Toyminator's 2003-2004 SEC Conference Preview

Once again, the SEC provided its fans with some high expectations going into March Madness, only to watch them flounder when it really matters. Alabama, LSU & Mississippi St were all toast in the first round. Florida drubbed in the second by Michigan St. Auburn, a team many felt didn't deserve a bid, gave it their all in the Sweet Sixteen against the eventual champs. Then there was the #1 team in the country, winners of 23 in a row, sweeping its conference, with one of the nation's toughest defenses, playing with little heart or energy as they get ripped by Marquette in the Elite Eight. So what's in store for the SEC this season now that most of its top players have departed? Much of the same with one small exception...the expectations will not be there because this league will struggle all season long. Definitely, it will be a strange year for fans of the SEC.

Even though the league may be down a bit, there will still be plenty of excitement during conference play. With no clear favorite, the race for each divisional crown will be tight and very intense. The top of the East will be brutal as the talented Gators will try to regain the edge they once had on the legendary Wildcats. Kentucky lost some big time players, but still have a strong team that will be tough to score on. Florida has the most talent, but needs to play with more consistency and confidence. Georgia would have been decent had this program never come across one Jim Harrick, but that may benefit a young, talented Tennessee team. The Vols have a good combo in PG C.J. Watson and big man Brandon Crump, along with an up-n-coming coach who is learning quickly how to win. In the West, the Bulldogs will once again be the team to beat, even though it will be a lot tougher than they originally thought. Losing recruits Travis Outlaw & Jackie Butler, along with injured swingman Ontario Harper, left this team extremely thin in the frontcourt. Luckily, Lawrence Roberts saved the day, and maybe the division title for them. Close behind will be Auburn & LSU. Auburn's tournament run last season gave this program a real shot in the arm and it should keep them going this season. LSU will be counting heavily on its touted freshmen class to get them back to the Big Dance where they hope to avoid another 24-point blowout.

Speaking of freshmen, the SEC will be have an abundance of talented ones that will greatly impact their team's success. As mentioned, LSU's trio of Brandon Bass, Regis Koundjia & Tack Minor may be tops in the nation. Elsewhere, blue chips like MSU's Gary Ervin, Tennessee's Major Wingate, Arkansas' Olu Famutimi, and Florida's Chris Richard will have immediate impacts on their teams and could become national stars in the near future. Even though the upperclassmen may be flops, the youth of this league will be something to watch for years to come!

ON THE RISE: None
Other than at Arkansas, whom I'm holding off until next season's preview (oops, let that one out of the bag early!), the talent level at every school is down from a year ago! There are few upperclassmen that can carry their team to victory, and hardly any that will gather national recognition. David Lee was the only SEC player on my preseason All-American team, and it's questionable if he even belongs there! That's unheard of considering the history of the SEC. There's plenty of young talent to develop, but this season will be a downer.

IN DECLINE: Alabama
This team actually started its decline last season following its loss to Utah immediately after reaching #1 in the polls. They ended up barely making the NCAA Tournament, then bowing out to a weak Indiana team. With their best players gone, they will definitely fall in the division standings and probably won't ever be seen in any of the polls this season. On a positive note, they still have some quality players and shouldn't fall as far some expect. Yet, it's definitely going to be quite a change for this successful program.

1. FLORIDA

Strengths: Excellent offensive team, thanks to their good shooting, especially from behind the arc. Aggressive team defense. Good ball handling & distribution. Deep bench.
Weakness: No true center. Must improve rebounding. Very young team.
Outlook: The Gators are easily the most talented team in the conference, but also one of the youngest. Consistency was a problem last season, so look for that trend to continue. Despite that, they should easily be one of the top two teams in this conference and probably the only shot the SEC has to break its Final Four dry spell.

2. KENTUCKY

Strengths: Great team defense - force many tunrovers. Good shooting & rebounding team. Good ball handling & distribution. Plenty of experience.
Weakness: May struggle to score points. Weak bench.
Outlook: This team played some killer defense last season, and fans should expect much of the same this season too. That alone will make the Wildcats a tough out. However, with the loss of their inside/outside scoring options (Estill & Bogans), points may be hard to come by. Look for another solid season, but don't expect a #1 ranking this time around.

3. GEORGIA

Strengths: Solid offensive team. Good ball handling & distribution. Decent 3-pt shooting team. Still have some savvy seniors.
Weakness: Questionable team defense. Loss of Hayes/Williams/Thomas. More freshmen than lettermen!
Outlook: Jim Harrick stains another program on his way to hell! At least AD Vince Dooley made up for it by hiring Dennis Felton to clean up this program. He will too! In the meantime, he's got four solid seniors that should produce more cheers than jeers this season.

4. TENNESSEE

Strengths: Excellent backcourt. Good shooting & rebounding team. Lots of depth.
Weakness: Passive team defense, especially on the perimeter. Besides Crump, little inside scoring. Very inexperienced.
Outlook: This team will revolve around its stellar backcourt of Watson & McFadgon, but if the Vols want to climb up the standings, they need some help inside. Crump is a rising star, but he could struggle with double teams if someone doesn't step up. Otherwise, this is a decent team that will be in the thick of the race.

5. SOUTH CAROLINA

Strengths: Excellent team defense that forces many turnovers. Limit their turnovers.
Weakness: Pitiful team offense. Terrible 3-pt shooting team. Poor rebounding team. No center. Weak bench.
Outlook: South Carolina seems to always have some talent, but never can become a complete team. For example, they're loaded at forward, but have nothing at point guard or center. How does Coach Odom allow this to happen? Hopefully in a few years he'll have it figured out and this program could come out of its coma!

6. VANDERBILT

Strengths: Decent 3-pt shooting team. Force many turnovers. Good depth & experience.
Weakness: Swiss chesse defense. Poor rebounding team. Commit too many turnovers.
Outlook: The Commodores return one of the top players in the league in Freije. Unfortunately, he's like the rest of this team...SOFT, like warm butter! Coach Stallings needs to pump up his team quickly, or they will linger in last place once again.

1. MISSISSIPPI ST.

Strengths: Excellent team defense that forces many turnovers. Good rebounding team. Very quick team.
Weakness: Too many turnovers. Poor FT shooting team.
Outlook: The Bulldogs desperately needed an inside presence and got one big time when former Baylor star Lawrence Roberts strolled on campus this fall. He will fit nicely with underated guard Timmy Bowers and newcomer Shane Power to form a potent trio. Add in their tough D, and MSU is clearly the top team in this division.

2. LSU

Strengths: Good shooting team. Decent ball handling & distribution. Solid team defense.
Weakness: Lost a lot of senior leadership - very inexperienced. Poor FT shooting team. Little frontcourt depth.
Outlook: One of the top recruiting classes will help ease the loss of so many quality seniors. Minor, Bass & Koundjia will have a major impact on this team's success, the latter two forming a formidible frontline with Lloreda. Another trip to the NCAA Tournament is likely!

3. AUBURN

Strengths: Big, strong frontcourt. Aggressive team defense. Very athletic team.
Weakness: Subpar backcourt - must improve ball handling & distribution. Poor FT shooting team.
Outlook: The Tigers finally overachieved last season, so there's hope for Coach Ellis afterall. Losing Daniels will hurt, but if the backcourt stabilizes, then this squad will be happily on the bubble once again this season!

4. ALABAMA

Strengths: Solid team defense. Decent backcourt. Very quick & athletic team.
Weakness: New frontcourt - may struggle to score & rebound. Besides Winston, limited offensively. Poor 3-pr shooting team.
Outlook: The Tide lost a lot of talent, but don't count them out just yet. This year's version may not be as exciting, but its teamwork and consistency should be better. Another NCAA bid is a reach, but they will be a better team than most expect.

5. ARKANSAS

Strengths: Solid team defense. Talented newcomers.
Weakness: Thin, weak frontcourt. Terrible shooting team (< 39%). Horrible ball handling & distribution. Very inexperienced.
Outlook: Coach Heath has got the backcourt of the future now. Next year, he'll have the frontcourt of the future. Thus, the dawn of a bright future is upon them....too bad it's still 3:00 AM! Look for a few big wins, plenty of exciting highlights, lots of sloppy & inconsistent play and, at best, a .500 season.

6. MISSISSIPPI

Strengths: Excellent team defense. Good 3-pt & FT shooting team.
Weakness: Question mark at PG. Poor ball handling & distribution. Limited offense. Lots of newcomers.
Outlook: With seasoned players like Reed & Harper, this team won't be that easy to pick off. However, they've got the Gamecock syndrome of no PG or center, which will result in a similar standing - near the bottom!

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Last updated on 10/20/03 by toyminator@prodigy.net