1. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Head coach: Rick Stansbury (231-128; 231-128 at Mississippi State)
Last season’s record: 23-13 (9-7 SEC)
Returning starters: 5
Newcomers: 4
The Buzz: They won the SEC Tournament in 2009, they return all five starters, and will add a five-star talent to their roster if he’s deemed eligible by the NCAA. What’s not to like? Under Rick Stansbury, the Bulldogs have one of the best coaches in the conference, and with senior center Jarvis Varnado in the paint, good luck trying to get a shot off. The big man has led the nation in blocked shots each of the last two seasons. Watch out for Mississippi State not only in the SEC West, but for the entire SEC.
The Scare: The NCAA is still reviewing highly-touted freshman recruit Renardo Sidney’s eligibility. If he’s deemed eligible it would be hard not to pick the Bulldogs as the top team in the West. If not though, the Bulldogs will be a similar team to last year, which won the SEC Tournament, but still only finished third in the Western division.
2. Ole Miss Rebels
Head coach: Andy Kennedy (82-52; 61-39 at Ole Miss)
Last season’s record: 16-15 (7-9 SEC)
Returning starters: 5
Newcomers: 3
The Buzz: Ole Miss underachieved last year, plain and simple. Chris Warren and Terrico White are players the Rebels can rely on each game. The two guards together averaged over 33 points last season. What Ole Miss will be able to do this year is put points up on the board in a flurry. No lead will be safe against these guys.
The Scare: Again, Ole Miss underachieved last year. Kennedy, while a very good head coach, was somewhat of a headcase last season after getting into an altercation with a cab driver last year. The Rebels need to show that they have the maturity to show up on the court each night.
3. Louisiana State University Tigers
Head coach: Trent Johnson (186-129; 27-8 at LSU)
Last season’s record: 27-8 (13-3 SEC)
Returning starters: 2
Newcomers: 4
The Buzz: With a coach like Trent Johnson, the Tigers are always a threat. Senior forward Tasmin Mitchell is one of the best in the conference and will lead a young LSU squad that hopes to bring back some of its late season magic from a season ago. Returning with Mitchell is junior guard Bo Spencer who averaged over 11 points a game in ’09.
The Scare: While Johnson is one of the best coaches in the conference, talent still reigns supreme. And LSU lost a lot. Gone are Marcus Thornton, Chris Johnson and Garrett Temple from the Tigers team that pushed eventual national champion UNC to the brink last season. For LSU to be where they want to be this year, Mitchell will have to shoulder a load a bit too large for one player.
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Head coach: John Pelphrey (117-95; 37-28 at Arkansas)
Last season’s record: 14-16 (2-14 SEC)
Returning starters: 5
Newcomers: 6
The Buzz: The Razorbacks struggled last year to say the least. After defeating Oklahoma and Texas before the conference slate, the Razorbacks laid an egg in the conference schedule, only winning two games. Courtney Fortson is one of the best young point guards in the SEC. After coming out of nowhere and catching everyone by surprise, Fortson will be the target of most teams’ defenses this season. Sophomore Rotnei Clarke is one of the premiere 3-point shooters in the SEC and Michael Washington is a beast in the paint.
The Scare: Character issues hampered the Razorbacks in ’09. Fortson, for as good as he was on the court, struggled getting along with the coaches. Arkansas was a very young team last year, starting three freshmen, but if they didn’t learn from their troubles from a year ago, 2009-10 could be another painful season for Pelphrey and company.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Head coach: Anthony Grant (76-25; first season at Alabama)
Last season’s record: 18-14 (7-9 SEC)
Returning starters: 4
Newcomers: 4
The Buzz: Anthony Grant is one of the best young coaches in the country. After developing talents like guard Eric Maynor and recruiting hidden gems like center Larry Sanders at Virginia Commonwealth, Grant will bring a new and refreshing atmosphere to the Crimson Tide that they haven’t seen in a few years. JaMychal Green is a powerful forward down low and Senario Hillman can get to the bucket. Alabama won’t be a contender in the SEC West race this year, but will take out at least one or two teams in big upsets.
The Scare: They just don’t have the talent the other teams in the conference have. Grant will bring in a new atmosphere to Tuscaloosa, Ala., but in the 2009-10 season, growing pains will be a common theme.
6. Auburn Tigers
Head coach: Jeff Lebo (196-139; 81-76 at Auburn)
Last season’s record: 24-12 (10-6 SEC)
Returning starters: 2
Newcomers: 6
The Buzz: The Tigers surprised just about everyone last season in route to earning the West’s No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament. What’s to say it can’t happen again this year? The Tigers will be dangerous from beyond the arc, but living and dying by the three is a dangerous way to play.
The Scare: Korvotney Barber was the bread and butter for the Tigers last season. The problem for Auburn is that he isn’t playing there anymore. With Barber gone, along with Rasheem Barrett and Quantez Robertson, the Tigers could have a very long season.
See more from the Kernel’s 2009 Basketball Preview:
Degree, NCAA tournament keep Patterson from NBA
Recruits aim to revive program
SEC rebounds from bad reputation
New coach gives sophomore a second chance at UK
The third time’s the charm: Harris, Stevenson cope with third coach in four years
UK Hoops looks to avoid injuries
Ole Miss underachieved? We lost 3 of our top 4 returning guards before conference play started, all of which had hit 7 3s in a game before. Despite that, it took a home loss to msu on the last day of the season to not have a bye in the first round of the SECT. Disappointing season? No doubt, but it certainly wasn’t because they underachieved. They did very well considering the hand the were dealt.