2016-17 SEC Mens Basketball Projections

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 2h2 hours ago

Breaking down who left, who returns and who's coming in for the Cats. "It's gonna be Duke and Kentucky at the top."

With the dust finally settled, the finally tally of Kentucky departures looks like this: Jamal Murray, Tyler Ulis, Skal Labissiere and Alex Poythress remained in the draft; Lee and freshman guard Charles Matthews transferred.

Briscoe is back, along with rising seniors Derek Willis (forward), Dominique Hawkins (guard) and Mychal Mulder (guard), sophomore 7-footer Isaac Humphries and redshirt freshman power forward Tai Wynyard. The Cats are adding five consensus top-25 freshmen: De'Aaron Fox (point guard), Malik Monk (shooting guard), Edrice "Bam" Adebayo (power forward), Wenyen Gabriel (power forward) and Sacha Killeya-Jones (power forward).

"Oh, they're going to be powerful," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas told The Courier-Journal on Wednesday. "It's going to be Duke and Kentucky up at the top. Would've been nice to have another veteran back, but they've got a great class coming in and some solid players coming back. They'll have another contending team."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/RobDauster/status/735492549096280064

ALSO CONSIDERED

A&M (Returning: Tyler Davis, Tonny Trocha-Morelos, Admon Gilder, D.J. Hogg, Kobie Eubanks; Newcomers: J.J. Caldwell, Robert Williams)

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 1h1 hour ago

16-17 Top 25: 1. Duke 2. Villanova 3. Kansas 4. Xavier 5. Kentucky

Five on the cusp of the Top 25: Saint Mary's, Michigan, Purdue, Clemson, Texas A&M.

[jbcarol]

Kentucky Basketball Roster

[jbcarol]

Looking Forward: Kentucky

For starters, their back court, while talented, essentially features three guys who want the ball in their hands in De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Isaiah Briscoe. Furthermore, Briscoe's perimeter shooting was a major liability during his freshman season, and Fox likely won't be all that much better. Monk, the only one of these three that can really be considered an off-guard, is a wildly entertaining player whose strength is slashing to the rim and playing in transition. As a shooter, he's quite inconsistent. He might hit six threes in a row. He might then make four of his next 30. That's not an exaggeration.

The problem, then, is that those are the only three guards on the roster that should see any playing time. Mychal Mulder has the reputation of being a shooter, but if he's playing 20 minutes a game for the Wildcats next season that's a red flag.

The key to last year's Kentucky team ended up being the emergence of Derek Willis, who came out of nowhere midway through SEC play to shooting 44.2 percent from three...

[jbcarol]

Jason McIntyre Verified account
‏@jasonrmcintyre

With NBA decisions made, it's Duke, Villanova & Oregon at the top of college basketball next season http://thebiglead.com/2016/05/26/college-basketball-top-25-2016-2017

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 17h17 hours ago

Adam Zagoria Retweeted Jason McIntyre

I think you misspelled Kentucky

4. Kentucky: Isaiah Briscoe is back, but the Marcus Lee loss hurts frontcourt depth. Another sick recruiting class led by De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. Best team in the SEC; I'm not sure this year's team will be as good as last year's.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 6h6 hours ago

Many SEC coaches believe Georgia could be league's second-best team behind Kentucky. Dawgs return strong 1-2 punch in Frazier/Maten. Tough.

[jbcarol]

Despite personnel losses, UK seen as a national title contender again next season

With Fox and Monk joining Briscoe, the Cats will have another 'elite-type backcourt'

Analyst on 'bigs' doing more: 'It'd be hard for Kentucky's frontcourt not to be better'

Marques Bolden committed to Duke rather than Kentucky. Marcus Lee announced he will transfer away. First-team All-American Tyler Ulis entered the NBA Draft. So did projected lottery pick Jamal Murray and expected first-rounder Skal Labissiere.

No player who averaged double figures last season will return. The top returning rim protector, based on blocks last season, is Isaac Humphries, who rejected 16 shots (or less than one per game).

Guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk figure to join sophomore Isaiah Briscoe in a reconstituted Three Tenors perimeter.

Meyer saw Fox filling the Ulis role of pass-first point guard who can keep defenses honest by scoring.

"Fox shares some of those same qualities in being an intangible guy and unifier," Meyer said. "Someone who can be a distributor and catalyst for team success."

Monk is an "uber athlete," Meyer said. "Really wired to score."

Bilas called Fox "one of the best defensive guards, if not the best defensive guard in the country."

Briscoe returns as a highly competitive "scrapper," as Meyer put it.

Edrice "Bam" Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones give UK three "bigs" to go with Tai Wynyard and Humphries.

Bilas called Adebayo "one of the best rebounders and shot blockers" in the class. "He's a real presence on the floor."

Despite Bolden's commitment to Duke, Rivals and ESPN kept Kentucky at No. 1 in their ratings of recruiting classes. Scout and 247Sports elevated Duke to No. 1.

"I don't think anybody is going to arrange a telethon to help Kentucky get players."
-- the late Rick Majerus

[jbcarol]

On Monday, College Basketball Talk broke down the SEC heading into 2016-17, and they think Vanderbilt will be the 10th-best team in the Southeastern Conference.  In basketball.

If you take a bird's-eye view of college basketball, Vanderbilt is a team that barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament and loses two NBA Draft picks.  A closer inspection, though, reveals that Wade Baldwin IV and Damian Jones were roughly as important to the team as Jeff Roberson (whom advanced stats say was pretty damn good last year) and not that much better than Luke Kornet or Matthew Fisher-Davis.  Baldwin not making first team All-SEC should really tell you more than him being potentially a first-round draft pick, but frequently for national writers, the latter is more important than the former.

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi ‏@ESPNLunardi May 21 Drexel Hill, PA

Joe Lunardi Retweeted Holden Hales

Sometime after Wednesday's deadline to withdraw from the draft.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology  Updated: June 1, 2016

1-seed UK
5 A&M
8 Vandy
9 Florida

First Four Out

    Providence
    Texas Tech
    Mississippi State
    Clemson

[jbcarol]

Avery Johnson was fired up for his second trip to the SEC Spring Meetings this week.

"We feel really good about where we are. As I share as much excitement as we have around the program, it's not an overnight deal. I didn't want to give anybody any false hopes and I'm definitely not backtracking from anything I said when I got off the plane. It's still 'buckle up.' We still want to go to the Final Four. I wish I could pull out a magic wand and get us there soon, but it just isn't going to happen."

-- Johnson would like to get five SEC teams "solidly into the tournament" this year. "I have some ideas that I'm going to share that's not for public consumption yet."

-- "We all have to schedule better. I think that was one of the things that was a success for our team, even with some of our games early in the year where teams got away from us, like a team like Dayton," Johnson said.

[jbcarol]

Darrell Bird: During the SEC spring meetings on Wednesday, Kentucky coach John Calipari suggested he might be starting four freshmen next season

A reporter from Arkansas asked if Malik Monk might be among that group.

Calipari's response?

"If someone beats him out," the coach began, "I'd be very happy because that guy would have to have an 'S' on the front of his jersey."

Monk is heir apparent to Jamal Murray's shooting guard position and like Murray, Calipari says Monk needs to make some changes.

"We're going to try to get him to be a little more sturdy and physical," Calipari said...

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN Jun 7

SEC teams heading on preseason trips in August: Arkansas (Spain), Georgia (Spain), Mississippi State (Italy), Missouri (Italy).

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/743137613247283200

Isaiah Briscoe was facing the deadline day for the NBA Draft when he met with coach John Calipari and assistant coach Kenny Payne a few weeks ago.

Briscoe was not the lead point guard, playing behind junior Tyler Ulis who stayed in the Draft, but that rarely matters in the potential-driven NBA Draft. If a player shows something, he can shoot up draft boards pretty quickly.

The timing was not right though for Briscoe.

The feedback he got from NBA teams told him he should go back to school and show he can shoot, he said. Briscoe shot 43.9 percent from the floor and an icy 13.5 percent from beyond the arc in 37 attempts. Having said that, Briscoe said NBA teams were surprised at how good of a shooter he was despite those numbers.

In the modern NBA, 3-point shooting is paramount and so this will be a skill Briscoe will have to develop more as he prepares for his sophomore year.

There is more to his goals in returning to Kentucky though. There is a season in front of him and new group of talented player to support as freshmen. Even as a sophomore, Briscoe now can be seen as a team leader. The clear point guard now on the team.

NBA draft site DraftExpress currently has Briscoe as the No. 46 pick in the 2017 Draft.

New Zealand native and 6-10 redshirt freshman Tai Wynyard could be a player who helps with Kentucky's front court.He said he thinks his rebounding ability should help Kentucky.

Senior forward Derek Willis was arrested when he was found passed out in the street outside a vehicle allegedly smelling of alcohol.

There is no word if any further consequences will come to Willis from the team as the legal process works out.

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker ‏@wesrucker247 14h14 hours ago

First game of tonight's Rocky Top League has seven Division I players in it.

Vols freshman PG Jordan Bone is looking pretty solid in the Rocky Top League nightcap. Comfortable with the ball, making shots.

Vols freshman wing Jalen Johnson on being skinny: They've got me on the seafood diet. Every time I see food, I'm supposed to eat it.

Vols freshman guard Kwe Parker — AKA YouTube Human Highlight Reel — has a 45-inch vertical and started dunking in 7th grade. He's 6-foot-2.

Vols Fr PF Grant Williams' mom works at NASA, wanted him to attend Harvard of Yale. He had to convince her about TN's engineering school.

[jbcarol]

ICIMI: Kerry Miller Early Bracketology

2-seed: UK
8-seed: A&M

Second Team Out: Florida Gators
Third Team Out: Georgia Bulldogs
Sixth Team Out: Vanderbilt Commodores

[jbcarol]

Ben Garrett
‏@SpiritBen

Junior college forward Tyrek Coger won't be enrolling at #OleMiss due to an SEC rule.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ByCasagrande/status/745369254329868289

[jbcarol]

Matthew Stevens ‏@matthewcstevens 3h3 hours ago

Auburn head coach @coachbrucepearl has confirmed that forward Horace Spencer has undergone surgery to repair left knee meniscus.

Pearl said Spencer, who avg 5 pts and 5 rebs as a freshman, is expected to return in September & be ready for 16-17 season.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/746006634216951808

Suspended players TeMarcus Blanton and Chris Silva are the only two returning players out of the five who were suspended 90 minutes before last season's NIT opener.

"They'll be on campus, starting June 30 ... they'll be back in class for the second summer session," Martin said.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 25s25 seconds ago

Arkansas star Moses Kingsley wants to be the SEC's best
https://www.seccountry.com/arkansas/arkansas-star-moses-kingsley-wants-to-be-the-secs-best

What would make Moses' final year of college hoops a success? According to Anderson, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound senior is aiming to be the conference's very best.

He has goals," Anderson said. "His goals are to be hopefully not one of the better players in our conference, but be the best player in our conference... I think he's feeling like he deserves to be one of the better players in the league and in the country."

Aiding Moses' cause is the supporting cast Arkansas will have assembled around him. Fellow seniors Dusty Hannahs (16.5 points per game in 2015-16) and Manuale Watkins are also back, and the Razorbacks have added even more talent in landing a trio of top-tier transfers in Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon and Arlando Cook.

"(Moses) was a guy that almost averaged a double-double. I'm looking forward to him to continue with the same mindset," Anderson said. "He's got some other pieces to help him and maybe take some of the pressure off, that maybe he can do even more."

Anderson on having all of his players currently on campus: "I think it's big. This team, the new guys versus the old guys coming in, just get that adjustment out of the way. I really feel it's a big factor as guys come back in the fall that guys come back and get that experience"

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/747460879764029440

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Thanks to the return of a few key veterans and addition of five top-25 recruits, Kentucky basketball's summer workouts have been "really competitive," assistant coach John Robic said, "and that's something we're encouraged by."

Robic singled out sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe, who pulled out of the NBA Draft at the May 25 deadline, as an emerging leader for UK. Getting feedback from the pros seems to have helped fuel his growth.

"I think that's a natural reaction," Robic said. "He went through the process and gained a lot of valuable information [learn to shoot from outside five feet], and that's what the rule is there for. He fully took advantage of it and is working on the things that they told him he needed to work on. He's striving for that."

Robic twice declined Monday to comment on senior forward Derek Willis' recent arrest for public intoxication or any potential punishment.

Five-star freshmen De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk in the backcourt and Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones in the frontcourt will ease the loss of three NBA draft picks. Robic wouldn't give early impressions of them individually, but he and Calipari are clearly excited.

"They're a great group of young men that are really, really talented – very, very athletic," Robic said.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/747458612252057600

Georgia's basketball team is already hard at work and will actually embark on full-time preseason preparations within the next month.

The Bulldogs are one of college basketball's fortunate teams in that they're playing an early exhibition schedule this year in Spain.

Led by stars J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten, the Bulldogs return three starters from last year's 20-14 team that advanced one round into the National Invitation Tournament last year. That number grows to five if one counts guard Juwan Parker, a previous starter who missed last season due to an Achilles injury, and Kenny Paul Geno, who started 10 of 34 games.

Georgia obviously will have to replace strong contributions and production of guards Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann. The Bulldogs are getting some idea of their ability to do that during summer workouts with their three newcomers: freshman guards Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris and junior college transfer Pape (pronounced "pop") Diatta (pronounced "diatta").

[jbcarol]

Jon Hale ‏@JonHale_CJ 20h20 hours ago

ICYMI: John Robic declines comment on Willis (http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2016/06/27/uk-assistant-declines-comment-willis/86429894/ ...) and talks freshmen (http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2016/06/27/robic-freshmen-have-improved-post-competition/86432042/ ...)

"We have really good size with this group that is in here right now," Robic said. "You can really tell a difference in the size of our team with the addition of this freshman class. What it's done is it's made the workouts and the practices much more competitive, especially near the rim."

As part of its top-ranked 2016 recruiting class, UK added five-star forwards Bam Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones to the roster. Each of those players is listed at 6-foot-9 or taller. They join returning big men Isaac Humphries (7-foot), Tai Wynyard (6-10) and Derek Willis (6-9).

UK struggled to find a consistent post presence for much of the 2015-16 season, but Robic sees a return to the normal mold of John Calipari's Kentucky teams in terms of size and defensive length inside this fall.

Players have been on campus for less than a month and have been primarly focused on individual work, but Robic already sees reason to be impressed with the new group.

"We mainly do offensive things at this point and time, but the one thing I can tell you without singling anybody out is it's really competitive and that's something we're really encouraged by," he said.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/748177433531158528

Calipari is known as the king of one-and-dones, but his best Kentucky teams have blended a core of proven veterans with one of those super-talented recruiting classes. Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and Darius Miller were the foundation [sic] of the 2012 title team. Cauley-Stein was the heart of an almost-undefeated 2015 squad.

In our "Run It Back" summer series, we'll take a look at each guy with experience under his belt and what he must do to meaningfully contribute.

First up, and most important among the veterans, is sophomore combo guard Isaiah Briscoe.

He came to Kentucky last season as a McDonald's All-American from New Jersey, ranked as high as No. 10 overall in the Class of 2015. Even in a crowded backcourt that featured NBA draft picks Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray, Briscoe started 32 games and averaged 32.2 minutes, 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and one steal per game as a freshman. After the season, he took full advantage of the new NCAA rule allowing him to work out for and receive extensive feedback from NBA teams before deciding to return to school at the May 25 deadline.

Proven strengths: At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, Briscoe is a rugged and reliable rebounder for a guard. He's also a lockdown perimeter defender after answering Calipari's call to become elite on that end last season. And good luck stopping him once he has a head of steam on his way to the bucket; Briscoe is a strong and creative finisher around the rim, always seeming to find an angle to bank one in off the glass.

Problem areas: Further away from the hoop, Briscoe struggled last season. He hit just 13.5 percent of his 3-pointers and 46 percent of his free throws. It was a baffling nose dive. In 41 career games on the Nike EYBL circuit before college, playing against the top prospects in the country, he hit 32.7 percent of his 98 3-point attempts and 72.8 percent of his 334 free-throw tries.  "This is the first time I've struggled shooting," he said, noting his biggest takeaway from working out for NBA teams: "Shooting is important."

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN now

Texas A&M big man Tyler Davis sprained his left wrist and requires a soft cast. Will be out of contact until beginning of school year.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/751236796114141184

    Kentucky — No. 1 seed, South
    Texas A&M — No. 7 seed, Midwest
    Vanderbilt — No. 11 seed, West
    Florida — No. 12 seed, Midwest (play-in game)

Is there a conference team outside of the above four that has a legitimate shot to go dancing next March?

[jbcarol]

A Look at Lineups: a much too early basketball lineup preview

My Starting Five:

    De'Aaron Fox
    Isaiah Briscoe
    Malik Monk
    Derek Willis
    Bam Adebayo

[jbcarol]

NCAA announces that in addition to Duke, North Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed will finally get to choose where it plays its first two games

Teams in contention for the No. 1 overall seed will submit their preferred destination among the eight host sites in advance of Selection Sunday.

This season's first and second round tournament sites are Buffalo, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, Tulsa, Orlando and Sacramento.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JonHale_CJ/status/755418154248048646

Briscoe arrived on campus as the No. 2 point guard in the class of 2016, but he spent the majority of his freshman season playing off the ball due to the presence of Tyler Ulis. Playing in a three-guard lineup with Ulis and NBA lottery pick Jamal Murray, Briscoe was often overshadowed by his teammates but did much of the dirty work needed for Kentucky to succeed.

He averaged 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while starting 33 of his 34 appearances as a freshman, ranking third among SEC guards in rebounds per game and tied for second on the team in steals (35). While Briscoe struggled mightily with his shot, he made significant contributions in defense, rebounding and ball distribution.

Briscoe took full advantage of the NCAA's new rule allowing players to declare for the draft and workout for teams while still returning to school if they did not hire an agent. His decision appeared to be made for him when he was not invited to the NBA combine, but it was not until a deadline-day conversation with UK associate head coach Kenny Payne that he finalized his decision to return to UK. By returning, Briscoe hopes to show NBA scouts a better shooting touch while also playing with the ball in his hands more.

For all of Briscoe's jump-shooting struggles, he was a potent offensive weapon when driving to the basket. Briscoe showed an impressive ability to finish with 51.5 percent of his shots coming at the rim...

Saying Briscoe struggled with his shot would be an understatement. He was among the worst shooting guards in the SEC at 43.9 percent from the field and 13.5 percent from 3-point range. Briscoe and Calipari were unable to offer many concrete suggestions as to the cause of his poor shooting percentages, which were down significantly from his high-school statistics. Particularly worrisome was his 46 percent mark at the free-throw line.

Briscoe's high school coach theorized the shooting problems were a result of Briscoe learning to play off the ball after spending most of his high school career as a point guard.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/SethEmersonAJC/status/758778642474340353

That's three-times straight SEC tournament semifinalist Georgia

Fox's team is preparing for a summer trip to Spain, where it will play three exhibition games and presumably find out whether Generalissimo Franco is still dead. In the lead-up to the trip the team is allowed to hold full-fledged practices.

The player that stood out, at least at this practice, was Pape Diatta. The junior college transfer made shots shots [sic [sic]] in the lane, ran the floor well, swatted a ball out of someone's hands, and just generally looked ready to play. He has the size (6-7) to play power forward in some smaller lineups, in which he could flex out to that stretch-4 spot...

Freshman guard Tyree Crump also looks ready to contribute, perhaps as the first guard off the bench. He's only 6-foot-1, but he's pretty stout and moves very fast...

It's ridiculously early to say this, but the best starting five right now might be this: 1-Frazier, 2-Parker, 3-Diatta, 4-Ogbeide, 5-Maten .... A few of the other guys (Turtle Jackson, the freshman guards) may have more long-term upside, but Parker and Diatta looked ready to play right now, and that gives you a very veteran lineup.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NWAJimmy/status/759210085767868416

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 1h1 hour ago

Quinndary Weatherspoon averaged 14.7 PPG and 5.5 RPG during Mississippi State's final 10 games of last season. All-SEC caliber player.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/KentuckyMBB/status/761003728560349184

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/NWAJimmy/status/761006045804179456

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GamecockMBB/status/761200211381202945

Tut, originally from Melbourne, Australia, averaged 8.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in 30 games at Monroe College. A 6-foot-9 forward with ability to play both on the perimeter and in the post, he shot 45 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from the 3-point line.

Tut is the sixth commitment of this year's class, joining Sedee Keita, Khadim Gueye, Maik-Kalev Kotsar, Rakym Felder and Hassani Gravett.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GamecockMBB/status/762036303814807553

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/RazorbackMBB/status/761769753417351168

Dudley E. Dawson ‏@Dedsports 10h10 hours ago

Safe and Sound in Spain after getting off a plane. #razorbackexhibitiongames

[jbcarol]

 Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 2h2 hours ago

SEC Power Rankings: UK, Florida, A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, SC, Auburn, MSU, Alabama, LSU, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Missouri.

SEC Preseason First-Team: De'Aaron Fox (UK), J.J. Frazier (UGA), Kevaughn Allen (UF), Bam Adebayo (UK), Tyler Davis (A&M). [Left off Kingsley, Monk]

SEC Preseason Player of the Year: Bam Adebayo, Kentucky.

SEC Preseason Sleeper: Arkansas.

Impact SEC Transfers: C. Barry (UF), J. Barford (Ark), D. Macon (Ark), N. King (Bama), C. Collins (Bama), R. Johnson (Auburn).

5 Under-The-Radar SEC Transfers: J. Furmanavicius (Ole Miss), D. Reath (LSU), B. Jenkins (LSU), D. Thomas (Ark), A. Davis (Bama).

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sportstalksc/status/762477356048973824

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 2h2 hours ago

Auburn's Danjel Purifoy and the rest of the Tigers' roster has been academically cleared by the NCAA, Bruce Pearl told @CBSSports.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/762656422287011840

With solid returnees in place like Isaiah Briscoe, Derek Willis, Isaac Humphries, and Dominique Hawkins to go with another fabled recruiting class headlined by five-star prospects De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Wenyen Gabriel, and Bam Adebayo, Kentucky again looks to be a cut above the rest in the SEC heading into next season.

Arkansas looks like a sleeper

Just one year after advancing to the finals of the SEC Tournament and earning a five seed in the field of 68, the Razorbacks finished 16-16 overall and just 9-9 in conference play.

Nevertheless, Mike Anderson looks like he's assembled a sneaky good squad that could get better as next season progresses.

Arkansas returns two All-SEC caliber players in shooting guard Dusty Hannahs and big man Moses Kingsley while lefty point guard Anton Beard is a grizzled veteran that gives this team a seasoned player at the most important spot on the floor.

Anderson is also counting on two junior-college All-Americans -- Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon -- to play major roles immediately on the perimeter while Colorado transfer Dustin Thomas is a face-up power forward that can give Kingsley room to operate in the low post.

The Razorbacks aren't going to be a team that's talked about a great deal heading into fall practice, but that doesn't mean that they don't have a chance to be better than most anticipate.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JasonHButt/status/763151054598967297

Athens

J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten are entering the latter stages of their collegiate careers, with the sharpshooter and dependable post presence hoping to get Georgia back to an NCAA Tournament berth it missed out on a season ago.

With Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines no longer in Athens, both Frazier and Maten are now entrusted with carrying the team.

One area the Bulldogs will look to improve is with opening the floor to help Frazier and Maten's supporting cast. Frazier said Georgia will "share the sugar" and focus on getting more people involved offensively.

"It helps because you can't key in on one guy," Frazier said. "Yante's going to get a lot of attention because of what he did in the post last year. Therefore, he'll open the game up for a lot of us. We'll do the best we can to play off of each other, help each other be better no matter who's the leading scorer or rebounder. Our main goal is to win, and that's how it has been for the last four years under (head coach Mark Fox). As long as we play 'next man up,' that's our best bet."

Late last season, Georgia struggled at Auburn, which seemingly knocked the Bulldogs out of NCAA Tournament contention. But Georgia was then able to run off five consecutive wins, including a three-day run and impressive effort in a loss against Kentucky during the SEC Tournament.

Georgia welcomes three new players for the upcoming season — freshman guards Jordan Harris and Tyree Crump and junior college transfer forward Pape Diatta. As these players learn Fox's system, Frazier said he will try to convey the importance of playing a full season with consistency.

"Last year, we didn't have a bad start, but we couldn't run off three or four wins in a row," Frazier said.

Georgia did just that in its recent trip to Spain, finishing with a 3-0 record last week. The Bulldogs beat the Madrid all-stars 65-48, the Valencia all-stars 118-70 and the Barcelona all-stars 96-72.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/CoachZ_ARKANSAS/status/764375903740764160

[jbcarol]

http://www.bracketwag.com   Last updated 08/17/2016 07:52 PM Central Time

Official Bracketologist for http://www.usatoday.com , http://Indystar.com , http://collegeinsider.com  & #Super10 member

1-seed Kentucky
7  A&M
9 Miss State
11 Florida
11 Bama

Last 4 in - Alabama, Saint Joseph's, VCU, California    
First 4 out - Kansas State, Ohio State, Iowa, Auburn

Multi bid conferences - ACC (9), Big 12 (6), PAC 12 (6), Big 10 (5), Big East (5),
SEC (5), ...

Some of the Others considered for at-large bids (in no particular order) - Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Georgia

[jbcarol]

Kentucky (#1 seed in ESPN's Joe Lunardi and Shelby Mast's latest and still too early bracket projections)

Key Losses

Fr. Jamal Murray (20 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 113 3-pt)
Murray was the first UK player Calipari to average 20 ppg as an AP 3rd Team All-American and 1st Team All-SEC. Murray finished second to Steph Curry (122) for most three pointers made in a season by a freshman in NCAA D1 history.  He was the seventh overall pick in the NBA Draft. Murray, who could have been attending his Canadian high school prom, instead was a part of Kentucky's best backcourt since ... 2015.

So. Tyler Ulis (17.3 ppg, 7 apg, 85.6 FT%)
SEC Player of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and 1st Team Consensus All-American, Ulis was drafted early in the second round and signed a late first round guarantee-type contract with the Suns. He was the first NBA combine participant to weigh under 150 lbs.

Sr. Alex Poythress (10.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 60 FG%)
Poythress was undrafted but signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Pacers and was assigned to the D-League in Ft. Wayne.  His ACL injury early in 2014 effectively ended Calipari's true platoon system.  He did not attempt to request a medical redshirt and pursue a doctorate.

Other Losses/Non-regretted Turnover

Fr. Skal Labissiere (6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.6 bpg)
The most overrated player in the history of high school basketball recruiting services, Calipari's signing of Labissiere in the early signing period ended his shot of an accomplished season as no other American 5s nor 4s would sign with Kentucky after the platoon season.  In 2010, Calipari had his players work a telethon to raise $1 million to support Haitian earthquake victims, one of whom was Skal. The kid had the optimism of one glad to be alive but no desire to develop a post game or hit the boards. He was taken late in the 1st round while his handlers looked angry with Cal.

Jr. Marcus Lee (6.4 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.6 bpg)
Lee was a former McDonald's All-American, volleyball player, and all-around good guy.  He did not develop an offensive skill set beyond the lob pass dunk and put back.  After the NBA combine, Lee waited to the last day and then transferred closer to home to play for the Cal Bears. He had not completed his degree in three years so he will have to sit out one season.

Fr. Charles Matthews (10-12 mpg, 41.2 FT%)
Charles Matthews was the first to sign with Calipari in the 2015 class when all others were watching the UK platoon experiment and wanting no part of it.  Matthews was a hustle guy on defense but did not develop a shot.  He was stuck behind a top notch back court and transferred to Michigan.

Jr. EJ Floreal (16 mins)
The son of UK's track coach and arguably best athlete on the team, Floreal will be missed for his off court leadership and ability to play top notch defense against guards in practice. He was known for being an accomplice to Murray's on-court antics and posterizing Julius Randle in Kentucky's public scrimmage in '13.

Key Returnees

So. Isaiah Briscoe (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 13.5 3P%, 46 FT%)
Briscoe got word from the NBA combine that he needed to work on his shooting and he chose to return for his sophomore season.  A hard nosed player and good defender, Briscoe was a dribble drive player who was last in the nation in FT% at mid-season.  He improved down the stretch.  He shut down Grayson Allen in UK's early win over Duke.

Sr. Derek Willis (18.6 mpg, 7.7 ppg, 4 rpg, 44.2 3P%, 88.9 FT%)
Kentucky high school player returns for his senior season after getting quality minutes.  He is known for his pickup game and practice outside shooting and his hops.  He had an off-season incident in which he was found passed out drunk on the road near Triple Crown.  It was the first such public incident during Calipari's tenure since the Terrence Jones/Stacey Poole, Jr. car accident debacle in 2010.

Sr. Dominique Hawkins (27.6 3P%, 37 FG%)
Former Kentucky High School Mr. Basketball could be UK's first guard off the bench in his senior season.

So. Isaac Humphries (9 mpg, 16 blocks, 39 FG%, 73.3 FT%)
7-footer gave UK serviceable minutes against Duke after Skal disappeared. Then Cal curiously benched both of them for a long stretch of the season, going with a small ball lineup.  Humphries was having a good game in Reed for the SEC regular season championship when he awkwardly attempted to slam the ball in celebration.  He was teed up and A&M won a share of the title and #1 seed in the SEC-T.  While he should have been celebrating his Australian high school prom, Humphries was bulking up, hoping to crack the lineup in '16-17.

Fr. Tai Wynyard (2016 redshirt)
Wynyard joined UK for the spring semester and took a redshirt when he could have been celebrating his New Zealand high school prom. Tai took on the role of fan favorite, backup QB as they watched the UK front line struggle in conference play and, of course, fizzle out in the NCAA-T. 

Sr. Mychal Mulder (16.7 3P%, 20 FG%)
The Canadian Mulder was brought from in Juco to shoot before Calipari had landed Murray.  Based on his stat line that did not work out.  If he regains his touch, UK could field a Fox Mulder guard combo at times.

Key Newcomers
Bam Adebayo  6-9, 225 Team Unloaded; No. 9 '17 NBA Mock Draft
Think of Julius Randle without the scoring ability.

De'Aaron Fox  6-4, 170 Houston Hoops; No. 11 '17 NBA Mock Draft
Good ball handler and defender, but not as much of a scorer.

Malik Monk  6-4, 185 Bentonville; No. 22 '17 NBA Mock Draft
Shooter and human highlight reel.  He will start at the two in UK's three-guard lineup.

Wenyen Gabriel  6-10, 195 Wilbraham & Monson; Composite No. 13 Class o' '16
The prep schooler has a shot to crack the starting lineup going against Willis and Humphries for the fifth spot.

Sacha Killeya-Jones  6-10, 210 Virginia Episcopal; Composite No. 25 Class o' '16
His mom works for UNC and apparently knows how academics work there.  UK could potentially start five freshman with Killeya-Jones.  Calipari liked doing that in the 2014 NCAA Tournament and challenging the Fab Five mantle, though it was a charade.

Brad Calipari  6-0, 180  MacDuffie School;  This coach's son is not yet rated
Significant given the history of coach's sons playing for UK and Calipari's confidence in his place.  Every other UK coach since 1930 has had a son on the roster.  Adolph Rupp, Jr. rarely played.  Sean Sutton created animosity with UK fans as a player and moreso when his name was on several of the UK NCAA infractions.  One side issue was Sutton's role in Shawn Kemp's departure from UK.  Tubby Smith played Saul over an underwhelming white Kentucky native which caused issues with fans, especially the racist ones.  It also hurt recruiting at the point guard spot for several seasons as Tubby had a younger son Brian who wound up at Ole Miss.  It took Rajon Rondo to break the streak of underwhelming point guard signees. 
John Calipari has noted that he will stay at UK as long as Brad Calipari plays at UK.  He also stated that he will play Brad, and not just in run out the clock situations, and that he will have a green light. Popcorn is popping.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein Verified account
‏@JonRothstein

Texas A&M freshman J.J. Caldwell still has not been cleared by the NCAA, source told @CBSSports. Caldwell has been admitted to school.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 13h13 hours ago

Florida may be the second most talented team in its league, but this group of Gators still hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament. Unproven.

Gators should be a much better shooting team than they were last season with addition of Canyon Barry.

Palpable buzz at Florida surrounding redshirt freshman Keith [Smooth] Stone. Going to be a factor in the Gators' rotation. Has shown flashes.

Early prediction on Florida's starting five: Kasey Hill, Kevaughn Allen, Devin Robinson, Justin Leon, John Egbunu.

[jbcarol]

A&M (#5 seed in ESPN's Joe Lunardi and #7 seed in Shelby Mast's latest and still too early bracket projections)

Key Losses

Sr. Alex Caruso (5 apg, 2 spg, A&M's all-time steals leader)
Son of a long-time A&M Athletic Dept. associate. Hustle player and leader.
2nd Team All-SEC; All-SEC Defensive Team

Sr. Danuel House (15.6 ppg, 30.9 3P%, 39.6 FG%)
One of the co-scoring leaders for A&M. 2nd Team All-SEC

Sr. Jalen Jones (15.3 ppg, 32.4 3P%, 7.2 rpg)
One of the co-scoring leaders for A&M. 1st Team All-SEC

Sr. Anthony Collins (4.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 45.2 3P%, 87.2 FT%)


Key Returnees

So. Tyler Davis (11.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 65.5 FG%)
SEC All-Freshman

Jr. Tonny Trocha-Morelos  (17 mpg, 7 ppg)

So. Admon Gilder (7 ppg)

So. DJ Hogg (6.2 ppg)
SEC All-Freshman


Key Newcomers

Robert Williams  6-8, 220  North Caddo  #10 PF

JJ Caldwell  5-11 PG  Homeschool [Eligibilty Center pending]  #17 PG

Deshawn Corprew  6-5, 190  Norfolk Quality Education Academy  #18 SF

Eric Vila 6-9, 205  FC Barcelona Lassa   PF

[jbcarol]

Florida (#9 seed in ESPN's Joe Lunardi and #11 seed in Shelby Mast's latest and still too early bracket projections)

Key Loss

Jr. Dorian Finney-Smith  (14.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg)

Non-Regretted Turnover

Duke transfer Alex Murphy (25.0 FT% and 3P%)

Zach "One Arm" Hodskins (1-5 FG)


Returnees

So. Kevaughn Allen (11.6 ppg, <40 FG%, 31.5 3P%, 84.6 FT%, Preseason All-SEC)

Sr. Kasey Hill (29.7 3P%, 53.8 FT%, 39.1 FG%, former top 10 recruit)

Jr. John Egbunu (11.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg)

Jr. Devin Robinson (23 mpg, 9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 34 3P%, withdrew from NBA draft)

Jr. Chris Chiozza (23.8 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 34.4 FG%)

R-Fr. Keith "Smooth" Stone  Top 100 recruit redshirted his freshman season

Sr. Justin Leon (15 mpg, 5.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

So. Kevarrius Hayes (About 10-12 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, Top 100 recruit)

So. Brandone Francis-Ramirez (About 10-12 mpg, 20.2 FG%, 16.9 3P%, 53.8 FT%)

Sr. DeVon Walker (About 10-12 mpg, 22.8 FG%, 10.5 3P%, 48 FT%)


Key Newcomers

Canyon Barry  6-6 Sr. CofC grad transfer (19.7 ppg, 40 FG%, 84.5 FT%)

Gorjak Gak 6-11, 215  (pending Eligibility Center) Victory Rock Prep 3-star #20 C

Eric Hester  6-3  Oldsmar Christian 3-star #33 PG

Dontay Bassett  6-8, 205  Oldsmar Christian  3-star #63 PF