The SEC sent eight schools to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. No league sent more. And this season should be a lot of the same as the conference that brags about it just meaning more continues to invest in the sport to the point where the level of coaches and resources in the league has arguably never been better.
The league title seems completely up for grabs with Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas A&M comprising a group from which most believe a champ will emerge. The ballot I submitted had Arkansas first — but the Razorbacks actually finished fourth when our panel’s votes were counted. That suggests, again, that things could reasonably go a variety of different ways in the top half of the SEC.
The biggest SEC storyline?
It’s John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats, I think.
UK hasn’t made a Sweet 16 since 2019 or a Final Four since 2015 despite enrolling a top-two recruiting class in eight of the past nine years. Calipari has now gone eight years at Kentucky without reaching the Final Four despite never going eight years at UMass or Memphis without reaching a Final Four. That’s among the reasons pressure is building and why Calipari needs a strong season to keep the locals calm.
CBS Sports SEC Preseason Player of the Year
Wade Taylor IV | G | Texas A&M
Taylor is a sub-100 prospect from the Class of 2021, according to 247Sports, who has developed into one of the sport’s best guards. The 6-foot junior averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals last season while shooting 35.6% from 3 and 87.8% from the free throw line. He was the biggest reason the Aggies secured a No. 7 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In a league filled with established veterans and talented freshmen, Taylor is the player most deserving of this honor heading into the season. That’s the way I voted, and most of our panelists agreed.
Four more players to watch in SEC
Trevon Brazile | F | Arkansas: Brazile averaged 11.8…
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