1998 Southeastern Conference Preview

Updated 9/27/98

The SEC will once again be one of the top conferences in the country, led by the National Champs from Kentucky. With the majority of their players back, look for them to contend once again. Tubby Smith didn't miss a beat following the departure of Rick Pitino and has the program stronger then ever.

As usual, the Eastern Division will be a real killer and may send as many as 5 teams to the tournament this season. South Carolina may be down a bit, but teams at Tennessee and Florida are ready to move into their place. Billy Donovon is building a powerhouse program at Florida similar to what Steve Spurrier (the best coach alive) has done with the football team. Look for the Kentucky/Florida rivalry to really heat up within the next few years as both will be battling for national recognition and pride. Besides these two up'n'coming programs, look for Georgia and Arkansas to regain some of their posture after disappointing seasons a year ago. Below are some further tidbits about the conference, followed by a summary of each team in the order I predict each will finish in the conference.

ON THE RISE: Florida

Ah duh! It doesn't take a neural surgeon to figure this one out. Throw in a brilliant young coach (who looks too much like Pitino it's scary), some solid veterans, an excellent recruiting class last season, an even better one this season, and so-far the #1 class for next season and see what that adds up to. Hmmm, national prominence? Yeah, you can pretty much bet the farm that Florida will be heard from for years to come.

IN DECLINE: Alabama

This program hasn't been the same since they canned the man in the plaid jacket, Wimp Sanderson. David Hobbs was a joke and new coach Mark Gottfried might be over his head trying to rebuild this program. What's worse is that the program that once produced solid NBA talent has run dry since Antonio McDyess. No talent means few wins. This season won't be any different.

First Team All-SEC

Player of the Year: B.J. McKie, South Carolina

Newcomer of the Year: Mike Miller, Florida

EASTERN DIVISION

1. KENTUCKY

Strengths: Execute well on both offense & defense. Great rebounding team. Good experience and teamwork.

Weakness: Believe or not, questionable 3-pt shooting. Inexperienced bench.

Outlook: SG is the only question mark, but there are plenty of candidates. Look for Evans to blossom into a "star", but its teamwork that will win plenty of games.

2. TENNESSEE

Strengths: Very deep bench. Good 3-pt shooting team. Limit their turnovers.

Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Poor FT shooting team.

Outlook: Talented, young team that goes 2-deep at all positions. Return of Hathaway should help inside game. Only themselves can stop them from a great season.

3. FLORIDA

Strengths: Exciting, high scoring team. Great 3-pt shooting team.

Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Need to improve defensively.

Outlook: If Weaks returns second semester, the Gators will be tough to stop offensively. Must develop a good team defense to contend.

4. GEORGIA

Strengths: Jones. Deep, experienced backcourt. Limit their turnovers.

Weakness: Poor team defense. Center position.

Outlook: Jones is a fast rising star who might steal MVP honors. The guards need to regain their form & take some pressure off of Jones.

5. SOUTH CAROLINA

Strengths: Good team defense. Excellent FT shooting team.

Weakness: Point guard. Lack of inside scoring.

Outlook: McKie will carry this team for awhile (or the whole year). Fogler is a great motivater, so the Gamecocks will be tough.

6. VANDERBILT

Strengths: Good 3-pt & FT shooting team. Limit their turnovers.

Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Loss of scoring.

Outlook: The Commodores are the odd team out in this murderous division. A good team, but someone's got to lose.

WESTERN DIVISION

1. ARKANSAS

Strengths: Good quickness. High scoring team. Good team defense that creates many turnovers.

Weakness: Limited inside game. Inexperienced bench.

Outlook: Last chance for backcourt of Reid & Bradley to make some noise. Jennings inside is the key. Should make a run in tourney.

2. MISSISSIPPI

Strengths: Solid both on offense & defense. Good rebounding team. Good 3-pt shooting team.

Weakness: Lost their best inside players. Limited bench.

Outlook: Excellent backcourt will lead this team. Smith is underrated at SF and should step up. Must adapt to new coach quickly.

3. AUBURN

Strengths: Good team defense. Solid rebounding.

Weakness: Low scoring team. Poor FT shooting team.

Outlook: Solid backcourt & promising center. With better depth, Auburn might actually not fade down the stretch this season.

4. MISSISSIPPI STATE

Strengths: Good backcourt. Washington inside.

Weakness: Poor shooting team, especially from 3-pt & FT.

Outlook: Team is too talented to only win 4 conferences games. Boswell could be team's best player by season's end.

5. ALABAMA

Strengths: Solid backcourt. Good FT shooting team.

Weakness: Poor shooting team, especially from 3. Short bench.

Outlook: Williams is a solid guard. Haginas could develop into a star. Still, too little talent to contend.

6. LSU

Strengths: Good team defense. Experienced backcourt.

Weakness: Lack of scoring. Too many turnovers. Whole bunch of new players.

Outlook: This program is in shambles, but Brady is capable of turning it around. A good recruiting class is a good start.

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Last updated on 9/27/98 by toyminator@prodigy.net