play with a smaller and less effective lineup.  However, this season Auburn will have Barber as well as redshirt big man Sylla.  They’re also bringing in a host of newcomers that will add size and athleticism in Lett, Knox, Aine and Gabriel.  The loss of Quan Prowell will hurt as he was a mismatch nightmare for opposing teams but the improved depth, size and defense should more than make up for his loss.
The most likely candidate to start inside based on production and experience is Barber.  He’s undersized inside at 6′7 and doesn’t offer a lot of muscle but he’s one of the most active and athletic post players in the SEC.  Redshirt frehsman Sylla is a darkhorse option to start inside because of his incredible size and shot blocking ability but Juco transfer Johnnie Lett gives them athleticism, rebounding, strength and a lot more mobility and offense than that of Sylla.  Knox is a lanky and athletic prospect who’s a little raw right now but is good enough to contribute.  Freshman Gabriel is an athletic forward who’s still developing and doesn’t have an interior offensive game at the moment.

Backcourt
Auburn loses attacking guard Frank Tolbert who was effective at getting into the lane and scoring the basketball last season.  Auburn fans are hoping that freshman guard Frankie Sullivan will be able to pick up Tolberts slack offensively.  Sullivan is an atheltic combo guard that can really create his own shot and offense off of the bounce.  Don’t be surprised to see him supplant Dewayne Reed in the starting lineup before too long. 
Quantez Robertson is one of the most experienced guards in not only the SEC but in the country.  He’s been running the teams “offense” for the past three seasons and while the Tigers have had very little success in that time span it’s still nice to have an experienced lead guard like Robertson.  Robertson is not an All SEC talent but he does get after it defensively, has the ability to get into the lane and create offense, is very strong and well built and is one of the better rebounding guards in the country.
Auburn has a fair amount of the depth in the back court with returning starter Dewayne Reed and incoming trasnfer Tony Neysmith.  Neysmith was a top 100 recruit two seasons ago for Oklahoma.  He’s good enough to come in and start alonside Robertson in the back court which would give Auburn more ball handling options and more size.  Reed’s minutes should diminish a little with the additions of Neysmith and Sullivan but Reed is an explosive and attacking guard that is not afraid to pull the trigger from deep and has the ability to create offense in the open court.
Last but not least is the teams leading returning scorer in Rasheem Barrett.  He’s the teams most proven prerimeter scoring option.  He has the ability to shoot it from deep although he’s streaky and he’s quick and strong enough to put the ball on the floor and finish around the rim.

Final Thoughts
This is a deep, athletic and fairly talented Auburn team that will be able to get out and run on teams once again this year.  However, with improved ball handling and much more size, rebounding and defense on the interior this team will be more suited to play teams in the half court setting.  Depending upon how much they improve their defense and rebounding they will be improved from last year.  However, with the losses of Tolbert and Prowell this team will lack the same type of perimeter firepower.  They do not have a reliable interior scoring option and their outside shooting is shaky at best.  The althleticism and depth is their to compete at a very high level in the SEC though and Auburn is the type of team that could surprise in a very big way this season.

#12 Georgia Bulldogs

National Rank- Outside the Top 150
Projected Postseason- None
2008 Final Record- 17-17 (4-12)
Postseason- 1st round loss NCAA Tournament

Backcourt
Georgia loses both starting guards from last season in Sundiata Gaines and Billy Humprhey.  Both were Georgia’s two best offensive scorers on a team that really struggled scoring the basketball.  That does not bode well for this season.  Gaines was the true heart and soul of this Georgia team.  He was an All SEC guard and was by far and away Georgia’s best player.  His loss is huge and could cripple this Georgia team.  Humprhey was the teams best and really only reliable outside shooter.
The players that will compete for minutes in the back court this season will be Zac Swansey, Corey Butler, Troy Brewer and freshmen Dustin Ware and Ebuka Anyaorah.  It’s not exacly the type of back court that is striking fear into the eyes of SEC coaches this offseason.  Swansey and Butler are the most experienced of the bunch but that’s not saying much.  Swansey was the back up to Gaines last year and he’ll fight with incoming freshman Dustin Ware for minutes at the point.  Butler has the ability to knockdown shots from the perimeter but has yet to prove that he can do it consistently throughout a whole season.  Both Brewer and Anyaorah may be thrown to the wolves this season as both likely need more time to develop into SEC caliber players.

First Team
Roy Hibbert- Georgetown
Luke Harangody- Notre Dame
Deonta Vaughn- Cincinnati
A.J. Price- Connecticut
Brian Laing- Seton Hall

Second Team
Sam Young- Pittsburgh
Donte Green- Syracuse
Jonny Flynn- Syracuse
Scottie Reynolds- Villanova
Kentrell Gransberry- South Florida

Third Team
DeJuan Blair- Pittsburgh
Joe Alexander- West Virginia
Dominic James- Marquette
Hasheem Thabeet- Connecticut
Terrence Williams- Louisville

Fourth Team
Jerel McNeal- Marquette
Jessie Sapp- Georgetown
Alex Ruoff- West Virginia
Eugene Harvey- Seton Hall
Geoff McDermott- Providence

Honorable Mentions
Paul Harris- Syracuse
Jeff Adrien- Connecticut
Draelon Burns- Depaul
Dominique Jones- South Florida
Rob Kurz- Notre Dame

All Freshmen Team
Donte Green- Syracuse
Jonny Flynn- Syracuse
DeJuan Blair- Pittsburgh
Dominique Jones- South Florida
Mac Koshwal- Depaul

All Defensive Team
Hasheem Thabeet- Connecticut
Jerel McNeal- Marquette
Roy Hibbert- Georgetown
Paul Harris- Syracuse
Terrence Williams- Louisville

Player of the Year
Luke Harangody- Notre Dame

Freshman of the Year
Donte Green- Syracuse

Defensive Player of the Year
Hasheem Thabeet- Connecticut

Most Improved Player of the Year
A.J. Price- Connecticut

Second Team
Nick Calathes- Florida
Patrick Patterson- Kentucky
Dwayne Curtis- Ole Miss
Devan Downey- South Carolina
Sonny Weems- Arkansas

Third Team
Jarvis Varnado- Mississippi State
Jajuan Smith- Tennessee
Chris Lofton- Tennessee
Chris Warren- Ole Miss
Marreese Speights- Florida

Honorable Mention
Charles Rhodes- Mississippi State
Ramel Bradley- Kentucky
Patrick Beverly- Arkansas
Michael Thornton- LSU
Sundiata Gaines- Georgia

All Freshmen Team
A.J. Ogilvy- Vanderbilt
Nick Calathes- Florida
Patrick Patterson- Kentucky
Chris Warren- Ole Miss
Anthony Randolph- LSU

All Defensive Team
Jajuan Smith- Tennessee
Sonny Weems- Arkansas
Patrick Beverly- Arkansas
Jarvis Varnado- Mississippi State
Devan Downey- South Carolina

Player of the Year
Jamont Gordon- Mississippi State

Defensive Player of the Year
Jarvis Varnado- Mississippi State

Freshman of the Year
A.J. Ogilvy- Vanderbilt

Most Improved Player of the Year
Marreese Speights- Florida

First Team
Kevin Love- UCLA
Ryan Anderson- California
Jon Brockman- Washington
Jerryd Bayless- Arizona
James Harden- Arizona State

Second Team
Kyle Weaver- Washington State
Chase Budinger- Arizona
O.J. Mayo- USC
Malik Hairston- Oregon
Brook Lopez- Stanford

Third Team
Josh Shipp- UCLA
Maarty Leunen- Oregon
Jeff Pendergraph- Arizona State
Derrick Low- Washington State
Darren Collison- UCLA

Honorable Mention
Jordan Hill- Arizona
Russell Westbrook- UCLA
Patrick Christopher- California
Taylor Rochestie- Washington State
Bryce Taylor- Oregon

All Freshmen Team
Kevin Love- UCLA
Jerryd Bayless- Arizona
James Harden- Arizona State
O.J. Mayo- USC
Davon Jefferson- USC

All Defensive Team
Darren Collison- UCLA
Jordan Hill- Arizona
Robin Lopez- Stanford
Kyle Weaver- Washington State
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute

Player of the Year
Kevin Love- UCLA

Freshman of the Year
Kevin Love- UCLA

Defensive Player of the Year
Kyle Weaver- Washington State

Most Improved Player of the Year
Russell Westbrook- UCLA

Second Team
Blake Griffin- Oklahoma
Curtis Jerrells- Baylor
Bill Walker- Kansas State
Brandon Rush- Kansas
Stephon Hannah- Missouri

Third Team
Damion James- Texas
A.J. Abrams- Texas
Aleks Maric- Nebraska
Kevin Rogers- Baylor
Tony Crocker- Oklahoma

Honorable Mentions
Longar Longar- Oklahoma
Richard Roby- Colorado
Dominique Kirk- Texas A&M
DeMarre Carroll- Missouri
Darnell Jackson- Kansas

All Freshmen Team
Michael Beasley- Kansas State
Blake Griffin- Oklahoma
Bill Walker- Kansas State
James Anderson- Oklahoma State
Craig Brackins- Iowa State

Player of the Year
D.J. Augustin- Texas

Defensive Player of the Year
Mario Chalmers- Kansas

Freshman of the Year
Michael Beasley- Kansas State

Most Improved Player
Damion James- Texas

Second Team
Geary Claxton- Penn State(out for the season)
Brian Butch- Wisconsin
Trevon Hughes- Wisconsin
Manny Harris- Michigan
Shaun Pruitt- Illinois

Third Team
Dan Coleman- Minnesota
Keaton Grant- Purdue
Kosta Koufos- Ohio State
Robbie Hummell- Purdue
Justin Johnson- Iowa

Honorable Mentions
E’Twaun Moore- Purdue
Jamelle Cornley- Penn State
Brian Randle- Illinois
Jordan Crawford- Indiana
Michael Flowers- Wisconsin

All Freshmen Team
Eric Gordon- Indiana
Manny Harris- Michigan
Kosta Koufos- Ohio State
Robbie Hummell- Purdue
E’Twaun Moore- Purdue

Player of the Year
Eric Gordon- Indiana

Defensive Player of the Year *tie
David Lighty- Ohio State
D.J. White- Indiana

Freshmen of the Year
Eric Gordon- Indiana

Most Improved Player
Trevon Hughes- Wisconsin

Second Team All ACC
Jack McClington- Miami
James Gist- Maryland
Ty Lawson- North Carolina
Greivius Vasquez- Maryland
Trevor Booker- Clemson

Third Team All ACC
James Johnson- Wake Forest
K.C. Rivers- Clemson
Gerald Henderson- Duke
Kyle Singler- Duke
J.J. Hickson- North Carolina State

Five Honorable Mentions
Gavin Grant- North Carolina State
Cliff Hammonds- Clemson
Isaiah Swann- Florida State
Jeff Allen- Virginia Tech
Toney Douglas- Florida State

All Freshmen Team
James Johnson- Wake Forest
Kyle Singler- Duke
J.J. Hickson- North Carolina State
Jeff Allen- Virginia Tech
Rakim Sanders- Boston College

Mid-Season Player Of the Year
Tyler Hansbrough- North Carolina

Mid-Season Freshman of the Year
James Johnson- Wake Forest

#2 Ole Miss
-I have to be honest with you I didn’t have Ole Miss anywhere near the top of the Sec in the preaseason.  They’ve been a pleasant suprise under second year head coach Andy Kennedy who deserves serious consideration for the Coach of the Year honors.   This probably is not the second most talented team in the Sec but they’re a very smart team that plays directly to their strengths better than any other team in the Sec right now. 
They’re led by their senior center Dwayne Curtis who is an absolute beast on the interior and one of the better interior scorers you will find in college basketball this season.  He’s the teams only real interior scoring threat though so the rest of the offense comes from the perimeter.  Guard Chris Warren has been one of the best freshman players in the country this year.  He’s a combo guard that can play either back court position and is a capable but streaky perimeter shooter with above average playmaking abilities and very good court awareness.  He’s been the key to the Rebels success this year.  Guards Eniel Polynice, David Huertas and Trevor Gaskins have been solid in their supporting roles this year but I am not sure if they’re capable of being consistent enought role players on the perimeter all year in case one of their big two has an off night in a critical game.
Defensively, Ole Miss still has a lot to prove.  They’ve been winning games this year mostly because of a very efficient offensive attack that takes care of the basketball but they’re not a dominant good team by any means.  They may actually be more of an average defensive team when it’s all said and done this year.  Ole Mis is certainly a team worth watching this season though.  They rely heavily on both Curtis and Warren to score from but they have decent depth behind those two that know their roles can can contribute effectively towards the teams success.  In the end though I don’t think this team will be explosive enough offensively or good enough defensively to do too much damage in the NCAA Tournament.

#3 Vanderbilt
-If you like watching good offensive basketball than Vanderbilt is the team for you.  They play an intelligent style of basketball that involves a lot of finesse, crisp passing and plently of perimeter shooting.  Vanderbilt is truly one of the best offensive basketball teams in the country and a joy to watch.  When they’re hitting their shots from the outside this team is without a doubt good enough to beat any team in the country.  The problem with Vanderbilt is their defense and the fact that they’re not always going to be hitting from the perimeter.
What this Vanderbilt team has that they haven’t really had in a long time is a true low post scorer with back to the basket skills.  Freshman A.J. Ogilvy is one of the best kept secrets in college basketball.  The Australian is a big guy at 6′10 260lbs and he has a very polished offensive game.  He’s currently averaging a double doubt at 19 points and 10 boards per game and probably the most efficient scoring big man in the SEC.  Vanderbilt is a more balanced offensive team than they’ve been in the past this season because of Ogilvy’s strong interior play.
The perimeter attack consists of three players that have really stood out this year in Shan Foster, Alex Gordon and Jermaine Beal.  Foster is a well known commodity in the SEC as he has been one of the most consistent and deadly scorers in the conference over the past two seasons.  He’s currently leading Vanderbilt in scoring at 20.6 per game.  He’s a big and athletic guard who has one of the sweetest jump shots in all of college basketball.  Gordon is a trustworhty point guard that also has range on his perimeter shot that effectively keeps defenses honest and out of the painted area.  Jermaine Beal has been sort of a surprise this year.  He fits perfectly into Kevin Stallings offensive attack because of his intelligence, court sense and shooting ability.  He’s also a rather strong guard that is not afraid to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. 
Tennessee might lead the Sec in scoring this year but Vanderbilt is just as good of an offensive team and more balanced because of Ogilvy inside.  The main difference between the two teams though is that Tennessee is deeper, more athletic and quite a bit better on the defensive end.  Vanderbilt is not an elite college basketball team because they simply do not defend at a high enough level.  They’re a below average to average defensive team and that’s just not gonna hack it if you want to be considered one of the elite teams in the country.  As I said earlier though if Vanderbilt gets hot they’re good enough to beat literally any team in the country and if they get hot in March they could do some serious damage in the Tournament but more than likely they won’t get past the sweet 16.

#4 Arkansas
-In terms of overall talent, experience, depth and athleticism no team in the Sec outside of Tennesee is more equiped than that of Arkansas.  The Razorbacks have just about all the tools that a team could wish for.  They have size up front, scorers inside and outside, plenty of athletes that can defend inside and outside, a lot of experience and a lot of depth.  Clearly though this team does have some issues.  They’ve really struggled shooting the basketball from the perimeter this season.  The only player on the team who seems capable of consistently hitting from the outside is guard Patrick Beverely.  The team also has some ball handling issues as they tend to play out of control and struggled taking care of the basketball as well as simply setting up the half court offense at times.
Scoring wise this team is extremely balanced though.  They five to six players that could easily lead them in scoring from game to game.  On the inside they have seniors Charles Thomas and Darian Townes.  Both are proven interior scorers but not overly consistent interior scorers.  On the perimeter Arkansas has arguably it’s two best players in Patrick Beverely and Sonny Weems.  Weems is a very athletic 6′6 guard that is the teams best defensive player, best slasher and current leading scorer.  Beverely has sort of digressed from his freshman season in which he lead the Razorbacks in the scoring department.  He’s a very talented guard that has an uncanny ability to rebound the basketball and defend passing lanes but he’s also the teams only consistent perimeter shooting threat and probably their best playmaker.  They may be asking a little bit too much out of Beverly right now and they’ll need senior lead guard Gary Ervin to become a more reliable ball handler and shooter.  Unfortunetly, that is not likely to happen.
The thing that I most like about Arkansas though is their defense.  Offensively, this team is not on the same level with Tennnesse and Vanderbilt and probably a step below Ole Miss and Florida but defensively, they’re right there with Tennesse and close to Mississippi State in the SEC.  Anytime you can defend and rebound the basketball like Arkansas can you’re going to be able to play with just about any team in the country.  However, unless this teams starts playing much more intelligent basketball they’re not going to make it out of the first weekend in the March.

#5 Florida
-It’s really close between Florida and Mississippi State right now.  I like Florida better because they’re a much more versatile offensive team than that of Mississippi State and I think this team has the potential be a fairly solid defensive team.  However, as of right now Mississippi State is much better defensively.  How much better Florida gets on the defensive end will determine what kind of season these young Gators will end up having.  Offensively, they’re good, deep and versatile.
They’re led by freshman guard Nick Calathes who is without a doubt one of the best guards in the SEC and one of the best freshmen in the country.  He’s very intelligent and poised for such a young player.  His ability to handle and shoot the basketball as well as run an offense is remarkable.  He’s the Gators best scorer and playmaker and this team will only go as far as he is capable of leading them.  The other two guards that start are Walter Hodge and Jai Lucas.  Hodge is the teams most experienced player and best on ball defender.  Offensively, he’s rather average but he does have the ability to finish around the hoop and is a capable but not great perimeter shooter.  Lucas came in as the teams future point guard but he’s found his role this season playing more off the ball than with it.  He has a nice stroke from the outside but is also extremely quick and can get to the rack just about whenever he wants to.  All three of these guards can handle the basketball and shoot the basketball which makes Florida a difficult team to defend.
On the interior Florida is lead by sophomore big man Marreese Speights.  Speights has a world of potential but he’s still rather raw right now and is not a consistent low post scoring threat.  Florida does not have a reliable low post scoring threat and that has made them a less than balanced offensive team this year.  However, Florida has plenty of depth and athleticism at the forward spots with Dan Werner, Chandler Parsons, Jonathon Mitchell and Alex Tyrus.  Both Werner and Parsons give this team extra perimeter shooting and offensive firepower.
What will likely end up doing this team in though is their youth and lack of toughness.  Sec basketball is very physical and I am not sure if this Florida team has enough strength and toughness to compete at this level.  They’re a very finesse and skilled offensive basketball team that should be able to outscore some of their opponents but I expect them to struggle defensively as well as on the boards this season.  Florida is an NCAA Tournament team in terms of talent but they’re not talented enough to do a lot of damage come March.

#6 Mississippi State
-Welcome to what is probably the best defensive team in all of the SEC and one of the best defensive teams in all of the country.  With Jarvis Varnado and Charles Rhodes on the interior teams have a very difficult time scoring anywhere near to the hoop.  This is a very athletic team with a lot of length.  Thus far they’ve won games this season without much of an offensive attack at all.  The Bulldogs are a slow tempo team that likes to play in the half court setting which makes it not only very difficult for teams to score on them but also for them to score themselves.
There is just not a lot of offensive firepower on this team outside of Jamont Gordon and Charles Rhodes.  Gordon is one of the best all around offensive players in the country.  The only thing really missing from his game this season has been perimeter shooting.  He’s a very strong guard with good size, athleticism, quickness and ball handling skills.  He can create his shot just about whenever he wants to and that’s something that only the truly elite college basketball players can do.  He’s in that class.  Rhodes is a reliable interior scorer that gives the Bulldogs some offensive balance.  Unfortunetly, he’s their only interior option and he’s been banged up all year.  Guards Barry Stewart and Ben Hansbrough need to be much more consistent.  Both have the ability to shoot from the outside as well as run the offense but neither has shown the ability to do it game in and game out. 
Unless this team improves it’s offense drastically they’re going to likely be a bubble team come March.  They don’t shoot well from the outside at all, they don’t take care of the basketball and they just simply do not play well together as a team.  This is truly one of the elite defensive teams in the country though and Jarvis Varndado could possibly be the best defensive player in the country right now but that is not going to be enough come March.

#7 Alabama
-After the top six teams in this conference there is a drastic drop off.  This Alabama team has not been very good at all this year and most of that can be contributed to their poor guard play and horrible team defense.  This might be the worst defensive team in the SEC.  They have very little athleticism or defensive stoppers on their roster and teams can and will score on them throughout the course of this season.  They do have some nice offensive players though in Hendrix, Gee and Riley but only Hendrix is a consistent offensive force for them.  Without ball handling or leadership in the back court to set up and run the offense and with streaky and inconsistent perimeter shooters and god awful team defense this Alabama team would be fortunate to make the NIT.

#8 Kentucky
-I don’t think the Wildcats are as bad as their record indicates.  It’s obviously been a rough year for Kentucky but this has been a banged up team all season and they do actually have a quaity victory on their resume in an overtime win over Vanderbilt.  Guards Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley clearly have never understood the concept of team basketball and even though they’re seniors they continue to play like freshmen and offer very little leadersihp.  They are talented offensive players though and with Patrick Patterson on the interior Kentucky does have some sort of offensive balance at their disposal.  The main problem with this team is their ball handling and control issues.  They don’t take care of the basketball, they lack a floor general and they lack leadership and until they get Derrick Jasper back at a full 100% they’re not going to have that.  Luckily for Kentucky the SEC is pretty pitiful this year and they should be able to finish the year right around .500 if not even higher in conference play.  It’s doubtful that will be enough to get them in the NCAA Tournament though.