2015-16 SEC Basketball Projections

[jbcarol]

At this point we know who will and who won't be entering the NBA Draft, and with the majority of the nation's elite recruits (including Jaylen Brown) having pledged to a school, we've reached a point where this preseason top 25 is just about official.

5. Kentucky

    Who's back: Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress
    Who's gone: Karl Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, Dakari Johnson
    Who they're getting: Isaiah Briscoe, Skal Labissiere*, Charles Matthews, Mychal Mulder
    Why they're here: As their roster stands, I'm not sure Kentucky is a true national title contender. Ulis and Briscoe should be terrific, and Labissiere could end up being a preseason Player of the Year candidate if he's eligible, but there's not much depth and the trio of Poythress, Lee and Matthews is not guaranteed to be great.

25. Vanderbilt

    Who's back: Damian Jones, Riley LaChance, Wade Baldwin
    Who's gone: James Siakam
    Who they're getting: Camron Justice, D'jery Baptiste, Samir Sehic, Joseph Toye
    Why they're here: One of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch, the Commodores bring back nearly every key piece and add a solid recruiting class to the mix. Damian Jones will be a first team all-SEC caliber player.

ALSO CONSIDERED: Butler, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, N.C. State, Oregon, Purdue, San Diego State, SMU, Texas A&M, Utah

[jbcarol]

Eight programs on the decline

Florida: There's no way around it: losing Billy Donovan to the NBA is a massive blow for the Florida basketball program. He was one of the best coaches in the college game, and regardless of who the Gators hire to replace him — Mike White? — it's a step backwards. But that's not the only factor at play here. The Gators are coming off of a 16-17 season, losing Michael Frazier II and Chris Walker to the NBA and will enter the 2015-16 season without a season-changing recruit coming into the program. Florida may still be an elite job, but it will be a year or two at the least before they are once again an elite college basketball team again.

Missouri: Kim Anderson's first season in Columbia could not have gone much worse. Not only did the Tigers go 3-15 in the SEC, but they lost Jonathan Williams III to transfer, missed out on some key recruits and saw assistant coach Tim Fuller leave the program. Things aren't going to get any better in 2015-16, either.

[jbcarol]

 Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein  ·  3h 3 hours ago

The Pac-12's recent rise, Mike White, and why Texas A & M is a team to watch in the SEC. Observations @CBSSports: http://cbsprt.co/1H6mNSp

Florida AD Jeremy Foley got what he wanted in Mike White.

People close to this search believed that Foley would go with an outside-the-box hire and that's what he did with White. The 38-year-old coach has never taken a team to the NCAA Tournament, but he did lead Louisiana Tech to three consecutive regular-season conference titles over the past three seasons. White also boasts a 50-16 mark in conference play in four years as a head coach...

A&M is a team to watch in the SEC.

The Aggies won't enter next season with the same hype as Kentucky or LSU, but that doesn't mean they're not capable of competing at the top of the conference standings. Coach Billy Kennedy returns five capable veterans from last year's team that won 21 games and reached the Postseason NIT. Danuel House (14.8 points) figures to be a potential first-team All-SEC performer and Texas A&M's recruiting class features five players -- Anthony Collins, D.J. Hogg, Admon Gilder, Elijah Thomas and Tyler Davis -- who should be instant factors in the Aggies' rotation. The underrated piece of that group is Collins, a transfer from South Florida. Texas A&M desperately needed a veteran playmaker who could allow Alec Caruso to slide off the ball. Collins will also put a lot of pressure every day in practice on Alex Robinson, a jet quick point guard who struggled with consistency last year as a freshman and also provide a steadying influence on the offensive end of the floor...

[jbcarol]

 Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  11m 11 minutes ago

White philosophy on pgs, said he expects more from them than other positions on floor, looking forward to UF's.

White "now my focus is helping the #Gators get back to the NCAA Tournament."

White on conference tournament slip ups "there are some things you reflect you could have done differently"

[jbcarol]

 Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  44m 44 minutes ago

White said he feels like he's inheriting a UF roster with talent and good people.

White -- "we're gonna play hard, we're gonna play fast, we're gonna do what's in the best interests of the roster."

[jbcarol]

 Keith SoSmooth Stone @Keith_Stone25  ·  May 15

This year Gators Football and Basketball teams >>>>>> 😈 we gonna make some noise

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein  ·  15h 15 hours ago
15-16 Preseason Top 25: 1. Maryland 2. UNC 3. Kansas 4. Iowa State 5. Kentucky 6. Virginia 7. Duke 8. Oklahoma 9. Wichita State

Five on the cusp: Louisville, Butler, Texas A & M, Xavier, Baylor.

[jbcarol]

Without Eli Carter, here's an updated look at UF's projected roster going into Mike White's first season in 2015-16. It includes 11 scholarship players and one walk-on:

Kasey Hill, pg, jr., 6-1

DeVon Walker, sg, rjr, 6-6

Devin Robinson., sf, so, 6-9

Dorian Finney-Smith, pf, rsr., 6-9

John Egbunu, c, rso., 6-11

Alex Murphy, f, rsr, 6-7

Chris Chiozza, pg, so, 6-0

Brandone Francis, g, so, 6-5

Kevarrius Hayes, f, fr., 6-9

Keith Stone, f, fr., 6-8

KeVaughn Allen, g, fr., 6-3

Schuyler Rimmer, c, rso., 6-11

[jbcarol]

Looking Forward: Catching up on the SEC's offseason

Wild spring on the coaching carousel: The SEC's coaching carousel was as wild and entertaining as any this spring. Rick Ray was fired by Mississippi State to make room for new head coach Ben Howland. Rick Barnes, fresh off an ouster at Texas, was hired by Tennessee to replace Donnie Tyndall, who was fired for NCAA violations one year after getting the job. Alabama threw a blank check at Gregg Marshall, misseed, and then signed former NBA head coach Avery Johnson. And then, of course, there was Billy Donovan, one of college basketball's best, heading to the NBA to take over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was replaced by Mike White, which begs the question: Is Florida truly an elite job, or was Donovan simply an elite head coach?

2. Kentucky's recruiting misses this spring: Kentucky lost seven of their top eight players to the NBA Draft this spring, changes that weren't exactly unexpected. Every preseason top 25 that was released still had Kentucky listed in the top five, partly because the Wildcats were bringing in 2015's top recruit (Skal Labissiere) and top point guard (Isaiah Briscoe). But there was also an assumption that at least one or two of the uncommitted stars in the class would end up in Lexington, because of course they would.

Right?

Well, not exactly...

3. Can anyone make the jump to elite?: Kentucky is the obvious favorite to win the SEC, but there are a number of other teams in the conference that will have the pieces to make some noise this season. LSU will bring in one of the nation's best recruiting class, headlined by Ben Simmons. Texas A&M not only returns a number of key pieces from last year's team, but they add four four-star recruits. Georgia returns the majority of their back court from last year's NCAA tournament team. And perhaps most interesting will be Vanderbilt, who brought back Damian Jones...

PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS, IN TWEET FORM

1. Kentucky: Coach Cal lost seven to the NBA and missed on a ton of elite recruits, but Skal, Ulis, Briscoe and Lee is as good of a top four as anyone.

2. Vanderbilt...

11. Arkansas: It's not going to be easy to overcome the losses of Michael Qualls and Bobby Portis, who was the SEC's Player of the Year.

[jbcarol]

 Jerry Tipton @JerryTipton  ·  19h 19 hours ago

Bovada makes Maryland 9/1 favorite to win 2016 national title. UK, Duke, UNC second choices at 10/1. U of L 40/1. LSU, Texas A&M 50/1.

[jbcarol]

State, a team that finished in the bottom of the Southeastern Conference the last three seasons, suddenly has a talent-laden roster with a mix of experience and youth in a matter of months since Howland took over.

Bulldogs will play five seniors next season, including Craig Sword a second-team all-Southeastern Conference selection last season. This year's freshman class consists of Newman, four-star prospects Holman and Quinndary Weatherspoon and three-star talent Joseph Struggs...

Holman fills up Mississippi State's final scholarship. One opened with Maurice Dunlap transferring, which the school announced shortly after Holman's addition became official. Dunlap, a two-time Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection from Amanda Elzy High School, played in seven games as a freshman before injuries ended his season.

Howland compared Holman to another swing forward, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who played for the coach at UCLA.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 15h15 hours ago

Jon Rothstein retweeted justin edelman

Should be in middle of SEC pack. Egbunu and Brandone Francis will help.

justin edelman ‏@justinbigj1

@JonRothstein Can Florida be a tournament team even with the loss of Donovan?
5:39 PM - 1 Jun 2015

[jbcarol]

Shelby Mast @BracketWAG  ·  13h 13 hours ago

For those who already miss college hoops, like me, I posted a bracket for next year. It's rough, but still fun. http://bracketwag.com

Last updated 04/10/2015 06:13 PM Mountain Time

Multi bid conferences - ACC (Eight), Big 10 (7), SEC (7) ...

1  Kentucky
5  Arkansas
6  A&M
7  LSU
8  UF
9  Vandy
11 UGa

Others considered for at-large bids (no particular order) -  Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss ...

Shelby Mast ‏@BracketWAG 22h22 hours ago

I've been asked by at least 2 people to post an updated bracket, so I did-it will change b4 opening day, maybe a lot. http://bracketwag.com
Bracketologist for http://www.usatoday.com , http://Indystar.com , http://collegeinsider.com  & Super10 Selection Committee member

1 UK
6 A&M
7 LSU
9 VU
11 Arkansas
11 UGa

Multi bid conferences - ACC (, Big 10 (7), Big 12 (6), SEC (6)
Others considered for at-large bids (no particular order) -  Auburn, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 31m31 minutes ago

John Calipari is sitting down with us hacks here at 11 a.m. Stay tuned for updates

Cal says 2015-16 Cats could be "one of those multiple pick-and-roll kind of teams, more of a dribble-drive team than I've had in a while."

Calipari: "It's exciting because we're still going to be good. I think college basketball will come back a little bit," no great teams.

Calipari said his best teams had some good vets and added top freshmen, and that's the case with this team.

Calipari said Marcus Lee is "ready for it," his moment, he was ready last year but behind elite players. "But this is his time."

Poythress sent Calipari video of him doing box jumps. So making progress.

Calipari said Derek Willis doesn't need to "feel anxiety now" and can go play well, earn more time.

Calipari said he might press more with this UK team like at Memphis and JUCO guard Mychal Mulder can help with that. Good length, athlete.

Cal says Charles Matthews more a slasher, tougher, and Mulder more athletic on that wing.

Calipari expects incoming players to be on campus next week or on June 23rd. Isaiah Briscoe might be with USA Basketball.  Calipari leaving USA Basketball choice up to Briscoe. Said it'd be up to him to then come back to UK in shape and ready to play.  Calipari said Julius Randle and Tyler Ulis are guys USA Basketball wanted the summer before they came here and both said no thanks.

Calipari on the magnitude of UK basketball: "It's June 4 and I'm having a press conference. Everyone else is toes up, eating Cheetos."

Calipari says coaching at UK, like playing here, "is not for the faint of heart. You almost have to want all this."

Calipari said he has to get Skal to block shots more, but he's a little like Anthony Davis in that he was a guard with skills who grew.

Calipari on college coaches jumping to the NBA: "What's the roster look like? Bad roster, you got a bad job."

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 23m23 minutes ago

#ICYMI: John Calipari, while still mourning the Final Four loss, looks ahead with a 2015-16 roster breakdown. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/06/04/john-calipari-thinks-kentucky-basketball-crazy-despite-roster-turnover/28487415/ ...

PG Tyler Ulis, 5-9, sophomore – "Everybody that talks to me tells me how they loved him as a player. I was just with (UCLA coach) Steve Alford. He said, 'I absolutely loved Ulis.' " And there's no concern about how he'll mesh with incoming freshman point guard Isaiah Briscoe, another McDonald's All-American. "(Briscoe) is more physical, creates great angles, finishes around the goal. (Ulis) is just a pit bull, bothersome, playmaking, can score if he needs to. They both lead in different ways. They can both be on the floor together."

F Alex Poythress, 6-8, senior – "You had people before he got injured were telling us he was gonna have a monster year." So how is rehab coming on that torn ACL Poythress suffered in December? "He sent me some video. He was doing some box jumping. He's probably running at a slow pace right now, but he's running, jumping, doing stuff." And is the small-forward experiment over? "You guys remember down in the Bahamas where he was in that (power forward) slot and he was ridiculous, so we'll see. If that's where he's at his best, then that's where we'll play him."

F Marcus Lee, 6-9, junior – "It wasn't as though he wasn't ready last year. The problem was he was playing behind the No. 1 pick in the draft and the No. 4, 5, 6 pick in the draft and behind Dakari (Johnson). ... (But) I've said it to him: 'This is your time to go and do what you're supposed to do. There's no reason now. You're going to have minutes.' I told him, 'That elbow offensive game, you've got to be able – they've got to guard you when you catch it on the elbow. You gotta make free throws better, because you're going to get fouled. You're going to fly up and down that court."

F Derek Willis, 6-9, junior and G Dominique Hawkins, 6-0, junior – "(Willis) and Dom are on like a 'normal' college path. I mean, first couple years you don't play a whole lot, you're trying to bust through your third year and you're trying to make sure your senior year you're fulfilling your own dreams. But they're on a normal path. It just, for some reason here, doesn't seem normal. But it is normal.

"Dom and Derek came in on a different track than some of the other kids, but I'll tell you what: They both have gotten better. They both are great kids and great students. And I'm rooting for them. They know that. I told them, 'You better come back here expecting to play. ... Then you go make it happen.' I can't do it for them. I mean, they're going to have to do it."

C Skal Labissiere, 6-11, freshman – "Probably like Karl (Towns) and Anthony (Davis) coming in, where we've got to get him to understand: 'Establish yourself here and then do all the other stuff.' But he can shoot, he can handle it. When I saw him the first time – I think he was in the ninth grade ... I said, 'He used to be a guard.' Because I saw it in Anthony, I saw it in Marcus Camby. I've seen it before ... a young man that played guard and then all the sudden grew.

"Got to get him to block shots more because then you become a defensive playmaker, which (makes) the value to your team and yourself go through the roof when you become that guy. It's what's helping Karl right now, talking about his blocks."

G Isaiah Briscoe, 6-3, freshman – Most of the newcomers will arrive on campus next in the next three weeks, with the possible exception of Briscoe, who has been invited to try out for USA Basketball's U-19 national team. If he makes it, Calipari said, "a lot of the responsibility to come back in shape and ready to go play with your team falls on his own shoulders. I don't say play or not play. We give them the information (and) you do what you think is best to get you ready.

"Julius (Randle), who had earned gold medals and they really wanted Julius, said 'I need to be here getting ready.' The (Harrison) twins tried out. They really wanted to do it and tried out. That's fine. But I let the kids decide. (USA Basketball) wanted Tyler Ulis. He did not want to do it. ... It's the kid's choice. I don't try to force them to do something. My thing is: You must be ready when you come back."

G Mychal Mulder, 6-4, JUCO and G Charles Matthews, 6-5, freshman – "(Mulder) can really shoot, terrific athletically. This may be a team that I press more with, maybe go back to some of the presses that I used at Memphis (and) he, with his length and athleticism, (helps). Charles gives us a different look than he gives us. Charles is more of a slasher, Mychal is making threes. They're both pretty athletic. Mychal is probably more than even Charles. Charles is probably a little tougher. They're just different, which is perfect."

[jbcarol]

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein SEC power rankings for '15-16:

1. UK
2. A&M
3. Vandy
4. Miss. St.
5. LSU
6. UGa
7. UF
8. SC
9. Ole Miss
10. Auburn
11. Arkansas
12. Bama
13. Tennessee
14. Mizzou

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss will be without junior guard Stefan Moody for a good portion of the summer as he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia.

"Stef suffered a tibial stress that our medical staff discovered and repaired as soon as it was diagnosed," head coach Andy Kennedy said in the release. "Although we hate that he had to go through the surgery and subsequent rehab, Stef is a very strong young man, who we expect to make a complete recovery before the start of team workouts in the fall."

1st Team All-SEC in '14-15

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss will be without junior guard Stefan Moody for a good portion of the summer as he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia.

1st Team All-SEC in '14-15

Hugh Kellenberger ‏@HKellenbergerCL  5h5 hours ago
Hugh Kellenberger retweeted Riley Blevins
That's less than great news for a player who thrives on his athleticism. Hate it for Moody.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 13m13 minutes ago

Derek Willis said last year he needed to be "self-critical" and "show I want to be here." Especially important now. http://cjky.it/1B5Z5nB

Derek Willis is still waiting for his first real chance to shine. The 6-foot-9 junior forward from Bullitt East, a former Mr. Basketball finalist who chose the Wildcats over scholarship offers from Purdue, Indiana and Louisville, has averaged just 3.5 minutes in 33 college games.

But now, after seven UK underclassmen declared for the NBA Draft and the Cats missed on a handful of high-profile recruits, opportunity is knocking.

When Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles, a pair of likely lottery picks, were injured during UK's trip to the Bahamas last summer, Willis averaged 17.8 minutes in six exhibition games against foreign professionals and acquitted himself well, producing six points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

He's a good athlete – see his impressive array of pregame warm-up dunks – and a legitimate "stretch-four" with his passing and outside shooting ability.

At UK's on-campus combine last fall, he posted a 7-foot wingspan, 35 1/2-inch vertical and a 2.97-second shuttle run that would've ranked 12th-best at this year's NBA Combine.

He's also committed to the Cats despite two years of disappointment.

He's not a great ball-handler and needs to shoot it at a better clip. Willis is just under 30 percent from 3-point range in his UK career. He admits to slacking some in practice and when it comes to the all-important work players do on their own.

"Usually, I'm one of the first people out," he said last season. "I'm putting it on myself. I just need to put more effort into the game if I want to play."

Was Co-MVP of his Region with Mekale McKay who is playing WR at Cincinnati.

[jbcarol]

Jerry Tipton ‏@JerryTipton 16h16 hours ago

UK incoming frosh Isaiah Briscoe makes cut as USA U19 team trims from 21 to 16 finalists. Also making cut is Vandy guard Riley LaChance.

[jbcarol]

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP 13h13 hours ago

#Vols freshman Admiral Schofield walked into the gym a little bit ago. He is built like a small tank. #analysis



Ben Frederickson ‏@Ben_Fred 8h8 hours ago

Tennessee freshman forward Admiral Schofield said he currently weighs 256 (!) pounds. Wants to play at 220-225.

New #Vols Shembari Phillips (25) and Kyle Alexander (11).

First impression: Kyle Alexander and Tariq Owens are cut from the same tall-long-and-skinny cloth. Alexander moves much more smoothly.

[jbcarol]

For Calipari, Kentucky, it's 'next man up'

When seven stars leave a team to pursue their lifelong dreams of playing professionally in the NBA, there will obviously be a void left to be filled.

Such is the case at Kentucky for the 2015-16 season, and for head coach John Calipari that means there's an opportunity.

"The motto right now is next man up," Coach Cal said Wednesday in an interview on Kentucky Sports Radio. "I could see five guys, four guys, six guys being drafted off this team."

Those four-six players include senior Alex Poythress, who continues to rehab from a torn ACL suffered last December on a routine drive to the basket.

"When he's 100 percent he's going to be one of the best players in the country," Calipari said.

Perhaps most obvious in the "next man up" mindset though will be Marcus Lee. A former McDonald's All-American who has had to play behind No. 7 NBA Draft pick Julius Randle, future lottery picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein, as well as potential first-round draft pick Dakari Johnson in his two seasons in Lexington,

"I am so anxious for him and want this for him," Calipari said in late April. "It's his time and he knows it. I think you'll see people saying, 'Cal should've played him the last two years. What the heck was he thinking?' But those guys in front of him were pretty good."

Lee will be joined in the frontcourt by arguably the top high school prospect in the country in Skal Labissiere. An athletic 6-foot-11 forward from Memphis, Tenn.

"If Skal does what I think he can do, we're probably looking at the face of an opportunity to be the No. 1 pick like Karl, like Anthony (Davis), like those guys," Coach Cal said.

In addition to the aforementioned players, there's Tyler Ulis, who competed in the backcourt against the Harrison twins and alongside Devin Booker all season long. There's also Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis...

Kentucky will also have newcomers Isaiah Briscoe, who was named to the USA Men's U19 World Championship Team on Wednesday, Charles Matthews and Mychal Mulder, who should help space the court and give the Cats more options offensively and defensively.

"Charles is better than everybody thinks," Calipari said. "I'm telling you, when you see him, and especially with Tyler. Mychal can absolutely shoot and gives us some veteran with Tyler Ulis."

[jbcarol]

Riley Blevins ‏@Riley_Blevins  Jun 17
Blog: Andy Kennedy revealed some good & bad about Stefan Moody's injury during a recent radio interview http://www.clarionledger.com/story/olemisssports/2015/06/17/kennedy-talks-details-of-unusual-stefan-moody-

OXFORD – Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy revealed during a recent radio interview some good and bad about the injury and surgery that will sideline star guard Stefan Moody for eight to 12 weeks.

The bad?

A freak accident apparently led to the discovery of the rising senior's stress fracture in his left tibia.

"One of the most unusual things I've ever dealt with as a coach – not even as a head coach, but in 20 years of doing this," Kennedy told Head to Head sports radio on Tuesday. "(He) didn't have any pain, no symptoms. Freak injury. He gets kicked in the leg that led us to discover he had a stress fracture."

So, what's the good for Ole Miss?

The fact that it was discovered in the first place.

"The placement of (the fracture) could have been problematic long-term if it had not been discovered on time," Kennedy said.

Also probably falling into the "good" category for Ole Miss is that Kennedy seemed extremely optimistic that Moody, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection who finished tied for first in the league in scoring, will recover quickly and fully.

Right now, Moody is projected to return in time for the start of Ole Miss' preseason camp.

"I say this affectionately: He's a physical freak of nature," Kennedy said. "He's going to bounce back at record pace, because No. 1, he's determined. And his body just heals at a very unusual rate. He's going to be fine."

[jbcarol]

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/futures

Odds to Win 2015-16 NCAA Men's Tournament (4/4/16)
School    Odds
Kentucky    8/1
North Carolina    8/1
Maryland    9/1
Duke    10/1
Kansas    12/1
Iowa State    20/1
Gonzaga    22/1
Michigan State    22/1
Villanova    22/1
Virginia    22/1
California    28/1
Arizona    30/1
Texas    30/1
Oklahoma    33/1
Indiana    40/1
Wichita State    40/1
Louisville    45/1
Michigan    45/1
LSU    50/1
Purdue    50/1
Notre Dame    55/1
Butler    60/1
Texas A&M    60/1
Baylor    65/1
Syracuse    65/1
UConn    70/1
Wisconsin    75/1
NC State    80/1
Utah    80/1
Cincinnati    100/1
Dayton    100/1
Florida    100/1
Florida State    100/1
Georgetown    100/1
Georgia    100/1
Illinois    100/1
Iowa    100/1
Miami, Fl.    100/1
Ohio State    100/1
Oregon    100/1
Providence    100/1
SMU    100/1
San Diego State    100/1
UCLA    100/1
Vanderbilt    100/1
West Virginia    100/1
Memphis    150/1
Field (Any Other Team)    150/1
Alabama    200/1
Auburn    200/1
Pittsburgh    200/1
Rhode Island    200/1
Tulsa    200/1
UNLV    200/1
Xavier    200/1
Arkansas    300/1
Boise State    300/1
Colorado    300/1
Marquette    300/1
Minnesota    300/1
Northern Iowa    300/1
Old Diminion    300/1
Ole Miss    300/1
South Carolina    300/1

[jbcarol]

Drew Franklin ‏@DrewFranklinKSR  Jun 22
If you know anyone considering Kentucky and Oregon for college basketball, they probably need to check this out: http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/numbers-game-oregon-vs-kentucky/ ...

[jbcarol]

Earlier in the spring when there were rumblings that five-star guard Jamal Murray was considering a move into the 2015 class, many believed that Oregon was the team to beat...

Murray announced the news on Canadian sports network TSN, and his decision gives John Calipari one of the nation's top recruiting classes and best backcourts.

Murray represents the fifth addition to a program that lost seven of its top eight scorers from a team that went 38-1, with four of those additions coming on the perimeter. Murray joins another Canadian in Vincennes College transfer Mychal Mulder, and freshmen Isaiah Briscoe and Charles Matthews as perimeter additions for Kentucky with elite big man Skal Labissiere rounding out the class.

Murray can make things happen offensively either on or off the basketball, which is key when considering the presence not only of Briscoe but of sophomore Tyler Ulis. Ulis didn't start a game last season but ranked fifth on the team in minutes per game (23.8 mpg), and his 3.6 assists per contest were tied for the team lead with the departed Andrew Harrison.

Ulis and senior Alex Poythress, who played in eight games last season before suffering a torn ACL, will be asked to provide leadership for a team that will lean heavily upon newcomers Briscoe, Labissiere and Murray.

While the expectations for Kentucky may not be as high as they were for an absolutely loaded 2014-15 squad, the addition of Murray helps Calipari in his quest for the Wildcats to play "positionless basketball"...

[jbcarol]

UPDATED: 2015-2016 College Basketball Way-Too-Early Preseason Rankings

Fred Hoiberg is off to the NBA, his replacement is on campus, Jamal Murray has committed to Kentucky and Thon Maker is officially staying in high school for another year. I think — I hope? — we've reached a point where we can say we know what next season's rosters will look like.

1. UNC

3. Kentucky

    Who's back: Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress
    Who's gone: Karl Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, Dakari Johnson
    Who they're getting: Skal Labissiere*, Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Charles Matthews, Mychal Mulder
    Why they're here: The Wildcats get bumped up to No. 3 in our updated rankings. I still have some questions about how this group will end up coming together, but there's no questioning the talent level. If Lee develops the way many expect him too and if the back court of Ulis, Briscoe and Murray can find a way to coexist, you're looking at a group that is capable of winning the national title. Not bad for a "down year" on the recruiting trail.

25. Vanderbilt

    Who's back: Damian Jones, Riley LaChance, Wade Baldwin
    Who's gone: James Siakam
    Who they're getting: Camron Justice, D'jery Baptiste, Samir Sehic, Joseph Toye
    Why they're here: One of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch, the Commodores bring back nearly every key piece and add a solid recruiting class to the mix. Damian Jones will be a first team all-SEC caliber player.


THE NEXT FIVE: Utah, SMU, Purdue, LSU, Texas A&M

ALSO CONSIDERED: Butler, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, ...

[jbcarol]

Kentucky's Alex Poythress hopes to be cleared by the end of August

From Rajon Rondo's annual Camp Rondo:

    On his health and if he'll be 100 percent by the start of the season

    Yeah, close. They're trying to say I'll probably be cleared by the end of August probably, so I'll just keep on doing my rehab, keep on doing what I need to do and trying to get healthy and trying to get back out there.

    On how much he's able to do right now

    I'm doing all the lifting and conditioning with the team. I'm not playing with them, but I am running on the track with them, doing footwork drills with them.

Poythress averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in his shortened junior season.

Poythress, Tyler Ulis and Marcus Lee will be joined by the incoming class of Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Charles Matthews and Skal Labissiere, the top-rated player in the Class of 2015...

[jbcarol]

Trifecta J ‏@Trifecta_J

@JonRothstein how much improvement do you think we see from South Carolina?

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein Jun 27

Jon Rothstein retweeted Trifecta J

Significant. Dozier will have an immediate impact.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 9h9 hours ago

On the blog: Cal on 3-guard lineup... "It's hard to say you're gonna do that when you have the bigs that we have." http://bit.ly/1SY19Tf

Calipari was asked about the late signing of five-star guard Jamal Murray and the versatility he will bring to Lexington next season.

In his response, Calipari mentioned the possibility of a three-guard lineup but said it might be tough to keep others off the court.

"I've played all kind of different teams, whether it's smaller teams, bigger teams, longer teams," he said. "(Murray) is a playmaking guard who can play 1 or 2 and can really score the ball. Great in pick and rolls. Can play with Tyler (Ulis) or you could play three guards at times if you chose to do that.

"But it's hard to say you're gonna do that when you have the bigs that we have in Skal (Labissiere), Marcus (Lee) and Alex (Poythress), if he's healthy. ... We have a good team. I mean, we're like, 'Let's start playing. Let's throw it up.'"

Murray is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 10 overall prospect in the class of 2015...

[jbcarol]

South Carolina has the pieces on their roster to be a team that makes some noise in the SEC this season, but that is dependent on some of their most important players getting healthy.

Namely, junior Sindarius Thornwell and redshirt freshman TeMarcus Blanton, both of whom underwent surgery over the summer. Thornwell had a procedure done on his knees while Blanton underwent surgery on a dislocated hip, an injury that was similar to what Bo Jackson did that ended his career.

Blanton is ahead of schedule on his recovery, but both he and Thornwell are being held out of competition for now.

[jbcarol]

Glenn Guilbeau ‏@LSUBeatTweet 21h21 hours ago

There was the Summer of George. Now, the Summer of ... LSU Basketball?

http://bit.ly/1GLEfGV

BATON ROUGE – There was a time long ago that basketball season at LSU was actually as hotly anticipated by fans as football season – if not more.

The summer was 1989. Chris Jackson had just set an all-time scoring record for freshman by averaging 30.2 points a game in the 1988-89 season and became the first freshman in history named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-America team. He led LSU to a sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth and an 11-7 record in the Southeastern Conference – its best SEC finish since winning the regular season title in 1985 at 13-5.

Joining Jackson on the court for the 1989-90 season would be 7-foot centers Stanley Roberts and Shaquille O'Neal, a pair of McDonald's All-Americans from Hopkins, South Carolina, and San Antonio, Texas, respectively. The anticipation for a third Final Four in a decade was scorching hot. LSU did not get there...

One of LSU basketball coach Dale Brown's assistants at the time was Johnny Jones, who begins his fourth season as LSU's head coach in 2015-16. Jones has signed perhaps the best high school player for LSU since Shaq in 6-9 forward Ben Simmons – the consensus No. 1 player in the country out of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. He has also signed the No. 13 prospect in the nation in 6-3 shooting guard Antonio Blakeney of Oak Ridge High in Orlando, Florida. They join four key returning players - guards Keith Hornsby ("That's Just The Way It Is"), Tim Quarterman, Josh Gray and Jalyn Patterson - from an NCAA Tournament team last March that finished 22-11 and 11-7 in the SEC, which was the Tigers' best league mark since winning the league in 2009 at 13-3.

Anticipation is heated and high again.

"I think our fan base has had an opportunity to see the rise of the program," Jones, who inherited a program after the 2011-12 season that was 40-56 overall and 12-36 in the league the previous three years, said on the SEC summer teleconference on Monday. "We've continued to improve each year."

Jones is 61-37 with a 29-25 mark in the SEC in three seasons with NIT and NCAA Tournament appearances the last two years.

"And to have a lot of those guys back and the No. 1 high school player in the country, I think lends itself to excitement," he said.

[jbcarol]

Wesley Sinor ‏@WesleySinor 6h6 hours ago

After sitting out last season, Auburn PG Kareem Canty ready to take the reins | http://ow.ly/P39dg 

Kareem Canty's long wait is nearly over.

Following his transfer from Marshall to Auburn, the highly-touted prospect from Harlem, N.Y. was forced to sit out the 2014-15 season. Now eligible, he's eager to prove why he's considered one of the most valuable additions to head coach Bruce Pearl's team.

"I'm really excited," Canty said at the League of Stars Pro-Am in Birmingham last weekend. "I think about it every day."

Canty figures to give the Tigers an immediate boost at the point guard position. He  averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 assists for the Thundering Herd as a freshman and was often described as one of Auburn's top players in scrimmages last season...

[jbcarol]

6-11 Travon Bunch of Racine, WI, who committed to USC in early March, said Wednesday he is set to join the Gamecocks this month.  Bunch, who played last season at Score Academy in Chapel Hill, NC, has not been officially announced as part of the 2015 class by Gamecock coach Frank Martin.

Bunch needed to get a qualifying score on the entrance exam he took in early June and he said he achieved that.  "I'm still heading to South Carolina," Bunch said.  "I'll be attending the next summer school session."  Bunch said he would be arriving at USC the second week of July.  If Bunch is actually in the fold, the Gamecocks would have 14 scholarship players at this point, one over the limit by the time schools starts in August.   Martin said earlier this week 6-4 signee Jamall Gregory is waiting on a final grade to be posted and won't make it in before August.

[jbcarol]

Glenn Guilbeau ‏@LSUBeatTweet 9h9 hours ago

Expectations soaring for 2015-16 LSU basketball team with incoming freshmen Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney.

http://bit.ly/1Ny5WHt

BATON ROUGE – Apparently, the no-interview rule for freshmen football players at LSU has been punted for basketball.

"I think we'll win the national championship," LSU freshman guard Antonio Blakeney of Orlando, Florida, said Wednesday during a press gathering for some of the Tigers' new players.

Blakeney said the above when asked how far he thought LSU could go in the 2015-16 season with the likes of freshman forward Ben Simmons — the consensus No. 1 high school player in America out of Montverde, Florida — and Blakeney himself, the No. 13 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com.

When asked if what he meant was that LSU would be in the national championship "mix," this season, Blakeney would have none of it. He was not going to qualify his statement.

"I think we're going to win the national championship," he said...

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 7m7 minutes ago

Wow, nice start for #Gator F Alex Murphy at World University Games -- 25 pts, 13 rebounds in Finland's win over Japan.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ Jul 3

|| Now that UK has officially reloaded, what @JayBilas, @GaryParrishCBS, @tsnmike expect for '15-16 Cats: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/07/03/final-fourcast-experts-high-kentucky/29662399/ ...

Parrish said. "You can make the case – I wonder if people will be scared to do it, because there's an obvious backlash every time – that they should be preseason No. 1 if you just look at the talent on the roster."

Prized Canadian guard Jamal Murray signed with the Wildcats last week, giving Calipari six former five-star recruits with which to work in 2015-16. Only Duke (seven) has more. Among teams that will round out most preseason top-five rankings, Kansas has five former five-stars and Maryland and North Carolina have three each.

"I thought [Murray] was exactly what they needed to push them over to being a contender for a championship," DeCourcy said, "with his ability to play basically all three perimeter positions, to attack off the bounce, to make a shot. He has a great basketball IQ from what we can see. I think that he adds a lot."

"They don't have as much experience coming back, but they have really, really good talent again. So they'll be right there," Bilas said. "They don't have as many players, but they do have returning players. That's important. Any time you've got a team with players that have been there before and done it before, it's important for the locker room, for practice, in drills. When coaches don't have to teach everybody everything, it makes it a little bit easier."

So does having an elite point guard, and Kentucky has three in Murray, Briscoe and sophomore Tyler Ulis, another former five-star recruit who helped the Cats go 38-1 last season. The 5-8 Ulis, smallest of them all, will probably be the primary point with the other two flanking him on either side in a three-guard lineup that could make UK an offensive terror.

"They can be really dynamic," DeCourcy said. "I think that Tyler Ulis is probably the most complete point guard at the offensive end that they've had at Kentucky..."

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 7h7 hours ago

Only 87 days until college basketball season officially begins......#countdown

[jbcarol]

Matt Zenitz ‏@mzenitz 5h5 hours ago

New player 'fills a need' for Alabama basketball team http://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/index.ssf/2015/07/new_player_fills_a_need_for_al.html ...

Alabama remained in the market for a wing player even after the addition of four-star freshman Kobie Eubanks, hopeful of adding an experienced graduate transfer capable of contributing immediately.

The Tide accomplished that Monday, albeit with a relatively obscure player — New Mexico graduate transfer Arthur Edwards.

"Arthur fills a need for us as he brings plenty of experience, athleticism and leadership to our team," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said in a statement.

A Maryland native, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound Edwards played the last two seasons at New Mexico after one year at Northwest Florida State College.

Edwards posted averages of 3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 steals while playing 12 minutes per game as a junior last season.

Sophomore Riley Norris, Eubanks and Edwards will be the primary contenders for playing time on the wing.

[jbcarol]

CollegeBasketbllTalk ‏@CBTonNBC Jul 13

Nike Hoop Summit mixtape of Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere (VIDEO) http://wp.me/p1aWjM-2ecb

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein Jul 18

SEC name to remember: Vanderbilt's Matthew Fisher-Davis. Made 71 three-point shots and shot 40.1% from deep as a freshman. SHOOTER.

[jbcarol]

 Justine Ward ‏@JustineBWard 27m27 minutes ago

#BREAKING: Razorback basketball players Jacorey Williams and Anton Beard arrested for forgery. Report says counterfeit bills were involved.

Razorback Nation ‏@RazNation 22m22 minutes ago Arkansas, USA

Dustin Thomas the transfer from Colorado was also arrested with Beard and Williams.

SPIREmbb ‏@SPIREmbbAcademy 1h1 hour ago

2015 Arkansas commit Ted Kapita has committed to @SPIREmbbAcademy to do his post grad year.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 7h7 hours ago

SEC Power Rankings: UK, A & M, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, LSU, UGA, UF, SC, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri.

[jbcarol]

Wednesday it was tweeted by Spire Academy in Ohio that Kapita will be attending the school in 2015-16.

A final ruling has not yet been made and there's still a possibility he could end up enrolling at Arkansas after the first semester.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein Jul 22

The latest @CBSSports looks at Five Offseason Questions In The SEC: http://cbsprt.co/1VuAHCQ

2. Is Vanderbilt back?

Without question. Vanderbilt hasn't advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 2012, but that is likely to change after next season. Kevin Stallings has his type of guys again in Nashville and a host of perimeter players who will benefit from being thrown into the fire a year ago as freshman. Riley LaChance, Wade Baldwin, Jeff Roberson, and Matthew Fisher-Davis (71 made 3-point shots in 2014-15) all played major minutes last season in their first year of college basketball and will be more suited to handle the SEC rigors as sophomores. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt's front court tandem of Luke Kornet and Damian Jones has a true "inside-out" feel with Jones likely to be in position to be a first-team all-league player as a junior -- he's that good. The sleeper for the Dores? Cornell transfer Nolan Cressler...

3. Can Mike White do better in his first season at Florida than Billy Donovan did in his last?

It's very possible.

This and That
Ben Simmons deserves every ounce of ink he's gotten up to this point, but his arrival doesn't mean LSU is going to be better next season than it was last.

[jbcarol]

TheZimMaster‏@TheZimmMaster
@JonRothstein Who's UK's starting 5?

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein  6h6 hours ago
Jon Rothstein retweeted TheZimMaster
Ulis, Briscoe, Murray, Poythress, Labissiere.

[jbcarol]

Gary Parrish ‏@GaryParrishCBS Jul 27

The SEC's leading returning scorer was arrested for DUI this weekend. Story: http://cbsprt.co/1I50SXw

Ole Miss guard Stefan Moody was arrested and charged with DUI this weekend.

Rebels coach Andy Kennedy told CBSSports.com early Monday that he's "aware of the arrest" and still "gathering details." Moody averaged 16.6 points per game last season while leading the Rebels to the NCAA Tournament. He's the leading returning scorer in the SEC.

Moody played at Florida Atlantic as a freshman before transferring to Kilgore College [Rangerettes]...

5-foot-10 guard had surgery last month for a stress fracture in his left tibia.

He has subsequently missed all basketball-related activities.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 2h2 hours ago

Jamal Murray's Pan-Am performance told @GaryParrishCBS that UK might be No. 1 and "he's better than we realized." http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/07/28/kentucky-basketball-incoming-freshman-jamal-murray-put-world-notice-pan-games/30808245/ ...

GARY PARRISH (CBS) – "Now keep in mind, I had a high opinion of Murray even before this event, but you still sort of wonder if you're right or wrong, or if you're overstating. It certainly made me feel better about what I thought was possible with him, and you've got a team that can reasonably be placed No. 1 in the country preseason. That's the type of talent they've got. And I think what we saw from Murray just reinforces that. He's better than we realized. I think that became clear."

JAY BILAS (ESPN) – "You knew he was good already, but he played very well. He's got an excellent reputation and played to or above it in that tournament. It's a great indicator of his ability, so I think he's going to step in right away and have an immediate impact (at Kentucky)..."

[jbcarol]

Gary Parrish ‏@GaryParrishCBS 2h2 hours ago

Australian star Isaac Humphries is expected to reclassify and enroll at Kentucky, a source told @CBSSports. Story: http://cbsprt.co/1KHubmn

Class of 2016 star Isaac Humphries is planning to reclassify to 2015 and enroll at Kentucky in time to play for the Wildcats this season, a source told CBSSports.com.

Humphries is on a visit to Kentucky this weekend.

Barring any snags, he's expected to publicly announce his intentions soon.

Humphries is an Australian who has been attending school in Indiana. The 7-foot forward is ranked 43rd in the Class of 2016, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He averaged 18.9 points and 11.6 rebounds in last year's FIBA under-17 championships...

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 4m4 minutes ago

Cal says he's holding Poythress back some to be safe but "I can't wait" for him to join the guys. "Now you got a beast."

Towns: "Best version of Marcus Lee I've ever seen." Calipari says Lee looks confident.