SEC Men's Basketball Season Preview

College basketball is upon us again. A few teams, like the defending champion Tar Heels, tipped off the season tonight. It's still a few more days until most of the nation gets the season underway.

The SEC had a very down year last season but 2009-2010 season looks to be a better year for the SEC as a whole. A good majority of SEC teams have improved from last season. Here's what you should expect:

SEC East

1. Kentucky Wildcats: By UK standard this program has not been successful in a few years. New head coach John Calipari brought in a ton of talent and it looks like Kentucky is poised to return back to the top. Look for junior Patrick Patterson to lead the way for the Wildcats this season.
   
2. Tennessee Volunteers: Basketball season use to be something that Tennessee was not known for, but that has slowly changed ever since Bruce Pearl became head coach. This squad has a virtually their entire starting lineup returning from last season's campaign that ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Seniors Tyler Smith, Wayne Chism, and J.P. Prince will be the main weapons for the Vols.
3. Vanderbilt Commodores: The Commodores have to be happy basketball season has returned. Vandy got somewhat robbed last season from going to the big dance despite having a solid 19-win season. Like much of the rest of the conference, Vandy has a ton of starters returning. Vanderbilt has a very experienced team and the only thing they really like is toughness in the paint. If A.J. Ogilvy can become a duel threat of both defense and offense then watch out for the Dores in March.
   
4. Florida Gators: Florida use to be the toast of the SEC but times have gradually changed. I still think Florida will notch a few big wins and sneak into the tournament. However, they're not going to be as powerful as they were just two seasons ago. The Gators have only one senior on the team and many of the players are unproven. The non-conference schedule isn't very forgiving either so look for this to be somewhat of a rebuilding year.
5. South Carolina Gamecocks: Don't look for anything special for the Gamcocks this season. They'll playing average basketball and make a respectable NIT berth. The reasoning behind that prediction is their lack of a real playmaker and the fact that the SEC won't be as easy as it was last year. Besides Georgia, every team in the SEC seems to be more improved than the Gamecocks.
6. Georgia Bulldogs: This team is still a season or two away from making a run at the big dance. The Bulldogs have a pretty tough non-conference schedule that included Georgia Tech, Illinois, Missouri, and St. John's. Then it's on to the loaded SEC East. Looks like the Dawgs are going to stay in the doghouse for a little longer.

SEC West

1. Miss. State Bulldogs: The Bulldogs fought hard last seaosn despite being a sub-par team. They made a strong push at the end of the season and came up just short. This year should be more successful for the Bulldogs. The SEC west is a little bit weaker than the SEC east so that should leave more room for success for teams like Mississippi State. The Bulldogs could easily have only one loss going into conference play. Just look at their schedule and you'll know what I mean.
2. Arkansas Razorbacks: This team probably has the most talent in the entire SEC West. The question is can they finally execute? They'll definitely improve on last season's mark of 14-16. It's not going to be a championship season, but a NCAA tournament berth is very probable.
3. Ole Miss Rebels: Unless the injury bug plagues the Rebels again, then this season will be a lot better than last season. Look for them to make a strong push for the SEC west title. There's not a player on this roster that is good enough to carry this team alone so the Rebels have to play as a solid unit and use their talent collectively. If they do that, then they'll be playing in March.
   
4. Auburn Tigers: The Tigers had a surprisingly good 2008 season, but they won't be catching anyone off guard this season. They do have a very favorable non-conference schedule before getting into SEC play. One major problem with the Tigers is they are relatively inexperienced and they'll need a fair share of production from freshmen and sophomores.
   
5. LSU Tigers: Don't hold your expectations too high for LSU this season. They lost more players than any other team in the SEC. Guys like Marcus Thornton aren't around anymore and a few newcomers are going to have to step up. It's not a good year to be rebuilding in the SEC and the Tigers will find that out quickly.
   
6. Alabama Crimson Tide: The Tide are going to wish football season was still going on when February gets here. They've got a new coach who has had some success in his career, but the challenge of teaching a whole new system to a team that's already average at best will be a tough task. Alabama will compete and they won't necessarily be a doormat. However, I see this team going nowhere fast. Maybe the NIT if they're lucky.