SEC basketball off to a Rocky Top start

The season is young, but for the Southeastern Conference, the road hasn’t been easy. This is the time when teams should be padding their March Madness resume; instead, the SEC seems to be heading in the wrong direction. A surprising Tennessee team has been the only true bright spot for the conference so far.
Last year, only four SEC teams made the NCAA Championship Tournament, all from the East division. There will be one or two more teams that come out of the SEC come Selection Sunday, but it looks to be as top heavy as last year. Here is a quick glance at how each team has started, where they are headed, and a few predictions.
SEC East
Tennessee has clearly been the best team early this season. Among all of the distractions with head coach Bruce Pearl and the NCAA sanctions, the Vols are undefeated with a marquee victory over then #7 Villanova. Losing head coach Bruce Pearl during most of SEC play will hurt the Vols. Still, they will make the NCAA tournament.
Kentucky expectations after last season are anywhere from ‘not as talented’ to ‘another Elite Eight run’. The NCAA decision on the eligibility of Enes Kanter will play a huge part in the success of the team, who only has two true big men. If they get him, a Final Four run is not out of the question. An early season blowout against Connecticut put a halt on the promising start, and the recent North Carolina loss exploited Kentucky’s weaknesses. Head coach John Calipari has a less talented squad compared to last year, but writing them off would be a mistake. Expect them to play in the SEC championship.
Florida was the sexy Final Four pick among many college basketball analysts, but they have a lot of work to fulfill that prediction. Their second game this year against #5 Ohio State was supposed to be an early season treat for college basketball fans, and it turned out to be a 93-75 shellacking in the Buckeyes favor. They will still make it to the Big Dance, returning five starters will benefit them throughout the SEC season.
Vanderbilt is not as talented this year, but they would still be undefeated if it weren’t for one blown defensive assignment. West Virginia was able to sink a three pointer to hand Vandy its only loss thus far. The ‘Dores do not have what it takes to finish second in the SEC, or even in the SEC East, but if they make noise in the SEC tournament an NCAA bid might be waiting for them.
South Carolina loses the SEC leading scorer from one year ago in Devan Downey. There is no real star power on this team, so they will struggle against the SEC. Being in the East hurts them, they will finish in the bottom of the division.
Georgia looks to be much better than last season. Their two losses came against ranked teams in the Old Spice Classic, one of which was a tough double-overtime loss to eventual champion Notre Dame. They should finish with a better conference record than last season’s mark (5-11) but will not come close to winning the SEC tournament, due to the fact that they are in the East.
SEC West
Mississippi State played some timely ball last season, beating Vanderbilt in the SEC semi-finals and coming one DeMarcus Cousins tip away from beating Kentucky in the championship game. Expectations and talent are both high this year. When Reynardo Sidney can play (9 game suspension), and if Dee Bost gains eligibility, this team should be atop the West. They will also get the SEC’s fourth NCAA bid.
Ole Miss has been the popular pick to win the West. But a home loss against Dayton and a road blowout at the hands of Miami (FL) would suggest they have some work to do. Senior guard Chris Warren is one of the best players in the league. He should lead them to finish near Mississippi State in the West. They were snubbed last year, but might get a fifth and final bid for the SEC in the Big Dance.
Alabama has been very disappointing thus far, especially in their one-point loss to the St. Peter’s Peacocks (ouch!). The Crimson Tide will not have a good season, and are miles away from building a competitive team.
Arkansas has only one loss so far, and that was just a five-point deficit to a good UAB squad. Junior Rotnei Clarke has averaged double-digit points per game since his freshman year, and continues to lead the Razorbacks. They might make the SEC West competitive, but won’t make it into the Big Dance.
Auburn will hope to win as many games as their football team. With losses to the Campbell Fighting Camels and the Jacksonville Dolphins, their year couldn’t have started much worse. Well, maybe if they didn’t just squeak by the Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions.
Louisiana State has gotten off to a decent start. A minor bump-in-the-road loss to Nicholls State has been their only bad loss. Freshman Andre Stringer has had a big start, and next year they have a top 25 recruit from the 2011 class. Still, they should have another mediocre year in the SEC West.
Teams that are dancing: Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
The SEC was downright terrible last year. The slow start to this season has some worried, especially since expectations are higher than normal for some teams. Less than a month in, the SEC has lost over 20 games. A strong non-conference finish should add to the SEC season hype, but if that doesn’t happen, conference play will be as lopsided and underwhelming as it was last year.