Can you say revival? Long treated like the ugly stepsister to football, SEC basketball could be on the brink of something big. Big enough to unseat perennial front-runner Kentucky? Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Asking whether the SEC can be reborn is a bit of a "tree falling in a forest" question -- if a conference was never really developed, can it be reborn? -- but nonetheless, it certainly seems possible.
Consider:
Kentucky isn't the only school with a top-10 recruit. LSU and Mississippi State each have one, too.
Two new coaches tote Final Four résumés to their new homes, Rick Barnes at Tennessee and Ben Howland at Mississippi State.
And there are as many as four teams that could very well start in the preseason top 25: Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
Let's face it. The SEC has too long been a two-trick pony, relying on Kentucky and Florida to carry the league banner. Though both programs have done more than admirably, it's tough to sell the overall strength of a conference when there isn't a lot more to talk about.
But this year, there very well could be plenty to discuss, and it's not limited to the typical storylines.
Which means the time is now for the SEC to realize its potential.
Favorite
With all of the above said, we are right back where we always are, with the Wildcats favored to win the league. With Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress to mix with the latest batch of top recruits, it's impossible to pick against UK. Jamal Murray's decision to reclassify and head to Kentucky changed the Wildcats' picture significantly. Even after swinging and missing on a few five-star recruits, the Cats were going to be good; with Murray, they are even better.
Sleeper
It's been three long, NCAA tournament-less Marches for the Commodores, but that's almost guaranteed to change this year. Junior center Damian Jones leads a roster that includes four of last year's top-five scorers, making Vanderbilt one of the more experienced teams in the country. The Commodores also shot a blistering 39 percent from the arc last season. Kevin Stallings has a group that not only will go dancing but could upset the SEC world order.
Team that could fall on its face
The Aggies have all the ingredients to live up to the lofty expectations set for them. Danuel House headlines a group of savvy veterans who ought to mix well with a recruiting class ranked No. 6 in the nation. But there are expectations, and then there is performance, and Texas A&M doesn't have a lot of experience in the latter. It's been four years since the Aggies have made the NCAA tournament and five since they won a tourney game. Those results don't jibe with the hopes for this season.
Top pro prospect
There are a lot of options here, including Kentucky freshmen Murray, Skal Labissiere and Isaiah Briscoe and Mississippi State's Malik Newman, but Simmons is the most NBA-ready talent right now. A point-forward, he's as effective scoring in the low post as he is on the wing, but his ballhandling skills and basketball IQ are what separate him.
Projected all-conference team
G: Danuel House, Texas A&M
G: Malik Newman, Mississippi State Bulldogs
F: Ben Simmons, LSU
F: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
C: Damian Jones, Vanderbilt