When John Calipari strolls onto the court at Rupp Arena on Feb. 1 leading Arkansas into a road battle with Kentucky, it will make for an unforgettable moment in the career of a coach who has been the face of SEC basketball. Calipari led UK for 15 seasons, starting out in the 2009-10 season, when the conference featured just 12 teams and sent only four to the NCAA Tournament.
Now, as Calipari embarks on the second chapter of his SEC coaching odyssey, the league features 16 teams, including nine who reached last season's NCAA Tournament. The conference has made significant strides on the hardwood amid the emergence of programs like Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee, all of whom have reached the Elite Eight or deeper in recent years.
Against that backdrop, Calipari's jump from one proud SEC program to another is particularly fascinating. When he arrived at UK in 2009 fresh off a prolific run of success at Memphis, Calipari waved a magic wand and turned the Wildcats from an NIT team into a 35-3 squad that earned a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament with the help of an elite freshman class.
Such a remarkable turnaround is impractical nowadays, in part because of how much better the SEC competition has become. College basketball is also an upperclassman's sport now, and that reality will test Arkansas in 2024-25 as Calipari deploys a few freshmen in his first Razorbacks rotation. Meanwhile, at Kentucky, former Wildcats player and BYU coach Mark Pope has stepped in with a roster full of veteran transfers. His first team couldn't be any more different than Calipari's first team was at UK 15 years ago. But between the transfer portal, NIL and the improvement of SEC hoops, not much is the same as it was then.
We'll be reminded of that reality on Feb. 1, when Calipari is stomping up and down the Rupp Arena sideline wearing Razorback red while coaching against the program that he once led to unquestioned conference supremacy.
SEC Preseason Player of the Year
Mark Sears | Alabama | G | Gr.
Sears made a legendary jump in his senior season, leading Alabama to its first-ever Final Four while averaging 21.5 points on 43.6% 3-point shooting. The crafty lefty is one of the sport's elite outside shooters, but he's also adept at reaching the free-throw line and is skilled at knifing his way to efficient looks inside the arc. His decision to return for his bonus season makes Alabama the obvious pick to win the SEC. Look for Sears to compete for first-team All-American honors as he solidifies his place among the best to ever wear the Crimson Tide uniform.
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Tre Johnson | G | Texas
Texas bid farewell to starting guards Max Abmas and Tyrese Hunter, clearing the way for a new cast of backcourt stars to emerge as the Longhorns transition into the SEC. Among them is Johnson, who ranked as the No. 6 player in the Class of 2024, per 247Sports. The five-star prospect and McDonald's All-American was regarded as "one of the very best scorers in the national class," by 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein and should be ready to make an instant impact for the Longhorns.
Four more players to watch
Johni Broome | C | Auburn: Broome expanded his range to the 3-point line last season while earning a handful of third-team All-American honors. The former Morehead State star is one of the nation's premier post scorers and shot blockers. His return solidified the Tigers as a legitimate threat to in-state rival Alabama in the race for SEC supremacy.
Johnell Davis | SG | Arkansas: After spearheading FAU's legendary Final Four run in 2023, Davis returned to the Owls and won AAC co-Player of the Year last season. Now, he's off to Arkansas to use his final season of eligibility under coach John Calipari. Davis is an efficient three-level scorer with the sort of veteran savvy that the Razorbacks will need as they reboot in a rugged conference.
Wade Taylor | PG | Texas A&M: Taylor's offensive efficiency dipped a bit during his junior season, but he remains one of the most electric guards in the country. He averaged 25.6 points during Texas A&M's five postseason games. If he improves on last year's 32.5% 3-point shooting mark, Taylor could be an All-American for an Aggies team that is expected to be among the SEC's best.
Jaxson Robinson | SF | Kentucky: Robinson won Sixth Man of the Year in the Big 12 last season while playing under Mark Pope at BYU. Now he's following Pope back to the SEC after spending time at Texas A&M and Arkansas earlier in his career. UK's roster is constructed in a way that clears the path for the lanky wing to be a primary scoring option.
SEC predicted order of finish
| 1 |  |
| Expectations have never been higher at Alabama after the Crimson Tide got stars Mark Sears and Grant Nelson back from the program's first Final Four appearance. Inking a contract extension for sixth-year coach Nate Oats was also a coup for Bama, which has reached the Big Dance in four consecutive seasons. There will be a handful of new faces in the rotation, though, as the Crimson Tide added some high-profile transfers and the nation's No. 2 recruiting class. Arguably the most important addition is center Clifford Omoruyi, who led the Big Ten in blocks at 2.9 per game last season. He will provide vital paint protection, which should help keep Nelson out of foul trouble. | |
| 2 |  |
| Scoring on Auburn will be a supreme chore once again as the Tigers retained interior stalwarts Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell. They ranked No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, in blocks per game among SEC players while splitting minutes last season. Broome was also the leading scorer for a Tigers team that finished 27-8 with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss against No. 13 seed Yale. Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara are in line for big roles on the perimeter after solid debut seasons with the program. Coach Bruce Pearl also brought in Furman transfer guard JP Pegues and Georgia Tech transfer wing Miles Kelly to ensure that his rotation will again be among the nation's deepest. | |
| 3 |  |
| Tennessee is replacing SEC Player of the Year and first-round NBA Draft pick Dalton Knecht, who spearheaded the program's second-ever run to the Elite Eight. But the Volunteers still have their dogged defensive identity thanks to the return of perimeter stoppers Zakai Zeigler and Jamai Mashack. Knecht was so spectacular that coach Rick Barnes returned to the well of mid-major transfers and snagged sharpshooting guard Chaz Lanier (North Florida), dynamic wing Darlinstone Dubar (Hofstra) and versatile forward Igor Milicic Jr. (Charlotte). They'll be tasked with supplying significant scoring if the Vols are to avoid some offensive regression. | |
| 4 |  |
| Texas A&M finished tied for seventh in the SEC last season at 9-9 in league play after it was picked second in the league's preseason media poll. But thanks to a strong finish, the Aggies snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed and took No. 1 seed Houston to overtime in the second round. They are once again loaded with returning production and will hope that continuity leads to more consistency than it did a year ago. Seven of the nine players who logged starts for A&M return, including leading scorer and first-team all-SEC performer Wade Taylor. The 6-foot guard is on pace to surpass 2,000 career points and is surrounded by reliable veterans. Sixth-year coach Buzz Williams also added three known commodities via the portal in Zhuric Phelps (SMU), Pharrel Payne (Minnesota) and C.J. Wilcher (Nebraska) to give his team enviable depth. | |
| 5 |  |
| Eric Musselman is out, John Calipari is in, and the Razorbacks have been remade accordingly. Junior forward Trevon Brazile is the only scholarship returner as Arkansas welcomes the nation's No. 3 high school recruiting class and the No. 1 transfer class. The headliner is former FAU guard Johnell Davis, who was the co-AAC Player of the Year last season. Calipari needs former Kentucky guard D.J. Wagner to make a big sophomore leap at point guard, and he'll need substantive contributions from freshmen as well. McDonald's All-American guard Boogie Fland is the most-heralded of the bunch and could be the next slender-framed guard to parlay collegiate success under Calipari into an NBA career. | |
| 6 |  |
| Not a single scholarship player is back from Calipari's final team, and scoring wing Jaxson Robinson is the only player coming with Pope from BYU. Thus, nearly everyone is both new to the school and new to each other. What the roster lacks in high-end sizzle it makes up for with depth and diversity. The Wildcats are a deep group of veterans with well-refined skill sets. Robinson is the most dynamic offensive weapon of the bunch after proving his chops as a three-level scorer for the Cougars last season. Former San Diego State point guard Lamont Butler and bombastic ex-Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa will handle the ball quite a bit. | |
| 7 |  |
| Florida returns senior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who was the most important piece for a team that finished 24-12 with a heartbreaking loss to No. 10 seed Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Clayton was an all-conference performer and could creep into the All-American conversation. Veteran wing Will Richard is also back after logging 65 starts the past two seasons, and rising star Alex Condon should anchor the frontcourt after a promising freshman campaign. That is an excellent foundation for third-year coach Todd Golden, who added high-profile FAU transfer Alijah Martin to help plug the gap left in the backcourt by the graduation of second-leading scorer Zyon Pullin. | |
| 8 |  |
| Veteran center Kadin Shedrick and junior guard Chendall Weaver, both of whom played mostly off the bench last season, will be the most familiar faces in the Texas rotation. The Longhorns are nevertheless equipped to compete during their first SEC season after snagging several productive veterans from the transfer portal. Former Houston and Arkansas guard Tramon Mark will join with ex-Oregon State guard Jordan Pope and former Indiana State floor general Julian Larry to restock the backcourt. Five-star freshman and potential one-and-done talent Tre Johnson has also entered to give coach Rodney Terry a nice dose of perimeter firepower as the Longhorns seek to build off a No. 7 seed and second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. | |
| 9 |  |
| Ole Miss finished 20-12 and 7-11 in the SEC in coach Chris Beard's first season after struggling to maintain the momentum of a 13-0 start that largely came against overmatched opposition. The Rebels return three of their top four scorers and have traded in towering shot-blockers Moussa Cisse and Jamarion Sharp for a more athletic and versatile front line. The top transfer is former Louisville and Seton Hall wing Dre Davis, who averaged 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks during the Pirates' five-game run to the NIT title. Don't be surprised if Ole Miss makes a leap in Beard's second year because his track record suggests it's likely. | |
| 10 |  |
| Mississippi State unearthed a recruiting gem in three-star, in-state prospect Josh Hubbard. The 5-10 guard won SEC Freshman of the Week five times and helped make coach Chris Jans 2 for 2 on reaching the NCAA Tournament with the Bulldogs. Hubbard is back to anchor the 2024-25 roster, but Jans does have to replace first-team all-SEC center Tolu Smith. The solution could be to play a more perimeter-oriented style. Transfer guards Claudell Harris Jr. (Boston College) and Kanye Clary (Penn State) were each double-figure scorers and 37% 3-point shooters at their last stops, and former Florida wing Riley Kugel also brings some firepower. | |
| 11 |  |
| Following a 14-5 overall and 4-2 SEC start, Georgia concluded the 2023-24 regular season at 16-15 and 6-12 in the SEC before a surprising run to the NIT semifinals. If demonstrable progress is going to be made in coach Mike White's third season, it may be due to the contributions of a talented freshman frontcourt duo. Five-star power forward Asa Newell and top-50 center Somto Cyril are entering to bolster the front line. Appalachian State transfer Justin Abson will also help improve the Dawgs' rebounding and rim protection after swatting 2.8 shots per game last season. Leading scorers Noah Thomasson and Jabri Abdur-Rahim are gone, but the guard positions appear to be in good hands with sophomores Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain, who were key cogs in the rotation as freshmen. | |
| 12 |  |
| Missouri coach Dennis Gates was a Year 1 wizard in 2022-23, taking a 12-win team and molding it into a 25-win team that reached the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. But the Year 2 comedown was brutal as the Tigers finished 8-24 (0-18 SEC) for their first winless campaign in league play since 1908. Just one starter returns, which is probably for the best, as the Tigers welcome the nation's No. 5 freshman class and a talented group of transfers. The headline addition is ex-Duke forward Mark Mitchell, a former five-star prospect who started 67 games in two seasons with the Blue Devils. Ex-Iowa point guard Tony Perkins is also a big-time addition after averaging 14.3 points last season. If mid-major transfers Jacob Crews (UT-Martin) and Marques Warrick (Northern Kentucky) are ready for the SEC grind, then the Missouri see-saw could be headed back up. | |
| 13 |  |
| South Carolina enjoyed a massive Year 2 bump under coach Lamont Paris, going from 11 wins to 26 and reaching the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. Four players who logged 22+ minutes per game for that team return, including rising star forward Collin Murray-Boyles. After earning a spot on the SEC's All-Freshman team, it would be no surprise if he's an all-conference performer. Another name to know is Jamarii Thomas. The Norfolk State transfer is an undersized guard who won MEAC Player of the Year last season. He will help fill the shoes of Meechie Johnson, who transferred back to Ohio State. | |
| 14 |  |
| LSU pulled itself from the wreckage of Will Wade's demise in Year 2 under Matt McMahon by finishing 17-16 (9-9 SEC) and reaching the NIT. The Tigers hopes of taking another step in 2024-25 rest largely on a revamped backcourt. Tennessee-Martin transfer Jordan Sears ranked No. 9 nationally in points per game at 21.6 last season, while Cam Carter's 14.6 points per game at Kansas State were second on the team. But it's not all about the transfers for the Tigers. Sharpshooting wing Tyrell Ward is back for his junior season, and guard Mike Williams has returned after an encouraging freshman campaign. A versatile trio of returning bigs headlined by Jalen Reed and a trio of four-star freshman give McMahon a nice blend of returners, transfers and freshmen. The question is whether there's enough high-end talent for LSU to survive the SEC and reach the Big Dance. | |
| 15 |  |
| Oklahoma has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament under Porter Moser as the former Loyola-Chicago coach enters Year 4. The Sooners were close last season, finishing 20-12 (8-10 Big 12) and barely on the wrong side of the bubble before declining an NIT invitation. With just two of five starters back — leading scorers Javian McCollum and Otega Oweh are both gone — this team will look significantly different. Six veteran transfers will combine to make the Sooners one of the oldest teams in the league, but most of them are coming from less-heralded conferences. The returning anchor is stretch forward Jalon Moore, who has all-conference potential after averaging 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season before exploring the NBA Draft process. | |
| 16 |  |
| Mark Byington hustled to assemble a competitive roster, despite the unavoidable challenges of being a first-year coach at school with high academic standards and limited NIL resources in the transfer portal era. The headliner is former Michigan State point guard A.J. Hoggard, but ex-North Texas guard Jason Edwards also brings some firepower after averaging 19.1 points for the Mean Green. A handful of Vanderbilt's additions have more than one season of eligibility remaining, which may allow Byington to field a competitive team in Year 1 without having to conduct a full scrape and rebuild for Year 2. | |
