11. Florida Gators - who ever thought that the Florida Gators might be picked as one of the four bottom teams in the SEC? Billy Donovan has been replaced by Mike White who turned around the LA. Tech program. He is a good coach, but has his work cut out this season. The wealth of basketball talent is seemingly bottomless in the Sunshine State. White will be able to tap into that in the coming seasons, but for this year he may have a tough time. The Florida front court is substantial. Start with John Egbunu is a great post player who checks in at almost 7 feet. If White can find a backcourt to help his front Court the Gators could surprise. In 2013, Florida won 36 games. Last year that number dropped to 16. Donovan gave the Gators 19 years at the helm, but you can't wonder if he saw the writing on the wall. White starred at Ole Miss, and worked as an Ole Miss Assistant before resurrecting the La. Tech program. Although White never took LaTech to the NCAA he won 28 games in his last season. Dorian Finney Smith, 6-8 223, the SEC's 6th Man of the Year will know step into a starting role. He will give the Gators a strong Front Court along with Egbunu. Throw in Devin Robinson, who is 6-8, and the Gators have some decent size.
12. Tennessee Vols - have fallen a long way from back in the day. Robert Hubbs, III is the Volunteers best returning starter. He is 6-4 junior guard. But real story in Knoxville is the hiring of Rick Barnes. Barnes led Texas from mediocrity into one of the top programs in the NCAA before he was canned. How anyone can accumulate the record that Barnes had at Texas and be fired is an example of just how dysfunctional things had become in the Texas AD office. The Tennessee jumped at the chance to hire Barnes. Rick hasn't had an opportunity to put his considerable recruiting skills to work yet. He was greeted in Knoxville in much the same manner as Avery Johnson was at Alabama.
13. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS have more personal problems than any team in the SEC. Last year the Razorbacks won 27 games. They may not win 15 this season. Mike Anderson has a tough row to hoe coming up. The Hogs lost Booby Portis and Michael Qualls. You don't recover from that. Add to the list of problems was a sub-par recruiting class according to various services which rank players. The Razorbacks also lost three transfer players to various personal and legal question. Not wanting to beat a dead horse just suffice it to say that the Razorbacks or in a down to the wire fight with Missouri to avoid the SEC celler.
13. (tie) MISSOURI TIGERS basketball came into the SEC with a highly regarded program. The football team was kind of an afterthought. It hasn't turned out that way has it. Last year the Tigers were 9-23 and were frankly, a very bad basketball team. Jonathon Allen, the team best player transferred to Gonzaga. It would be easy to say the cup board is bare. Mizzoui doesn't even have a cupboard. The burden falls on the gifted Wes Clark, a 6-1 guard who is the real deal. Unfortunately, doesn't have the help to pull the Tigers into respectability.
Accolades for the season...
Do you include Freshman for an all-conference team when they have never played a game? Common Sense says you shouldn't but after watching a lot of AAU games and video they are hard to ignore.
SIMMONS - LSU. Simmons is the best high school player I've ever seen. He will dominate the SEC. I'd like to think that Simmons would stick around for a couple of seasons but that isn't likely.
Runner-up: Danuel House - Texas A&M - Not a glamour pick but House is that good...
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR: BEN HOWLAND - MISSISSIPPI STATE. I have no doubt that picking a man who has never coached a game in the SEC is controversial. I'm sticking to my guns. From last season to the end of the present season I think that Howland is going to be the man.
Runner-up: Johnny Jones, LSU. You could pick him #1 and get no beef from this writer. Jones has rung the bell in recruiting and it should pay off big time.
ALL-SEC FIRST TEAM:
BEN SIMMONS: LSU
DANIEL HOUSE: Texas A&M
SKAI LaBRISSERE: Kentucky
DAMIEN JONES: Vanderbilt
ALEX POYTHRESS: KENTUCKY
SECOND TEAM:
JAMAL MURRY: Kentucky
MALIK NEWMAN: Mississippi State
STEPHAN MOODY: Ole Miss
JALEN JONES: Texas A&M
DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH: Florida
SEC TEAMS RECEIVING NCAA BID: Kentucky, TAM, Vanderbilt, Georgia, and LSU
NIT BOUND: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Auburn
BACK BURNER TEAMS WHICH MIGHT SURPRISE: Mississippi State and Alabama.
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