SEC Basketball

[messageboardsuperhero]

Basketball in the conference is about to get really competitive again. The league has good coaches and is recruiting top to bottom as well as any conference in the country.

Alabama and Auburn are bringing in talent that they have never seen before. Arkansas appears to be getting back on track. Missouri and LSU have brought in new coaches that have already signed big classes. Florida and Kentucky will always be good. Frank Martin is a winner, as is Ben Howland with the players we have coming up. Andy Kennedy has quietly been solid and is now bringing in better prospects with their new arena. Rick Barnes and Kennedy at A&M will be at least OK at their schools.

Am I crazy to expect an SEC basketball renaissance? Now that Missouri and LSU have new coaches, pretty much everyone looks to be on the upswing. Hopefully it translates to more NCAA bids.

 

[TheStateUofMS]

There's been a post like this several years in a row. Until the DAWGS finally take the SEC by the balls like we used to, SEC will be down. It's there for us to take it. I like our chances this year to be pretty decent and by that I mean not lose to Bama by 20.

 

[maroonmania]

The talent level does appear to be rising however I'm still concerned that the AAU circuit is ruining the basketball prospects in the Southeast. To me it looks like we have a bunch of very athletic players that don't understand the fundamentals of playing the game like kids in the Northeast and Midwest do. Running up and down the court and dunking and shooting 3 pointers is not the extent of playing basketball.

 

[MSUDC11]

It should be a deeper conference this year than it's been in a long time. You've got a bunch of teams that return basically everybody and several of them added big time signing classes, too.

If anyone is going to rise up and grab the league by the balls this year, I think it's Alabama.

 

[patdog]

Also, a lot of athletes who used to be good basketball players in the SEC 20 years ago are now playing wide receiver on Saturdays in the fall today.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

There's been a post like this several years in a row.

Yes, but the league was actually notably better last year- and all indications are that the trend will continue to be positive.

 

[57stratdawg]

SEC basketball coaches > SEC football coaches

 

[patdog]

SEC basketball coaches > SEC football coaches

Who would have thought 5 years ago that would be possible to say today. But it's true. Seems like no good coach wants to coach in the same league as Nick Saban.

 

[BiscuitEater]

The talent level does appear to be rising however I'm still concerned that the AAU circuit is ruining the basketball prospects in the Southeast.

I'm way more concerned about the 'transfer of talent' seeking the next shinny object. We've lost Malik, Kegler & Brooks (well, kinda)

Meanwhile, after OM didn't extend AK, they are going 'all in' in hiring overseas players .. they are going to need more translators than the UN.

Illya Tyrtyshnik - Ukraine
Justas Furmanavicius - Lithuania
Dominik Olejniczak - Poland
Karlis Silins - Latvia

 

[MSUDC11]

You can sell me on everyone other than LSU being good enough to be in at least the NIT. That's 13 teams with quality talent.

Lunardi has 5 SEC teams in his preseason bracket and two more narrowly missing out. That group doesn't include Auburn or A&M, who return pretty much everyone from talented rosters, nor does it include us or Ole Miss, both of whom should obviously be NIT contenders at worst.

It's going to be a really tough league this year. No more of the years where you had Rick Ray's team and then two or three more that were just as bad.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I'm not concerned

with the transfers, at all. It is the norm in basketball.

 

[mstateglfr]

The talent level does appear to be rising however I'm still concerned that the AAU circuit is ruining the basketball prospects in the Southeast. To me it looks like we have a bunch of very athletic players that don't understand the fundamentals of playing the game like kids in the Northeast and Midwest do. Running up and down the court and dunking and shooting 3 pointers is not the extent of playing basketball.

While I agree there seems to be a difference in knowledge/understanding between the SE and other areas...running up and down the court dunking and shooting 3s is actually what basketball at a higher level has become. Those are 2 of the most efficient and effective ways to score. Around the restricted circle in the paint and corner 3s(NBA)- the 2 most efficient spots to score from. 12' from the basket is the least.

 

[maroonmania]

While I agree there seems to be a difference in knowledge/understanding between the SE and other areas...running up and down the court dunking and shooting 3s is actually what basketball at a higher level has become. Those are 2 of the most efficient and effective ways to score. Around the restricted circle in the paint and corner 3s(NBA)- the 2 most efficient spots to score from. 12' from the basket is the least.

I said its not the EXTENT of playing basketball, not that those things aren't a significant part of it. What I don't see are many guys who know how to pass, defend, rebound by proper positioning, shoot free throws, etc., etc. Just seems a lot of guys now coming into college are not ready for the higher level of play because their style of play is the same as you see in these HS All-American games where none of those other things I mentioned are even bothered with.

 

[maroonmania]

with the transfers, at all. It is the norm in basketball.

I know there are a large number of transfers in CBB but it does seem odd to lose guys that are full time starters or near full time starters as FR (like Malik and Mario) when there have been no HC or staff changes at a program. The cynic in me would believe that if guys are looking for extra "enticements" for signing on in college that EVERY time they open their recruitment back up by transferring then they have another opportunity for a windfall. I really hope that is not what's happening but I do know that nothing is slimier than having to recruit college BB players. Each individual player is so much more valuable to a college team in basketball than in football or baseball because there are so many fewer players on the team. One great player can literally take over a basketball game.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I think it

seems odd to us, because we are MSU fans and see it happening here. We don't follow college basketball. However, this is the current day atmosphere in hoops. If kids don't get their way, they abandon ship.

 

[maroonmania]

I was really sort of asking about the general situation. I agree if a player is truly clashing with his coaches in today's world and not getting his way he just leaves apparently even if it means sitting out a year. I think in our particular situation the primary factor was the fact that both our 'starters' had the same "advisor" in their ear CAUSING them to be discontent. I'm thinking this "advisor" might have had a financial stake in things like I was talking about where it was to his benefit to have these guys re-recruited.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

At this point, the league is going to have to prove it consistently on the court before I can get on board with this opinion. It does seem that the talent level is rising and the stable of coaches is also getting better. so those are good things. But I agree with maroonmania's concerns about fundamentals vs athleticism, and want to see how it translates on the court.

 

[tenureplan]

Mizzu was pretty awful last year

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Adding Michael Porter alone should make them better, although LSU proved that one star player does not an NCAA team make. To Mizzou's credit, they also added another top 50 guy, so expect them to be better than recent years. Even with Cuonzo.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Which is why

the talent level is rising and the stable of coaches is also getting better

a few of us have said that the league is getting better.

If you get better talent and better coaching, you have nowhere to go but up (especially given the state of the league over the last 5-10 years).

 

[ShrubDog]

I'm way more concerned about the 'transfer of talent' seeking the next shinny object. We've lost Malik, Kegler & Brooks (well, kinda)

Meanwhile, after OM didn't extend AK, they are going 'all in' in hiring overseas players .. they are going to need more translators than the UN.

Illya Tyrtyshnik - Ukraine
Justas Furmanavicius - Lithuania
Dominik Olejniczak - Poland
Karlis Silins - Latvia

This wasn't on the radar last week but OM granted release of their #1 commit, 4 start Jamarko Pickett, from his letter of intent.

 

[BiscuitEater]

This wasn't on the radar last week but OM granted release of their #1 commit, 4 start Jamarko Pickett, from his letter of intent.

Lots of BB stuff going on at OM .. Donte-Fitzpatrick Dorsey transfers from OM .. Assistant coach Tony Madlock is fired/leaves .. Cullen Neal transfers from OM .. Markel Crawford transfers to OM from Memphis .. Bruce Stevens from JCJC signs with OM .. AK hires Rahim Lockhart from JCJC .. Bjork does not extending AK's contract .. 'best' assistant/recruiter, Bill Armstrong leaves for LSU .. signee Parker Stewart asks for release; transfers to Pittsburg .. Jamarko Pickett, 4-star signee asks for/gets release; Pickett was recruited by Armstrong.

Guess it's become the 'norm' but it's hard to keep up.