SECMD17 Notebook: Talent influx to bolster league's tourney hopes
NASHVILLE — The quality of Southeastern Conference basketball play had been questioned nationally in recent years.
Well, that is until last year when the SEC proved its quality with quantity. Five SEC teams were in the NCAA Tournament field. Four won at least one game. Three reached the Sweet Sixteen. South Carolina made it to the Final Four. Overall, SEC teams were a combined 11-5 in March Madness.
That seemingly proved the SEC’s strength in hoops. And guess what … league coaches think the SEC will be even stronger this season.
“There are a lot of good teams in our league,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said on Wednesday at SEC basketball media days. “Let’s hope we’re six, seven (teams) deep doing that stuff in the postseason. It’s what the league deserves.”
Alabama coach Avery Johnson echoed that.
“We have an influx of new coaches that have come into the league in the last couple of years,” Johnson said. “You’ve seen recruiting getting better. Teams like Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina … what those teams did last year, that’s not a fluke. Those guys are well-coached. They do a heck of a job. They have really good players.
“I can’t see why we can’t have seven or more teams in the NCAA Tournament.”
Perhaps an indicatior of how strong the SEC projects is that South Carolina was picked to finish 11th in the conference race.
“That speaks to the capability of this league and how many good teams there are,” Florida head coach Mike White said today.
“You’re talking about a program that’s as good defensively as any program in college basketball that’s coming off a Final Four run. That’s how capable this league is this year. It’s hard for me to believe they will finish 11th.”
It’s not hard to believe an SEC team could return to the Final Four. The question is, which one could make a South Carolina-like run to San Antonio?
“I would say Texas A&M,” Calipari said. “But I have not seen anybody yet. I’m so focused on (his) team.”
No more misery in Missouri
Missouri was 8-24 and finished last in the SEC a year ago.
Enter new coach Cuonzo Martin, who led Tennessee to the Sweet Sixteen a few years ago. Also, enter 6-10 freshman Michal Porter, Jr., the nation’s top recruit. Suddenly, Missouri’s outlook has changed. In fact, the Tigers were picked fifth in the SEC preseason poll.
Much of that optimism is based on the presence of Porter, who averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds as a high school senior. Junior forward Kevin Puryear, who averaged 11.8 points last season, said Porter is as good as his hype.
“I guard him every day in practice. He’s special. One of a kind," he said. "His scoring ability … he’s very good at shooting and making contested shots. If you have a one-on-one with him in the post — or, really, anywhere on the court — he’s going to score. You can’t guard him with one person. You need two — maybe three people — to guard him.”
The Caldwell factor
No one has actually seen Texas A&M point guard J.J. Caldwell play a college game, yet he’s becoming something of a legend. A&M junior center Tyler Davis is adding to that legend.
“He makes everyone better,” Davis said of Caldwell. “It’s going to be different every game. There’s going to be some games where J.J.’s going to attack, and he might only have six assists. There’s going to be some games he has 10, 12 assists. Rack them up.
“You rarely play with a guy that has his IQ and ability to see the floor.”
High on the hogs
Arkansas senior guard Darryl Macon says he and senior Jaylen Barford form the SEC’s best backcourt. That opinion is not without merit. Macon averaged 13.4 points last season. Barford averaged 12.8. But coach Mike Anderson pointed out that’s just an opinion.
“They feel good about themselves,” Anderson said. “I think they’re very confident about what they do. On paper, it all looks good and sounds good. Like everything else, it’s their opinion at this point in time. You’ve got to go out and prove it.”
Anderson did say both have improved.
“If you ask me, are they better than they were last year? Absolutely,” he said. “They’re lightyears ahead of where they were last year at this time. They’re a lot more comfortable in what we’re doing and understanding what it takes to be a tremendous player at this level.”
An Egbunu boost
Florida’s 6-11, 265-pound senior center John Egbunu was having a strong 2016-17 season until suffering a torn ACL on Feb. 14 against Auburn. He was averaging 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds when injured.
Egbunu is expected to return to the court in January. The Gators can use his scoring, but need him on the defensive end even more.
“We had a successful year because we were really good defensively, first and foremost,” White said. “I say this all the time: John, in my opinion — and I am a little biased — is arguably one of the best defenders in all of college basketball.
“He’s a terrific defensive player protecting the rim, ball-screen coverage, altering shots, blocking shots, defensive rebounding, one-on-one play. And so when he comes back at that point, we become better defensively that day. We become more talented immediately.”
Youth to be served?
Kentucky will have one of the youngest teams in the history of college basketball.
Coach John Calipari had to replaced 92.6 percent of the scoring and 76.6 percent of the rebounding from the Wildcats’ 2016-17 team.
As typically the case, he’s doing so with an influx of highly-rated freshman prospects. Kentucky’s recruiting class was ranked as the best in the country and includes eight freshmen who were ranked among the country’s top 70 recruits.
