Another year of exciting southern hoops has come and gone, all that remains is 13 games to crown a champion of the Southeastern Conference. This season we have witnessed upsets, buzzer-beaters, All-American athletes, potential top draft picks, teams returning to former glory, the first winless SEC team in five years, and the best is yet to come. It’s safe to say the basketball gods did it again when crafting the 2023-24 SEC Men’s Basketball season.
The SEC Tournament tips off on Wednesday, March 13, at 6 p.m. in Nashville. This will be the ninth consecutive year the Music City hosts the SEC tournament, and it will remain in central Tennessee until 2030. The action begins with Vanderbilt taking on Arkansas, then less than 30 minutes after that Missouri versus Georgia. In this article, we’ll take a look at each SEC team, a synopsis of their season, and what’s in store for them this year in Nashville.
#1 Tennessee 27-7 (14-4)
What a year it has been for SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht and the powerhouse Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols boast two players on the First Team All-SEC List, Knecht and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Zakai Zeigler, who have led Tennessee to a regular season SEC crown. Tennessee is a projected No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi, and they have shown no signs of slowing down heading to Nashville. The Vols ended their regular season with a valiant effort against Kentucky and despite a 40-point game from Knecht, Tennessee lost by four at home. This showed the basketball world that Knecht can’t do it all by himself, and they can’t win allowing opponents to shoot over 50% from the field while also sending them to the free throw line 18 times a game. In my opinion, Tennessee doesn’t have much to prove heading into March Madness and will most likely try to coast through the SEC tournament. The Vols have the best odds to win the SEC title at +180, but I believe that is fool’s gold and bettors should shy away from that line. While I respect mighty Tennessee, I don’t believe they will be hoisting the SEC trophy come Sunday.
#2 Kentucky 23-8 (13-5)
( Via Lexington Herald Leader/Silas Walker)
What a surprise, Kentucky is back in the mix for best team in the country. The Wildcats only won one more game than they did last year, but this year’s team feels miles ahead of last year’s squad. Just look at the roster. Kentucky boasted three players on the All-SEC first, and second teams, Antonio Reeves (1st), Rob Dillingham (2nd), and Reed Sheppard (2nd), respectively, and three on the All-Freshman team (Dillingham, Sheppard, and D.J. Wagner). Not to mention home-grown sensation Reed Sheppard won SEC Freshman of the Year. I was fortunate enough to see this team play in person while broadcasting a game between the Wildcats and Missouri Tigers and let me tell you: This team can do it all. They are fast enough to beat you on the break, big enough to out out-rebound you, defend well enough to make playing against them an absolute nightmare and shoot well enough to make a shot from anywhere on the court. No matter what defense you play against them, someone will always be open. This is one of the best teams my two eyes have laid witness to in some time, and it just feels like Coach Calipari will march his troops right into the NCAA Tournament and all but demand the title. As of now, in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology, Kentucky is projected as a No. 3 seed. Now Coach Cal will somehow be able to tell his team that they are “underrated” and that “Nobody believes in them” which is just what they need to lay waste to the SEC, and the rest of the country. Kentucky is +400 to win the SEC crown, and if I were a betting man that is exactly where my money would go. Not to mention the Wildcats are +2200 to win the NCAA Tournament, which is an outstanding bang for your buck (This is not gambling advice, take what I say with a grain of salt).
#3 Alabama 21-10 (13-5)
Alabama has been a weird team this year. They have picked up solid wins against teams like then-No.8 Auburn and then-No.24 Florida in Tuscaloosa, but they just can’t seem to get it done on the road this season. The Crimson Tide managed to go .500 away from home this year (5-5) those losses include getting steamrolled at Tennessee, a 74-87 defeat at No.4 Arizona, a heartbreaking three-point loss versus No. 8 Creighton, a back-and-forth L against No.4 Purdue, and an opening night loss to Wake Forest. The Tide haven’t been exactly “rolling” heading into March, but are still projected as a No.4 seed by Joe Lunardi. Alabama is the type of team you see get hot in the first two rounds, a buzz starts to build, fans get rowdy and shame those for not believing, all to then get waxed by a powerhouse like Houston. All-in-all I think that Alabama is a frisky team that COULD make a run, but most likely won’t but the season will still be viewed as a success by those back home in Tuscaloosa. But the fans won’t really care anyway, they’re too concerned about the Tide’s upcoming football season without Nick Saban, and they will take winning a Tournament game or two. So it’s a win-win. Alabama is +500 to win the SEC tournament, which is right where I think they should be. I don’t expect the Tide to do much, but you never know.
#4 Auburn 24-7 (13-5)
( Via Auburn Athletics)
Believe it or not, but I really like Auburn heading into the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are 3-3 versus ranked teams this year, which may not sound like an elite-caliber team but stay with me. Their losses consist of a six-point loss early in the year to then-No. 20 Baylor (who have done nothing but improve this year), a tough home loss against mighty Kentucky (Then No. 22), and played it close in Knoxville against No. 4 Tennessee losing 84-92. The only thing that sticks out when looking at Auburn from a distance is a five-point loss at Appalachian State, who are no slouches themselves, back in early December. The Tigers have been led by sensational Forward Johni Broome, who picked up First Team All-SEC and All-Defensive Team honors. Broome hasn’t done it alone though, Jaylin Williams found his rightful spot on the All-SEC Second Team and Aden Holloway found his way to the All-Freshman squad. The Achilles heel of Auburn, which I got to see firsthand, is slow starts. For example, when playing in Missouri against the Tigers (who by the way didn’t win a single SEC game this year), AU only held a five-point heading into the break. Granted, this was before a 57-point offensive explosion in the second half to win the game by 27 points. However, you can’t come out slow against high-caliber teams like Tennessee or Kentucky. I am high on Auburn and believe in my heart of hearts that they will make noise in both the SEC tournament and the NCAA tournament, but they have to come out of the gates strong. Auburn is +240 to win the SEC Tournament, that’s the second-best odds to win it. I wouldn’t be afraid to take a good look at that figure, as I think AU stacks up pretty well with the rest of the conference.
#5 South Carolina 25-6 (13-5)
It’s been a real back-and-forth year for the South Carolina Gamecocks. SC picked up out-of-conference wins against lowly out-of-conference opponents such as Virginia Military Institute, DePaul (who went winless in the Big East), Grand Canyon University, Notre Dame, George Washington, East Carolina, Charleston Southern, Winthrop, Elon, and Florida A&M. The Gamecocks went 2-3 against ranked teams this year, and shockingly upset both Kentucky and Tennessee in the 2023-24 campaign. SC edged out a four-point win in Knoxville to down the Vols, in that game Dalton Knecht shot 45% from the field, and Zakai Zeigler didn’t hit a single shot. In the upset versus then-No. 6 Kentucky, SEC Freshman of the Year Reed Sheppard only hit one shot, D.J Wagner went 2-10 from the field, and Kentucky only had two players shoot better than 50%. I think these two games are anomalies, and South Carolina shouldn’t be viewed in the light they are. Joe Lunardi has the Gamecocks slated as a No. 5 seed, which is a little generous but considering their record is not surprising. Granted, with SEC Coach of the Year Lamot Paris, anything is possible. SC is +4500 to win the SEC Tournament and In my less-than-professional opinion, this is a sneaky team that people should take a second look at. Despite my lack of faith in what they have shown in the regular season, I think that SC has the experience of beating the best and that will help them in their attempt at a run in the SEC tournament.
#6 Florida 21-10 (11-7)
The Gators have seen a mighty improvement from last season. Last year, Florida finished below .500 and capped the year with an 18-point loss to UCF in the NIT. The Gators have been led by Zyon Pullin (1st) and Walter Clayton Jr. (2nd) who both made All-SEC Teams, and Alex Condon made an appearance on the All-Freshman Team. Florida has picked up some impressive quad-1 wins, beating then-No. 10 Kentucky in overtime, and besting then-No.12 Auburn by 16. However, the Gators come into Nashville after going 1-2 in their last three contests. Including a blowout at No. 18 South Carolina and a one-point loss at Vanderbilt, which will undoubtedly leave a bad taste in the mouth of many in Gainsville. Another thing to note, the Gators’ high-powered offense scored over 89 points 12 times this season, and they have been known to shoot the lights out of any gym they step into. Flordia’s lowest point total, 66, in a game at then-No 6 Tennessee, a game in which no Gator shot at least 50% from the field. Flordia is +1600 to hoist the SEC title, however, according to Vegas not many bettors are believing in the Gators to fair well in Nashville.
#7 Texas A&M 18-13 (9-9)
It’s been a somewhat disappointing year for Texas A&M. Coming off of a 2022-23 season in which the Aggies went 25-10 and finished 2nd in the SEC, this season A&M went 18-13 and 9-9 versus SEC opponents. A large part of this down year on paper was a rough stretch in February. From February 13th to the 28th, the Aggies went 0-5. That stretch included losses to Vanderbilt, No. 15 Alabama, Arkansas, No. 5 Tennessee, and No. 18 South Carolina. That’s not to say A&M hasn’t seen their fair share of success this year. The Aggies beat then-No. 6 Kentucky in overtime, and then bested then-No. 6 Tennesee by double digits. Texas A&M has been led by Wade Taylor IV who made the All-SEC First Team, and Andersson Garcia who made an appearance on the All-Defensive Team. Taylor IV has been dynamic this year, averaging 18 points and 4 assists. According to Joe Lunardi projects the Aggies to be a part of the first four teams out, alongside New Mexico, Wake Forest, and Villanova. A&M are long shots to take home the SEC crown at +4500, not surprising considering following a matchup with Ole Miss the winner will take on mighty Kentucky.
#8 LSU 17-14 (9-9)
What a turnaround year it has been for LSU. Last year the Tigers went 14-19 and only managed to pick up 2 wins in conference play. This season LSU went 17-14, which might not seem like a big improvement but LSU’s conference record was 9-9. The Tigers have had their fair share of frustrating losses, including picking up L’s against Nicholls at home, Dayton, Syracuse, Kansas State, and Texas all before conference play began. LSU’s biggest wins came in a two-game stretch where they beat two ranked teams in a row, No. 11 South Carolina and No.17 Kentucky. LSU had some Tiger-on-Tiger violence to end the year, halting a last-minute comeback by Missouri to get a W on the last day of the regular season. Despite their mixed success, LSU was one of a few teams to not have a single player on either the All-SEC First team, Second team, Defensive team, or Freshman team. LSU are longshots to win the SEC tournament with +25000 odds, which is tied for last and they aren’t expected to make the NCAA tournament. Maybe with a good showing in Nashville, the Tigers could make an NIT birth, but it is unlikely. This set of games will likely be the last for LSU in the 23-24 season so expect them to play all out because they have nothing to lose.
#9 Mississippi State 19-12 (8-10)
Talk about consistency. Mississippi State went 21-13 last year and 8-10 in conference. This season, the Bulldogs went 19-12 and 8-10 in conference. Mississippi State started the season 5-0 picking up a solid win over Northwestern in mid-November, before dropping two in a row to Georgia Tech and Southern University. The odd mix of a few solid wins, followed by confusing losses was a theme for the Bulldogs. However, the best of the best proved to be a challenge. Mississippi State went 1-6 versus ranked teams this year. Their sole win, surprisingly enough, beating then-No.5 Tennessee by five. The Bulldogs are led by Tolu Smith III, Cameron Matthews, and freshman sensation Josh Hubbard. Smith III made First Team All-SEC, Matthews made the All-Defensive team, and Hubbard made the Second Team and All-Freshman squad. Mississippi State is stumbling into Nashville, after they lost their final four games of the season. The Bulldogs are +4500 to win the SEC Tournament, and I believe they have what it takes to win their first game over LSU. However, if and when they win that game they will have to face No. 1 seed Tennesee, and that will not be pretty. Safe to say it will be another middle-of-the-pack year in Starkville.
#10 Ole Miss 20-11 (7-11)
This season has been a solid improvement for Ole Miss, flipping their record from last year (11-20 last season and 20-11 this year). Led by Senior and All-SEC second-teamer Matthew Murrell and Saint Peter’s transfer Jaylen Murray, the Rebels won 13 straight to open the year before suffering a blowout loss in Knoxville against Tennessee (kind of a common theme huh?). Ole Miss didn’t fair all too well against the best teams, with a 0-7 record versus top 25 programs. Despite starting out hot, the Rebs went 2-8 in their last 10 games to close out the regular season, picking up two wins against lowly Missouri. Say what you want about Ole Miss, but you don’t win 20 games in a season by accident. Sure, you could say that they didn’t play anybody worth a dang to start the season and they didn’t necessarily close out the year the best way. I would agree, but I think they will give Texas A&M a good fight in their first-round matchup. The Rebs have +10000 odds to win the SEC title, surprisingly far higher than the next four teams we are about to talk about.
#11 Georgia 16-15 (6-12)
The Story of the 2023-24 Georgia Bulldogs boils down to one word: Streakyness. The Bulldogs caught fire in late November winning 10 games in a row at one point before a loss to, guess who, then-No. 5 Tennessee. Led by a breakout freshman campaign by Silas Demary Jr, who made the SEC All-Freshman Team, it seemed like everything was ahead of Georgia. However, after picking up four wins in the SEC, the Bulldogs would go on to finish the regular season going 2-10 with their only wins coming against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss (who aren’t necessarily quad 1 wins). Georgia didn’t win a single game against ranked teams this year, going 0-5, proving they are once again a middle-of-the-pack team on their best day. But hey, the Dawgs are in the same exact position they were a year ago. Before the SEC Tournament last year Georgia was 16-15 with a 6-12 conference record, and this season mirrors those numbers to a tee. Both the past two seasons were improvements over the 21-22 campaign in which the Bulldogs brought up the rear in the SEC, but the Anthony Edwards-less Bulldogs are in search of their next star player, and maybe Demary Jr can be that guy one day. Heading into Nashville, the Dawgs have +25000 odds to take the title to Athens, which is tied for the worst odds in the conference. There might not be much to look forward to for Bulldog basketball, but if I’m a Georgia fan I’m buying as much stock in Silas Demary Jr as the Stock Exchange allows.
#12 Arkansas 15-16 (6-12)
As I sit here thinking of what to say for Arkansas’ 2023-24 season, so much comes to mind. It’s been a wild year for the Razorbacks, filled with disappointing losses, a double OT victory, just not having enough to hang with the big boys and one of the wildest ALLEGED scandals in modern history. If you are not familiar with what I’m talking about, just google “Arkansas Basketball Love Triangle” It is one of the most ridiculous, clearly fake things I have ever seen. I want to be clear, my writing about this gives absolutely zero validity or belief in these rumors, however, it was one of the biggest stories about the hogs this year and should be mentioned. Never mind that, back to your regularly scheduled basketball talk. Arkansas didn’t have a whole lot of hype heading into this year, which was evident by their early November loss to UNC Greensboro (not the UNC you’re thinking about, UNC GREENSBORO). But then, out of absolutely nowhere, the Hogs beat then-No. 7 Duke which was their only ranked win of the season (1-7). Arkansas just could never get into a consistent flow, their longest win streak of the year was just three games. Nobody, including myself, is expecting the Razorbacks to do anything in the SEC tournament and Vegas agrees. The Hogs are +25000 to win the SEC title, but hey, crazier things have happened… right?
#13 Vanderbilt 9-22 (4-14)
Well, well, well… Vandy what happened? Just last year you were the No. 6 seed in the SEC and a respectable program. Now, the Commodores are back to their usual bottom-of-the-conference standings. Granted, not much was expected of them last year and they surprised a lot of people, myself included. But this year they destroyed what little momentum they had with a downright brutal season. Even their out-of-conference games were a disappointment, losing their season opener to Presbyterian. Presbyterian? PRESBYTERIAN?!? C’mon Vandy, you’re better than that. The Vandy boys didn’t fair much better in the SEC, at one point going 1-9 through January and early February. To no one’s surprise, Vandy didn’t have a single player make the SEC First team, Second team, Defensive team, or Freshman team. I want to say I expected more out of Vanderbilt, but I didn’t. To be fair, they beat Missouri, but so did literally everyone else in the conference. The Commodores have +25000 odds to win the title, and if you put any money on that you have a better chance of finding bigfoot than seeing that money again.
#14 Missouri 8-23 (0-18)
It seemed like the Tigers played with no fire this year. They didn’t crash the boards for rebounds, they couldn’t draw fouls (which Head Coach Dennis Gates had some fruity language to describe it, look up Dennis Gates F word), they didn’t press like they did last year, and most of all THEY HAD NO OFFENSIVE IMAGINATION. If you wanted to beat Missouri all you had to do was stop the pick and roll at the top of the key, guard Sean East, and have a big man down low for when they eventually brick a shot. You didn’t even have to 7try on offense, they would give you a wide-open lane or wide-open corner three. It was brutal to watch, but I still attended the games hoping, no, praying that something would be different, but it wasn’t. It was the same bland product time and time again. Nobody could score, just bad shot after bad shot and turnover after turnover. Fans were hoping for a big offensive jump from Sophmore Adian Shaw, but that didn’t happen. Fans wanted Nick Honor to take the next step and cement himself as an offensive threat, but that didn’t happen outside of a few games. Fans were excited when 7’5 center Connor Vanover committed, just from him to show absolutely zero effort on the court at all times and get benched. The saving grace was Sean East II and Tamar Bates, the lone bright spots of the team. East II led the team in scoring and was a top 100 scorer in the country averaging 17.9 PPG. Bates was a solid player, a transfer from Indiana he provided a spark when the offense couldn’t get a thing going. Do you know what the worst part of it all is? I still have hope that this team will do something in the SEC tournament. That’s right I said it, I think the Tigers could make a run. Lock me up and throw away the key, but I will go down with the ship on this one. Think about it, the Tigers have absolutely NOTHING to lose, it quite literally couldn’t get any worse. Seniors like East, Honor, Vanover, Noah Carter, Curt Lewis (who I was very high on to start the year), Mabor Majak, and Caleb Grill most likely won’t play at the NBA level. That’s just a fact. But, spin zone, they could come out firing and play with ruthless aggression that hasn’t been seen at all this season to end it on a high note. Will that happen? Probably not. But dangit I believe in this team, unlike many others. I believe that Dennis Gates can march his troops into Nashville and win a couple of games. Now I’m not going to get ahead of myself, they aren’t winning the whole thing. But hey, why not us? The Tigers have +25000 odds to win the SEC title, tied for worst. I have a lot more to say about this team, stay tuned for a full-season breakdown here on KCOU.fm in the offseason for a deep dive, but I will finish it off with this…
You play to win the game.
My Bracket:
Now I know what you’re thinking, what a biased take for Missouri to make it that far. But this was the best possible shakeout for the Tigers if they wanted to make a run. They played Georgia and Florida close, both single-digit losses, and didn’t look terrible against Alabama. I think Kentucky will win it all, I just don’t see anyone stopping the four-headed monster of Reeves, Dillingham, Sheppard, and Wagner. I think Tennesee is more focused on the NCAA Tournament and will overlook Red-hot Auburn. I think that despite a disappointing season, Vandy has enough gas in the tank to beat Arkansas. I also believe that Ole Miss will give A&M a good game, but the Aggies will come out on top. Finally, a bit of a hot take, I think Mississippi State will surprise LSU, which a lot of people seem to agree with. My champion is Kentucky, who I believe come April will be in the final four. Now what you have all been waiting for, my betting picks. Last year I was pretty spot on with my 2023 SEC tournament picks, and this small brain of mine will try to replicate past success. Here we go, same style as last year:
Odds via Vegasinsider.com
The Favorite: Tennessee (+180)
The “sleeper pick”: Alabama (+500)
The real sleeper pick: South Carolina (+4500)
Team poised to make a run: Auburn (+240)
Best realistic value: Florida (+1600)
Who I want to see win: Missouri (+25000) hey, a man can dream
Who I actually think will win: Kentucky (+400)