Klavzar, a transfer from Slovenia, was not eligible for Florida’s first 3 games of the 2024-25 season. The NCAA is considering Klavza a sophomore with 3 seasons of eligibility.

BREAKING Todd Golden says Guard Urban Klavzar has been officially cleared by the NCAA and will play against FSU on Saturday.

“We just found out about an hour ago and he was in a meeting” says Golden

The 6’1 Guard from Domzale, Slovenia, will be listed as a sophomore #Gators pic.twitter.com/1R4BB3aDqC

— Jesse Simmons (@ItsJesseSimmons) November 14, 2024

On Klavzar:

“He’ll play tomorrow night, for sure. He’s a high-level player”

— Luke Adragna (@lukeadrag) November 14, 2024

Klavzar is listed on the Florida roster as measuring 6-1, 195 pounds. His experience comes from playing internationally, including the FIBA Under16 European Championships in 2018 and ’19.

Klavzar recently earned All-Tournament honors after averaging 16.1 points per game and shooting .383 from 3-point range at the 2024 U20 EuroBasket. In addition to playing for Slovenian national team, Klavzar also logged 33 appearances with CD Estela Cantabria in Spain’s second division, Primera FEB, averaging 8.9 points and 1.3 assists.

The #Gators are hitting just 26% of their three pointers through three games, which ranks 292nd in the country.

Urban Klavzar should be able to provide an immediate spark in that area. https://t.co/xf9gq7sb26

— Nick Marcinko (@marcinko_nick) November 14, 2024

Florida and Florida State are set for a 6 p.m. ET tipoff on Friday night in Tallahassee. The game will air on the ACC Network.

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He was drafted with the 16th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after playing one season at Duke.

Before his big performance against the Cavaliers, McCain had to pay up on a bet with teammate and former Kentucky Wildcat Justin Edwards after their former schools played on Tuesday night.

that blue blood rivalry runs deep.

cc: @Jedwards3_ , @J_mccain_24 pic.twitter.com/ZzogFLPdOO

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2024

Kentucky and Duke played in the Champions Classic, with the Wildcats winning the game 77-72. The Blue Devils were up 46-37 at the half, but the Wildcats outscored them 40-26 to pull away for the win.

During his lone season in Durham last year, McCain averaged 14.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG while shooting 41.4% on 3s.

The 76ers are off to one of the most disappointing starts in the NBA, as they are now 2-9 on the season. The team had major expectations entering this season, as Paul George joined Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to form arguably the best trio in the NBA.

However, those 3 players are yet to play in the same game this year, with Embiid’s game on Monday night being his first game of the year. These injuries have forced McCain to step into more of a scoring role, and his 13.5 PPG are most for any rookie in the NBA.

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He talked about a myriad of topics on the show, including potential expansion for the NCAA Tournament in the future. The Big Dance has long been at 68 teams, but has slowly expanded over the decades.

Baker told Patrick that there’s no plans to expand the tournament to 96 teams, which was an idea that had been floated in the past. However, he did say there’s “room” for it to expand into the 72s.

“The committees have some work to do here, but I think there’s room to go to something like 72 or 76,” Baker said.

.@NCAA President Charlie Baker says "there's room to go to something like 72 or 76 teams" in the NCAA College Basketball tournament pic.twitter.com/UmsUkiyQCb

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) November 13, 2024

Expanding the NCAA Tournament to 72 or 76 teams would presumably only have an impact on the play-in round, which is currently contested in Dayton each year prior to the start of the tournament. The format currently dictates that the final 4 at-large berths and the lowest-seeded auto-berths play in the “First Four” section of the tournament prior to the first weekend of the Big Dance.

College sports leaders like SEC commissioner Greg Sankey have previously indicated their support for expanding the NCAA Tournament.

It’s unclear when this potential expansion could take place. However, discussions appear to be ongoing about how to best format March Madness moving forward.

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Pope was credited very much for the way his team was able to pull off the upset by both reporters and fans. He does not necessarily see it as a “him” thing, though.

It is all about the players, fan base and wins that the Wildcats produced on the recruiting trail because of what they bring day in and day out on the court:

“Here’s the thing,” Pope said. “I’ve learned in the last few years that this is actually not about me at all. If it’s about me, it’s too much and too big. It’s about these boys. It’s about (Big Blue Nation). It’s about these guys coming and competing. These guys dreaming of wearing a Kentucky jersey one day. Never thinking they would and actually being here now and doing it and being in this game, that’s what makes this special. I just get to observe and watch and that’s pretty great.”

"This is actually not about me at all … it's about these boys, it's about BBN … that's what makes it special."

Mark Pope after beating Duke @KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/Q37vEdTK7z

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 13, 2024

Pope came into this job with the lofty responsibility of replacing the legendary John Calipari, who consistently kept Kentucky one of the top basketball programs for years before he ultimately went to Arkansas. It is safe to say Pope has risen to the occasion.

The post Mark Pope deflects praise for Kentucky’s win over Duke: ‘Not about me at all’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.

It took nights in gyms across mid-major conferences over the past several years, fruitless Big 12 campaigns, and ugly first-round NCAA Tournament losses. No, uglier than the ones UK endured as a top seed.

Kentucky’s new recipe, after teams of underachieving one-and-dones, is a group of underrated veterans who see Kentucky not as another stop on the NBA climb but as the destination on a journey to college basketball glory. Who saw this perfect fit coming? Precious few.

That tear-down of Kentucky basketball in the spring was complete. Hall of Fame coach John Calipari? Gone. His entire roster? Gone. The hopes of one of college basketball’s most passionate (maybe insane) fan bases? If not gone, at least going into hibernation. The rebuild was on.

Kentucky looked inward. It hired former ‘Cat Mark Pope from BYU to run the program. He of zero NCAA Tournament wins, as a coach, anyway. Pope tagged a group of transfer-portal loaners: guys who had been a step slow or an inch short or a consistent jump shot shy of being ready for the NBA, but ready to move on from Drexel or Wake Forest or Oklahoma. He added a couple freshmen but prepared for a season with a group of zero NBA needle movers.

Expectations were not high. The media in Birmingham picked the ‘Cats to finish 8th in the SEC. Both the media and coaches, scanning Kentucky’s roster, picked BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson for an All-SEC third-team slot and moved on to greener pastures.

But after 3 games, Kentucky is back. Tuesday night merely confirmed it: No. 19 Kentucky 77, No. 6 Duke 72.

Except it took much more than 3 games.

Who led the charge to victory? Guys who are new to Kentucky but were anything but new to college basketball; guys who need Kentucky’s legitimacy as much as the Wildcats’ need their spark and scrap and hustle.

Last night was Andrew Carr’s 120th college basketball game. He has played 1 NCAA Tournament game, a 20-point loss as a No. 15 seed at Delaware. Carr worked over, under and around Duke’s post players with the game in the balance, scoring 17 points, wheeling and dealing in the post like a 32-year-old NBA player with a receding hair line and a quest for a championship ring.

Last night was Amari Williams’ 108th college basketball game. He has played 1 NCAA Tournament game, playing 4 minutes as a freshman in a 1 vs. 16 game of his Drexel team against Illinois (they lost by 29). Williams went 1-on-1 with Cooper Flagg, already the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, in the game’s biggest possession and forced Flagg to stumble out of bounds with the game on the line.

Last night was Otega Oweh’s 63rd college basketball game. He’s never played in the NCAA Tournament. Oweh outjumped and outfought Flagg for the rebound that clinched Kentucky’s victory. With 15 points and 6 rebounds, Oweh keyed Kentucky’s upset.

When guys like Carr and Oweh talk in platitudes about crowd support, about team focus, about the opportunity to play for championships in March, they’re speaking from a place of knowledge. They understand the tick and whir of college basketball and have played enough to realize that excellence isn’t something to take for granted.

The appreciation from new-old guys like Carr was obvious. He delivered the opening statement of Tuesday’s night’s post-game press conference.

“All the Kentucky fans who showed up tonight, it was an incredible atmosphere,” Carr said.

Turning to the game, Carr was succinct but spoke with the voice of experience, “I felt like we did an unbelievable job being resilient tonight and in a really special way to come out with a win.”

All those years of NIT bids and first-round NCAA bouncings and long bus rides built a fire that Pope has done a remarkable job of rekindling for Kentucky. Remember, Pope once was like them: He transferred from Washington to Kentucky and helped the ‘Cats win the 1996 NCAA Tournament.

“We all had a common goal to win big, so we knew, if we want to do that, we have to come together in hard situations,” Oweh said after the game.

A group of experienced players coming together is how the Wildcats ended up taking the upper hand over Duke and Flagg, who is a generational talent. A generational talent in his 3rd college game. A generational talent in his 3rd college game who isn’t used to grizzled old veterans who need the win more than he did.

Kentucky will probably still have bumps in the road, but how rapidly the script has turned from Kentucky being the team of NBA lottery talents who have to learn to play college basketball. The trade for a group of steady, greybeard college basketball players is one BBN welcomed after last night.

The post And just like that, Mark Pope has brought back Kentucky basketball appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Duke led for much of the game, but the Wildcats’ defense was suffocating throughout the second half. Kentucky was able to force some timely turnovers and make some clutch shots in crunch time, which went a long way toward securing this victory.

Here are 3 takeaways from Kentucky’s big win:

Kentucky’s crunch time defense was elite

Kentucky trailed for almost the entirety of this game, but its defense kept things close all the way through.

Flagg hit a 3-pointer with 10:21 left in the game to give the Blue Devils a 61-53 lead. More than 8 minutes rolled off the clock and Duke had only managed to add 6 points to its total. That dry spell — a 1-for-11 stretch from the field — eventually led to Kentucky jumping out in front 69-67 with 2:40 to go.

Duke struggled offensively for the entire second half. The Blue Devils shot just 29% from the floor and 9% from the 3-point line after the break, clearing the way for Kentucky to mount its comeback in the closing minutes of the game.

Kentucky also forced a couple of turnovers by Flagg in the final minute to secure the victory.

Cooper Flagg looks the part

Kerr Kriisa may have his doubts, but Cooper Flagg looked every bit the part of a potential No. 1 overall draft pick on Tuesday night. Facing the first real test of his collegiate career, Flagg led Duke with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Flagg’s motor and intensity were on display all night long as they always are. That’s his calling card as a prospect. But he also showed solid growth as a shot creator on the perimeter — even if he only went 1-for-5 from 3-point range.

That’s not going to be his biggest strength at Duke this season, but he already showed that he’s further along as an offensive hub than many projected him to be at this stage. Remember, Flagg is very young for this class — he’s still 17 years old until mid December.

While it wasn’t a perfect debut (Flagg did turn it over twice in the final minute), he showed more than enough to get excited about against the Wildcats.

A perfect start to the Mark Pope era

Vibes have been high in Lexington ever since Mark Pope was introduced as the successor to John Calipari last spring. For a team that’s largely full of transfers and newcomers, this was an excellent result to big the Pope era.

Players up and down the lineup made contributions. Andrew Carr scored 17 points on 8 shots. Otega Oweh had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and 2 steals. As a team, the Wildcats shot 40% from 3-point range.

Much work is left for the Wildcats, but it’s hard to complain about anything after beating a star-studded Duke team like Kentucky managed to do on Tuesday night.

The post 3 takeaways from Kentucky’s thrilling win over Duke appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Kaden Magood, a blue-chip guard prospect, announced his commitment to play for Bruce Pearl’s program on Tuesday.

4-Star G Kaden Magwood has committed to Auburn.@nonoisemade_k3 is a Top-25 player in the country and chose @AuburnMBB over Ole Miss and NC State. pic.twitter.com/qWyZhxEUQn

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 12, 2024

Originally from Louisville, Magwood heads to The Plains out of the Combine Academy in Charlotte. He is listed as measuring 6-1 and 170 pounds. On the 247Sports Composite, Magwood is rated 4-stars, the No. 1 player in North Carolina, No. 8 combo guard and No. 60 prospect overall in the 2025 recruiting class.

Magwood was highly sought after during his recruitment. In addition to Auburn, he received scholarship offers from 29 other programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Mississippi State, NC State, USC, and Vanderbilt.

Magwood is Auburn’s second commitment in the 2025 recruiting class. He joins fellow 4-star combo guard Simon Walker out of Huntsville. Walker pledged to AU on Sept. 26.

what is Auburn basketball getting in 4-star combo guard Kaden Magwood?

– a lights-out long-range scorer off the dribble…
– …and in the catch-and-shoot game
– an “attack mode” mindset
– a throwback midrange game
– some real potential on D
– the occasional highlight-reel slam pic.twitter.com/M3obwKrJEe

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) November 12, 2024

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On Monday night, Wade took the McNeese Cowboys to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 2 Alabama. The Cowboys battled before falling 72-64, but Wade after the game had high praise for the Crimson Tide.

“Alabama is obviously a phenomenal team,” Wade said. “That is a tremendous SEC team and probably the best team the SEC has had in quite some time.”

Beyond that assessment, Wade believes this team could be the best that Oats has built since the head coach arrived in Tuscaloosa. He spoke to the depth of the Crimson Tide as an indicator of how complete Oats’ roster is.

“This is the most complete team. They have two of everything,” Wade explained.

Will Wade: "Alabama is obviously a phenomenal team.

"That is a tremendous SEC team and probably the best team the SEC has had in quite some time."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 12, 2024

McNeese State HC Will Wade on how this year's Alabama basketball team compares to other Nate Oats teams he's faced. "This is the most complete team. They have two of everything."

— Tony Tsoukalas (@Tony_Tsoukalas) November 12, 2024

It isn’t just Wade that believes in Alabama, as the Crimson Tide are the No. 2 team in the country. The only team in front of them is Kansas.

Guard Mark Sears is leading the way for Alabama, as he leads the team with 18 PPG and is shooting 43% from the 3-point line. Forward Grant Nelson is averaging 12 PPG and 5.7 RPG, and that duo has the experience and talent that can help a team go on a deep run in March.

The Crimson Tide face their first big matchup of the 2024 season on Friday, as they travel to No. 13 Purdue. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET and the game will be on Peacock.

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The 2025 recruiting class has already gotten off to a good start. On Monday night, the team landed a commitment from Meleek Thomas. Thomas stars at Overtime Elite in Atlanta and is the top shooting guard in the class per the 247Sports Composite ranking.

2025 5 guard Meleek Thomas is coming to Fayetteville!

Let’s gooooooooooo! #WPS pic.twitter.com/Lc3xdcSdMF

— Courtney Mims (@MimsCourtney) November 12, 2024

Thomas was hosting a decision party with family and friends where he announced his decision to choose Arkansas. The talented guard is originally from Midland, PA, but moved to Atlanta to play with Overtime Elite.

Through 2 games with the City Reapers of Overtime Elite, Thomas is averaging 25 points, 3 assists, and 12 rebounds per game. Only 3 players are averaging more points than Thomas so far in the 2024-25 season.

The 247Sports Composite has Thomas as the top shooting guard in the country, the No. 2 prospect out of Georgia, and the No. 8 overall prospect in the class.

Thomas received interest from Arkansas, UConn, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and others before narrowing his options down to Arkansas, UConn, and Pittsburgh. Being from the Pittsburgh area, the Panthers were in on Thomas from the beginning.

Instead of returning home, however, the talented guard will join Calipari next season with the Razorbacks. Arkansas currently has the No. 14 class for 2025. Darius Acuff Jr. is the other 5-star prospect currently committed to the team.

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UF beat reporters in Gainesville recorded the moment Golden was announced over the PA at Exactech Arena during team introductions.

Gators coach Todd Golden gets a nice ovation pic.twitter.com/iOMN8RCDAd

— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) November 12, 2024

Per The Alligator, UF received a Title IX complaint on Sept. 27. The Alligator reports that claims against Golden include unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors and sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF. Golden was also accused of stalking, allegedly taking photos of women walking or driving and sending those pictures to the subjects involved.

UF has stated that it cannot comment on allegations against Golden due to the Title IX investigation. Golden released a statement Saturday. Florida confirmed Sunday that his coaching status had not changed.

Golden’s statement did not include a denial but referenced potential legal action for defamation.

“For the last month, I have actively participated in and respected the confidentiality of an ongoing school inquiry,” Golden wrote in a note posted to social media.

“I have recently engaged Ken Turkel to advise me on my ability to bring defamation claims while this confidential investigation is ongoing. My family and I appreciate the support we have received and remain confident the university will continue its efforts to finish its review promptly.”

Golden, 39, was hired at Florida ahead of the 2022-23 season. He is 42-29 in his UF tenure, taking the Gators to the 2024 NCAA Tournament and guiding the team to a 2-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign.

The post Todd Golden receives warm ovation in 1st game since sexual harassment allegations appeared first on Saturday Down South.

This week, 8 SEC teams find themselves in the top 25, the same as last week minus Texas. The Longhorns fell to Ohio State and bounced back with a win over Houston Christian.

The biggest rise this week was Auburn, which proved itself to perhaps be the best team in college basketball with a monster win over Vermont and an even more impressive win over Houston. I’ll be blunt with y’all: I have no idea how the Tigers are only ranked 5th in the latest rankings.

Texas A&M took the biggest tumble, but they still made the rankings at No. 23. The Aggies started the year as the No. 13 team but fell to UCF in Orlando on opening night.

Other top teams include Alabama and Tennessee, with the Crimson Tide earning the top SEC ranking of this latest poll. Nate Oats’ squad put a beatdown on UNC Asheville before winning a matchup that was closer than the Tide would like against Arkansas State, a well-rounded team out of the ASUN.

Here’s the full Top 25, with SEC teams bolded:

1.  Kansas
2.  Alabama
3.  UConn
4.  Gonzaga
5.  Auburn
6.  Duke
7.  Iowa State
8.  Houston
9.  Arizona
10.  North Carolina
11.  Tennessee
12.  Baylor
13.  Purdue
14.  Creighton
15.  Marquette
16.  Indiana
17.  Cincinnati
18.  Arkansas
19.  Kentucky
20.  Florida
21.  Ohio State
22.  St. Johns
23.  Texas A&M
24.  Rutgers
25. Ole Miss

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On Friday, it was reported that Golden was being accused by an “undefined number” of women for sexual harassment and repeated instances of stalking. Golden addressed that report on Saturday in a statement and said he was engaged with an attorney about a potential defamation suit.

Sunday night, Florida issued a brief statement confirming Golden’s status to begin the week. According to that statement, Golden’s status as the head basketball coach “has not changed” at this point in time.

Florida will face Grambling in a nonconference matchup Monday night, and Golden will coach the Gators in that game.

Update from Gainesville: “Todd Golden’s status as UF men’s basketball coach has not changed,” according to a University Athletic Association spokesperson. Golden will coach Monday night’s game vs. Grambling State. He’s been the subject of an investigation since late September.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) November 10, 2024

Florida is 2-0 on the young season. We will see how the situation involving Golden develops moving forward.

The post Florida issues statement regarding Todd Golden’s status for game vs. Grambling appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The veteran Kentucky guard met with reporters this weekend and had some interesting comments about Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

“The whole world is talking about Cooper Flagg. Excited to play against the No. 1 overall draft pick,” Kriisa said sarcastically. “Congrats to him [on getting that already].”

Here’s video of Kriisa’s comments:

Kerr Kriisa is ready for Duke on Tuesday

"The whole world is talking about Cooper Flagg. Excited to play against the No. 1 overall draft pick. Congrats to him on getting that already"pic.twitter.com/tWivVKvL8s

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 10, 2024

Flagg did come into the season with plenty of hype and fanfare. He’s been talked about for years on the high school basketball circuit as a potential No. 1 overall pick. Entering the 2024-25 season, Flagg was almost universally discussed as the favorite to go No. 1 in a draft class that’s very well regarded.

Through 2 games, Flagg has not disappointed. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists so far despite the fact that he won’t turn 18 years old until December. Flagg is known for his defense and he’s been excellent on that end of the court as well.

Of course, going up against Kentucky will be his toughest test yet — and it seems as though the Wildcats will be ready for him. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

The post Kerr Kriisa throws shade at Cooper Flagg ahead of massive Kentucky-Duke matchup appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The above trio combined for 45 of the Vols’ 77 points, with Lanier and Zeigler doing most of the work in the scoring department. Lanier continued his hot start to the season by hitting 3 of his 6 attempts from range, but he was also able to find success in the midrange and at the rim.

Admittedly, this was one of Zeigler’s weirder games. The Vols’ star point guard was a pest on the defensive end – no surprise there – but also posted 11 turnovers, most of which occurred in the first half. Zeigler made up for his struggles in the first half with a stellar final 20 minutes.

As Louisville chipped away at Tennessee’s lead, Zeigler caught fire. The below 3 started Zeigler’s campaign to stamp out any attempt at a legitimate comeback.

FROM DEEP.

ACC Network
https://t.co/7Lzpcs8msx pic.twitter.com/Js3cZcmdvR

— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 9, 2024

Phillips was arguably Tennessee’s best player in the first half. He filled in for Igor Milicic, who left the game early after 2 quick fouls, and posted his best minutes to date in a Tennessee uniform. The box score doesn’t show it all – he had 6 points and 6 rebounds and 1 block – but Phillips was excellent for the Vols and should calm the nerves of any Tennessee fan worrying about frontcourt depth moving forward.

Felix Okpara had a strong 2nd half for Tennessee after an underwhelming performance against Gardner-Webb. Louisville doesn’t have much of a post presence, so Okpara was able to be dominant on the boards as Louisville started to find some semi-consistent offense. That, along with Tennessee’s suffocating defense, all but did it for Pat Kelsey’s squad.

Tennessee is back in action on Wednesday, facing a good Montana program out of the Big Sky.

The post Tennessee dominates Louisville on the road, Zeigler and Lanier combine for 38 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The report indicates that senior Ja’Heim Hudson and freshman Jahki Howard were not on the team’s 2nd flight to Houston on Friday and will not play on Saturday.

The two Auburn players involved in the incident on the plane last night were a pair of reserves – freshman Jahki Howard and senior Ja’Heim Hudson, source told @thefieldof68.

Neither traveled with the team to Houston … on the second flight which arrived last night.

Auburn…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 9, 2024

Hudson is in his 1st season with the Tigers after playing for SMU in 2023-24. The forward averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Mustangs last season.

Howard is a former 4-star prospect who is playing his 1st season of college ball. The Atlanta native starred for Overtime Elite before committing to Auburn.

In Auburn’s exhibition match win over Furman, Howard scored 10 points in 23 minutes while Hudson scored 4 in 15 minutes. Neither player is projected to play a main role with the Tigers this season, but you’d like to have as much depth as possible, especially against an elite team like Houston.

The Tigers have high expectations for the 2024-25 season. Per the latest AP Top 25, the Tigers are the No. 11 team in the country. The Tigers and Cougars will tip off from Houston at 9:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

The post 2 Auburn basketball players not in Houston after altercation, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The Tar Heels fell behind early and ended up with a 15-point deficit at halftime against the Jayhawks on the road. However, Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels rallied to make it a close games in the second half.

UNC, who trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, ended up taking a brief lead over KU late in the second half. The Tar Heels led by as many as 4 points down the stretch, but they failed to score again after taking a 2-point lead with 2:03 remaining in the game.

In the end, Kansas prevailed 92-89.

Final.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/RGMv0tonLW

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 9, 2024

This was Carolina’s first big test in the post-Armando Bacot era. UNC did well on the glass, out-rebounding Kansas by 1 for the full game, 40-39.

Six different North Carolina players scored in double figures. Seth Trimble led the way with 19 points on just 10 shots.

Offensively, Carolina had a rough night at the 3-point line. The Tar Heels shot just 30.4% from beyond the arc. However, UNC’s offense was able to survive because it went an impressive 28-of-31 from the free throw line.

North Carolina will face American on Friday at home in Chapel Hill.

The post North Carolina falls short in comeback attempt vs. No. 1 Kansas appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College basketball insider Jeff Goodman reports that Auburn was about 45 minutes into its flight to Houston on Friday afternoon when pilots turned the plane around due to “horseplay between players on the flight that could have escalated into a fight.”

Goodman added that Auburn is expected to take another flight to Houston later in the evening on Friday.

Auburn plane returned back home due to horseplay between players on the flight that could have escalated into a fight, source told @TheFieldOf68.

Auburn was about 45 minutes en route and had to return home. Source said they are expected to take another plane to Houston later…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 9, 2024

At this time, there are no other confirmed details regarding this incident. It’s also unclear if any players will receive disciplinary action. Auburn has not released any official statement on the matter.

Auburn basketball has very high expectations for the 2024-25 season. The Tigers are currently the No. 11 team in the country, per the latest AP Top 25.

Bruce Pearl’s squad is set to face off against another elite program in Houston on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars are ranked No. 4 in the AP poll this week.

Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

The post Auburn basketball reportedly forced to turn around mid-flight due to altercation appeared first on Saturday Down South.

He has called some of the biggest moments in Tennessee sports history such as Pat Summitt’s national titles to the classic Tennessee and Alabama football game in 2022.

On Thursday, Kesling announced that he would be retiring after the upcoming men’s basketball season.

After a decorated career spanning more than five decades — including a 25-year run as the Voice of the Vols — Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Kesling has announced he will retire following the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.

— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) November 7, 2024

Tennessee put out a statement on Kesling’s retirement, with Athletic Director Danny White saying Kesling is the perfect example of someone who gave it all for Tennessee.

“Bob’s influence has been remarkable, touching so many lives as the Voice of the Vols and through his heartfelt dedication as a mentor and leader in our Knoxville community for over 50 years,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White said. “He embodies the true spirit of someone who has given his all for Tennessee. As an icon in the broadcasting industry, we are deeply appreciative of the professionalism he brings to Tennessee Athletics each time he takes the microphone. His contributions resonate with all of us here on Rocky Top and we cannot thank him enough for everything he has done.”

Kesling first became a Volunteer when he walked on as a fullback in 1972, and he began his broadcasting career in 1974.

The post Tennessee Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling announces 2025 retirement appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Junior guard Tyrell Ward missed the team’s exhibition game and then was ruled out for the opener. Minutes before tipoff on Wednesday night, McMahon released the following statement on Ward’s status:

“Tyrell Ward and I have decided that he will be stepping away from the program to focus on his mental health. I do not anticipate him returning to competition this season. We are very appreciative of his contributions to our program and we will be supporting him every step of the way moving forward.”

It appears Tyrell Ward won’t be playing for @LSUBasketball this season. #LSU pic.twitter.com/cB1NHe5ckM

— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) November 7, 2024

Ward played in 31 games for the Tigers during the 2023-24 season. The guard averaged 9.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Ward’s best game last season came against Kentucky when the guard scored 17 points and grabbed 2 rebounds. The guard got the game-winning tip-in to win the game for the Tigers.

With Ward expected to be a key contributor in 2024-25, the Tigers will need another guard to step in. The team added 3 guards in the transfer portal this offseason: Dji Bailey, Cam Carter, and Jordan Sears.

Carter impressed in the exhibition, scoring 21 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Sears and Bailey also scored double-digits in the exhibition match which LSU won 110-48.

After the opener against UL Monroe, the Tigers’ next game will be on Sunday, November 10 against Alabama State.

The post LSU basketball player departs program ahead of 2024-25 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Smith has served in that role since 2012. His connection with the Auburn basketball program dates back decades, as he was the Tigers’ head coach from 1978-89. He led Auburn to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance back in 1984.

A legendary coach and radio personality.

Thank you for being with us all these years.

: https://t.co/O1vLalrxgl

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) November 6, 2024

“After years courtside as both a coach and a broadcaster, it is time to pass the mic and reflect,” Smith said in a statement. “That front row seat was more than a job; it was love for the game. As the color commentator, I had the privilege of bringing the game to life, going beyond the stats and scores by adding a little extra color to the game.

“I’ll forever be grateful for the time I worked with Jim Fyffe, Rod Bramblett, and Andy Burcham, along with everyone at the Auburn Sports Network,” Smith said. “It was a chance to stay close to the sport I love and to share the excitement, passion, and spirit of Auburn Basketball with all of the Auburn Family. I may have turned off my mic for now, but don’t worry-I’ll still be the loudest person yelling at the refs from the stands, so you haven’t heard the last of me yet!!”

Auburn says it will honor Smith for his contributions to the program prior to the men’s game on Dec. 8 against Richmond.

Randall Dickey is set to take over as the full-time game analyst for Auburn’s radio broadcasts this season. Auburn will face Vermont in its season-opener on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. ET.

The post Sonny Smith, Auburn basketball radio analyst, announces retirement appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Flagg and Knueppel are the 2 jewels of Duke’s 2024 recruiting class and are entering the year as projected lottery picks — or in Flagg’s case, the No. 1 prospect — in the 2025 NBA Draft. Their debut was highly-anticipated, albeit against low-major competition in Maine.

So far, so good.

1-0 #DukeDUB pic.twitter.com/ldWNe4T9xr

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) November 5, 2024

Knueppel led all scorers with 22 points on Saturday. He was very active in Duke’s offense early on and ended up making 3-of-8 from downtown. He also contributed 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

As for Flagg, he also had a strong day in his highly-anticipated collegiate debut. He poured in 18 points on 15 shot attempts and made all 6 of his free throws. He also led Duke with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Flagg was particularly effective as a passer in his debut.

In total, 6 different Duke players scored in double figures: Knueppel, Flagg, Caleb Foster, Tyrese Proctor, Sion James and Mason Gillis.

Coach Jon Scheyer ran a relatively small rotation in this game. Only 8 players earned more than 7 minutes of playing time in this game. It will be interesting to see if Scheyer’s rotation expands at all during nonconference play.

Duke will be in action again on Friday night against Army.

The post Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel lead Duke to blowout win in season-opener appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Ahead of the season-opening matchup with UNC Asheville on Monday, Oats announced that 2 players will redshirt this season. Incoming transfer Houston Mallette and freshman Naas Cunningham will both sit out the 2024-25 campaign, Oats said on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.

Mallette transferred to Alabama from Pepperdine. The guard has 1 year of eligibility remaining. Mallette averaged 14.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game for the Waves in 2023-24.

“We decided, kind of talking to them and their families, we’re gonna redshirt Houston Mallette and Naas Cunningham. Houston, more he missed the entire summer with some knee injuries. And for his one year of college basketball he has left, he wants to have the best offseason he can going into it,” said Oats of Mallett.

Cunningham is a freshman who was rated as a 4-star recruit in the 2023-24 class.

The post Nate Oats announces 2 Alabama players to redshirt for 2024-25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

However, the Rebels will be without a key player from last year’s team after T.J. Caldwell announced his decision to redshirt the 2024-25 season.

I’d like to thank Coach Beard and the whole Ole Miss coaching staff and organization for everything they have done and their support of my decision. I have decided to redshirt my junior year.

— TheRealDoski (@TjCaldwell9) November 5, 2024

The guard was originally a 4-star prospect in the 2021 class out of Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff in Texas. Caldwell committed to the Rebels after also receiving interest from Arizona State, West Virginia, TCU, and others.

Caldwell figured to be a key piece of the team again this season after appearing in all 32 games last season. The guard averaged 18.3 minutes, 5.5 points, and 2.3 rebounds per game in 2023-24. Caldwell’s best game came on January 30 against Mississippi State when the guard scored 18 points and collected 3 rebounds.

However, the Rebels added 5 players via the transfer portal, with 3 of those being wings. Dre Davis, Davon Barnes, and Sean Pedulla were all added via the portal and all could play big roles immediately. In the Rebels’ exhibition game against Illinois on October 7, Caldwell did not play.

The Rebels are led by senior guard Matt Murrell. Murrell was a preseason second-team All-SEC selection after averaging a career-best 16.2 points per game in 2023-24. The Rebels tipped off the 2024-25 season on Monday night against Long Island University.

The post Ole Miss guard announces decision to redshirt ahead of 2024-25 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The opening-night slate in the SEC features a total of 13 contests. SEC programs are favored in Vegas in 12 of those games — with the lone exception being Missouri’s matchup against Memphis on Monday evening.

Most SEC games on Monday are against low-major or Division II opposition. However, there are a few games that include a power conference opponent: Texas A&M-UCF, Missouri-Memphis and Texas-Ohio State.

Here’s a look at the betting lines for all 13 opening-night contests featuring SEC teams (via DraftKings):

• Texas A&M (-5) at Central Florida
• Wright State (-20.5) at Kentucky
• Gardner-Webb at Tennessee (-27.5)
• North Florida at South Carolina (-17)
• Tennessee Tech at Georgia (-25)
• West Georgia at Mississippi State (-25)
• Missouri (+4.5) at Memphis
• MD Eastern at Vanderbilt (-31)
• Florida (-10.5) at South Florida
• LIU at Ole Miss (-30)
• UNC Asheville at Alabama (-27)
• Lindenwood at Oklahoma (-17)
• Texas (-2) vs. Ohio State

Auburn, Arkansas and LSU are the only SEC programs who won’t be in action on Monday. Those 3 schools will all make their 2024-25 debuts on Wednesday night.

The 2024-25 college basketball season figures to be a good one. Saturday Down South’s Adam Spencer revealed his preseason SEC power rankings on Monday with Alabama taking the top spot. Kentucky, who will officially begin the Mark Pope era on Monday evening, clocked in at No. 6.

The first games of the SEC’s 2024-25 season will begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Interested in betting on college basketball this season? Here’s Saturday Down South’s guide to all the top sports betting apps so you don’t miss out on the action in college hoops this year!

The post SEC betting lines for opening night of 2024-25 college basketball season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

News of Smith’s decision broke shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Monday afternoon. Memphis is set to tip-off against Missouri in its season-opener at 8 p.m. ET on Monday evening.

Here’s a statement from Memphis basketball confirming Smith’s exit from the program:

“We can confirm that fifth-year senior forward Tyreek Smith is no longer with the Memphis men’s basketball program. Tyreek informed the staff that he would like to explore other opportunities. We would like to thank Tyreek for his hard work and dedication while at the University of Memphis and wish him the best of luck.”

BREAKING: Memphis’ Tyreek Smith has entered the NCAA transfer portal, I can confirm.

Here’s a statement I’ve obtained from the Tigers’ program: pic.twitter.com/gfqOjMC06M

— Parth Upadhyaya (@pupadhyaya_) November 4, 2024

Smith spent the 2023-24 season and SMU and was a big transfer addition this past offseason for Penny Hardaway and the Tigers. For his career, which also includes stops at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, Smith is averaging about 5 points and 4 rebounds per game.

As a graduate student, Smith can enter the transfer portal outside of the designated transfer windows. He will not be eligible to play for another program until the spring semester begins, however.

Memphis remains a 4.5-point favorite over Missouri on Monday night, per the latest lines from DraftKings.

The post College basketball player enters transfer portal hours before start of 2024-25 season appeared first on Saturday Down South.

College basketball is officially back in our lives. This is a great month for sports fans. College football and the NFL are in full swing. There are plenty of NBA and NHL regular-season games on TV. And now? College hoops!

There are still a couple of weeks to get through before the major nonconference tournaments start, but these tune-up games will still be entertaining. After all, in this era of the transfer portal, fans will need to get familiar with several new guys on their teams.

How do the 16 SEC teams stack up as we enter the 2024-25 regular season? Here are our preseason power rankings:

16. Vanderbilt

AJ Hoggard, the transfer from Michigan State, is suspended for the season-opener, but he should be an impact player in Nashville. Outside of him, the roster is pretty mediocre. Boston College transfer Devin McGlockton could be interesting, I suppose.

15. Oklahoma

Kobe Elvis has a first-team all-college basketball name. He should also be a leader on this team after transferring to Norman from Dayton. Jalon Moore is going to have to take his game to another level after averaging 11.1 points last season if the Sooners are going to do anything in SEC play.

14. LSU

Derek Fountain and Jalen Reed have both been at LSU for multiple years, so they should be decent working together in the post. The transfers in the LSU back court are exciting, though. Cam Carter averaged 14.6 points at Kansas State last year and Jordan Sears scored a whopping 21.6 points per contest at Tennessee-Martin last season.

13. Georgia

Freshman Asa Newell could be an immediate contributor in the post. Silas Demary is back for another year at the guard position. Tyrin Lawrence is an interesting transfer player from Vanderbilt. There’s not much depth for the Bulldogs this year, though.

12. Mizzou

Mark Mitchell (Duke) and Josh Gray (South Carolina) give the Tigers some intriguing size down low. Tony Perkins comes from Iowa and will likely be this team’s leading scorer. Jacob Crews could be a volume scorer, too. At the very least, this team will be better than last year’s Tigers.

11. Mississippi State

This is my dark-horse candidate to make some noise in the SEC this year. Kanye Clary comes over from Penn State, where he averaged 16.7 points per game last year. Josh Hubbard is ready for a second year as the star of the team. Cameron Matthews is back to stabilize the post. Riley Kugel (Florida) and RJ Melendez (Georgia) give the Bulldogs a pair of intriguing wing players. Playing in Starkville won’t be easy this year.

10. South Carolina

Jamarii Thomas is a key name to keep an eye on in Columbia this year. The Norfolk State transfer averaged 16.9 points per game last season. This team also returns a couple of key players from last year in Myles Stute, Collin Murray-Boyles and Zachary Davis. They know Lamont Paris’s system and will be able to help the new guys get up to speed.

9. Ole Miss

Keep your eye on Sean Pedulla as a potential major impact transfer in the SEC. He comes to Oxford after spending the last 3 years at Virginia Tech. He averaged 16.4 points per game last year. If he can score at that level for the Rebels, this team could finish in the top half of the league.

8. Texas

The Longhorns figure to be a transfer-heavy team this year. Jordan Pope (Oregon State), Tramon Mark (Houston/Arkansas), Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State/Creighton) and Kadin Shedrick (Virginia) all should start for this team. Shedrick was in Austin last year, but all the other guys are new. Rodney Terry will have his work cut out for him to get this unit ready for SEC play.

7. Florida

Yes, this should be a solid team, led by Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, FAU transfer Alijah Martin and others, but let’s be real. We all want to see 7-foot-9 big man Olivier Rioux, who enters the Florida program as a freshman. It’s not many people who can make Zach Edey seem small, but Rioux fits that bill. Can he contribute this year? We’ll see.

6. Kentucky

The Mark Pope era begins in Lexington. Kentucky will likely have a starting 5 comprised entirely of transfer players. Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and Amari Williams (Drexel) should all see big-time minutes for the Wildcats. Butler is a veteran leader and Robinson is familiar with Pope, who comes to Kentucky from BYU. Look for those guys to lead the way from the backcourt in this new era of Big Blue Basketball.

5. Arkansas

Johnell Davis of FAU fame was a big addition for coach John Calipari in his inaugural season at Arkansas. The rest of this roster has talent, too, including holdover Trevon Brazile. DJ Wagner came with Coach Cal from Kentucky. Boogie Fland could/should be a 1-and-done guy. Jonas Aidoo provides a defensive presence in the middle after coming over from Tennessee. This is an intriguing team and I expect Calipari to be very motivated to finish ahead of Kentucky in the standings.

4. Texas A&M

Wade Taylor IV is my dark-horse pick for SEC Player of the Year. And I’m not even sure it’s that much of a dark-horse pick. He’s a first-team All-SEC preseason guy. Henry Coleman is back for what feels like his 12th year of college basketball. He’ll provide veteran leadership. Zhuric Phelps comes over from SMU looking to provide a second shooter alongside Taylor. If Manny Obaseki can take another step forward this year, the Aggies can be a really good team.

3. Tennessee

Losing Dalton Knecht will really hurt, obviously. But the cupboard isn’t bare in Knoxville. Zakai Zeigler could be a first-team All-SEC player by the end of the year. The revamped front court of Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara and Igor Milicic from Charlotte might need some time to jell, but when everything comes together for Rick Barnes and company, I expect the Vols to be a top-3 team in the league again.

2. Auburn

The Tigers return Johni Broome, perhaps the best big man in the entire SEC. JP Pegues from Furman could be the next Wendell Green type. Miles Kelly from Georgia Tech should be a big contributor. Denver Jones will have another year of experience under his belt. This is a deep, experienced starting lineup.

1. Alabama

Mark Sears is the preseason Player of the Year in the SEC. The Crimson Tide got big man Clifford Omoruyi from Rutgers this offseason to put alongside Grant Nelson in the post. Latrell Wrightsell is a knockdown 3-point shooter when he’s healthy. Nate Oats has a talented roster once again. Considering this team made a Final Four run last year, there’s plenty to like in Tuscaloosa.

The post SEC Basketball Preseason Power Rankings appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The SEC has 9 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and a KenPom conference ranking of No. 1, just ahead of the Big 12, long the best conference in this sport. The SEC has never finished  a season first in KenPom, but with a genuine national championship favorite in Alabama, multiple teams that could make Final Four runs, and a chance at a league record 9 or 10 NCAA Tournament bids, the SEC has a legitimate chance to rule the hoops world this season as it has football fields for decades.

Here are 10 burning questions for the SEC in 2024-25.

1. Can Alabama return to the Final Four and hang a championship banner?

Alabama reached the program’s first Final Four last season behind Nate Oats’ innovative offense and the brilliant Mark Sears, a college hoops version of Steph Curry who has insane range and a clutch gene.

MARK SEARS FROM THE LOGO
pic.twitter.com/IYEd15KohI

— betway (@betwayusa) March 31, 2024

The Consensus All-American and preseason SEC Player of the Year, Sears is just one cog in the nation’s best backcourt, which includes sharpshooters Chris Youngblood and Latrell Wrightsell as well as talented freshman Labaron Philon, who has turned heads in camp. Houston Mallette adds toughness on the wing and should fill the void left behind by the glue guy Aaron Estrada, who graduated.

Standing in front of Alabama’s national title hopes is one question: Can they guard?

A season ago, they could not, costing them an SEC title and perhaps a national title. The Tide finished outside the top 100 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom, the 2nd-worst finish for an Oats team at Alabama.

To remedy this, Alabama made 2 significant moves.

First, they hired Brian Adams to coordinate the defense. A defensive savant who coordinated a NBA title winning defense with the Celtics, Adams will fix the scheme that made Alabama one of the worst ball screen defenses (13th) in the SEC a season ago.

Second, they brought in one of the nation’s best rim protecting bigs in Clifford Omoruyi. The Rutgers transfer will allow versatile forward Grant Nelson move away from the basket and, Oats hopes, avoid the foul trouble that plagued him in more physical games a season ago. It also should help Alabama’s guards focus more on perimeter defense, content to know a rim protector behind them reduces their help obligations.

If it all comes together, this is the best team in the country and the Crimson Tide will be the last team standing in San Antonio this April — giving the SEC its first national champion since Kentucky in 2012.

2. John Calipari is at Arkansas now. Will it be the rebirth he needs?

Things grew stale for John Calipari in his final 5 seasons in Lexington.

The Wildcats won the SEC title just once (2019-2020) and won just 1 NCAA Tournament contest in that 5-year stretch.

That led to Calipari’s departure from Big Blue to Arkansas last spring.

The Hall-0f-Famer took the lion’s share of his best Kentucky players and recruits with him to Fayetteville, where he’ll lead 1 of the 2 SEC programs not named Kentucky to win a national basketball championship (not counting Texas, which won a pre-integration title in the era before the NCAA Tournament).

As was the case at Kentucky, Calipari’s first Arkansas team won’t lack talent. Adou Thiero is a budding star, former top-10 recruit DJ Wagner is healthy after injuries limited his freshman season at Kentucky, and FAU transfer Johnell Davis might be the most natural scorer in the SEC not named Mark Sears. Throw in the usual Cal electric freshman, from point guard Boogie Fland to walking mismatch Karter Knox and you see why there could be plenty of Woo Pigs going around come March.

The question, as increasingly was the case for Cal’s teams at Kentucky, is consistency. Early scrimmages were a yellow flag: a riveting, dominant win over a national title contender in Kansas followed by an ugly loss to a TCU team figured to be rebuilding this season.

If the Hogs find consistency, this will be a fun team, and the fresh start Calipari needed.

3. Will Kentucky thrive after the change it needed?

Kentucky needed a change and turned to a national championship winning alum, Mark Pope.

It’s hard to imagine a starker contrast from a prior coach than the gulf between Calipari and Pope.

Calipari’s dribble-drive offense was stale and out-0f-touch with modern basketball.

Pope’s 5-out motion offense is an homage to modern basketball, an efficiency monster that will consistently help Kentucky generate nice shots.

Pope’s first team in Lexington lacks a lottery pick, but it might be the most intriguing team in the league.

Jaxson Robinson is a maestro who understands Pope’s offense. Lamont Butler is one of the best defenders in the sport with a penchant for burying the huge shot.

https://twitter.com/JeffreyTracy/status/1642843901651238918

There is frontcourt depth, led by Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr, a perfect 5-out big, and Amari Williams, one of the nation’s best rebounders and interior defenders. There’s sharpshooters, including Koby Brea, who could shoot 45% from deep.

A fun team where the sum of all parts may be greater than any individual talents? That’s different in Lexington.

4. A 10-bid league?

We almost asked if 11 was possible.

That’s how deep the SEC will be in 2024-25.

That’s what happens when you build a league with superstars like Sears and Auburn’s Johni Broome and a collection of Hall of Fame and future Hall of Fame coaches.

Along with Alabama, at least Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky and Texas A&M feel like NCAA Tournament locks.  Arkansas, Texas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas and Georgia should be bubble teams, as will Lamont Paris’ South Carolina, which feels underrated yet again after a top-5 league finish last season.

It will be a busy Selection Sunday, and 10 bids seems a safe bet, with 11 possible.

5. Who rises up to challenge Alabama for the SEC championship?

Alabama is in its own tier as the season begins, but you could make an argument for 10 teams to finish 2nd and at least 5 (Texas A&M, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida and Auburn) to feel like they could win the SEC Championship with a break or two. Don’t count out Texas, either, especially if freshman Tre Johnson is “as advertised” and a backcourt full of ball-dominant guards finds a way to co-exist.

The smartest money for a non-Alabama champion lies with the 2 best-coached teams led by elite seniors.

The Volunteers lose SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht, but they will guard as well as anyone in the country and could win another SEC title if they find complementary scoring for Zakai Zeigler, the All-SEC mainstay who will shoulder a heavier load in 2024-25. Plus, who counts out a Rick Barnes-coached team in regular-season basketball?

Auburn has Broome, who could win the Wooden Award as the nation’s best player. He’s that good. Bruce Pearl will need better guard play than he got in 2023-24, but even that guard-starved group won the SEC Tournament behind Broome and a pair of nasty three and d wings in Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara, who both return. If JP Pegues or Miles Kelly can consistently score, Auburn will challenge for a league title.

6. Is there a sleeper who could finish top 5?

Georgia, the SEC’s youngest team, will also be one of the most talented.

Asa Newell, a 5-star forward who can guard 5 spots, was 1 of 4 players who received SEC Player of the Year votes at SEC Media Days.

Georgia has future pros at guard in Silas Demary and Blue Cain. Tyrin Lawrence, who received preseason All-SEC accolades a year ago, adds depth. Somto Cyril, who flipped from Kentucky, is 1 of 4 top-100 recruits for Georgia, and a testament to just how much talent there is in Athens.

Mike White enters year 3 with a pair of NIT trips. The veteran head coach has never had a losing season, but he’s also never truly maxed out a team. Could this Georgia team break the latter trend?

Georgia has not won a NCAA Tournament game since the George W. Bush administration. If this team can score consistently, that will change in 2025.

7. Who is the player other than Mark Sears most likely to win SEC Player of the Year?

Rightfully, Johni Broome will be the answer for many, but keep an eye on Florida senior Walter Clayton Jr.

Remember, Clayton Jr. outplayed Sears twice in 2 Florida routs of Alabama a season ago, including a 23-point, 5-assist performance in a 102-88 win over the Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament. Clayton Jr. can score at all 3 levels and plays with the physicality you’d expect from a guard who was also a highly coveted football recruit.

Tough loss to Colorado but Walter Clayton Jr. finished his junior year with 33 points and a signature display of shotmaking + sneaky POA change of speed into drives. Bowling ball in the lane with versatile shooting skills. pic.twitter.com/XBaUua7FNn

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) March 23, 2024

Clayton Jr. shot 37% from beyond the arc on high volume last season, and he drew fouls at a strong rate of 4.3 per 40 minutes. He showed his big game chops in Florida’s win at Rupp Arena, the Gators’ run to the SEC Tournament Championship game, and when he scored 16 straight points down the stretch to nearly lead the Gators past Colorado in what was the best game of the NCAA Tournament’s first round. He’s the best Florida guard since Scottie Wilbekin won SEC Player of the Year in 2014, and it wouldn’t be stunning if he won SEC Player of the Year honors.

8. But Johni Broome could win the Wooden Award, right?

He really could.

The nation’s 3rd-most efficient player in 2023-24, per KenPom, Broome does everything. He rebounds at a prolific rate on both ends. His 9.3 block rate is among the best of any returning players in the country. He can shoot the 3 — making it at a 35% clip. He gets to the free-throw line at a proficient rate. His assist rate is the best among returning SEC bigs.

A tremendous leader and person off the floor, Broome is everything you’d want in a basketball player. If he swept SEC Player of the Year and Wooden Award honors, it would be the least surprising thing ever. The real debate is where he ranks in the canon of best Auburn basketball players of all time.

9. Will Ole Miss break through in Year 2 under Chris Beard?

History instructs us that Chris Beard’s programs take big jumps in Year 2. Angelo State improved by 9 wins. Texas Tech went from Big 12 afterthought to a 27-win, Elite-8 team. Beard was 7-1 and expected to contend for the Big 12 title before his summary dismissal from Texas early in Year 2. This upward trend could continue in Oxford.

The Rebels return one of the SEC’s best guards in Matthew Murrell and a do-everything glue guy in Jaemyn Brakefield. Sean Pedulla (16.4 ppg, 4.6 apg at Virginia Tech) transfers in to run the point and while he’s turnover prone, he can be electric when he takes care of the ball. Jaylen Murray is one of the best catch and shoot guys in the SEC. The Rebs, in other words, will score.

Can they guard? A season ago, Ole Miss finished 141st in KenPom defensive efficiency, victimized by a lack of size that made it hard to guard talented posts and tough to rebound. Beard thinks Top-50 freshman John Bol and big man Malik Dia will help fix this issue, giving the Rebels rim protecting talent and rebounding. Of course, he thought he’d get more from Jamarion Sharp and Moussa Cisse last season, but the latter forgot how to rebound and Sharp was overwhelmed by the SEC’s athleticism.

Still, history says it gets fixed, which makes Ole Miss, ranked No. 24 in the preseason, a genuine threat to play deep into March.

10. How many SEC teams will make the Sweet 16?

Alabama seems upset proof, given their prolific scoring and expected improvements on defense.

Every other SEC team has flaws that could prevent them from winning the 2 games required to make a Sweet 16.

Kentucky could miss shots. Florida could lack frontcourt scoring. Ole Miss might not guard. Arkansas may lack depth. Tennessee might not have enough offensively. Auburn could lack the guard play. Texas is talented but the roster might not mesh. South Carolina needs to be more than Collin Murray-Boyles. Texas A&M needs to shoot better than 29% from 3. Miss State will miss Tolu Smith terribly.

A good maxim? Deep and talented guard play tends to win in March.

That favors the Gators, with Alijah Martin and Clayton Jr., Kentucky’s talented shooters and Lamont Butler, a proven winner, and Tennessee, which has Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack, a tenacious pair of ball-hounds who have helped Tennessee play on the 2nd weekend in consecutive seasons. It also gives Arkansas, with Johnell Davis, Boogie Fland and DJ Wagner, a chance to do what Calipari hasn’t done this decade and coach in the Sweet 16. It will hurt Auburn, which has significant questions at point guard for the second consecutive season.

SDS expects Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky to join Alabama as 1 of 5 SEC programs in the Sweet 16.

The post 10 burning questions for SEC basketball in 2024-25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

No, really.

With national championship contender Alabama, 9 ranked teams to begin the season, and a roster of coaches that includes 2 current and at least 2 future Hall of Famers, the SEC has a legitimate claim at being the nation’s best basketball conference in 2024-25.

“A decade ago, Billy Donovan and I had to go around the country preaching the gospel of the SEC,” John Calipari, one of the SEC’s current Hall of Fame coaches and now the head coach at Arkansas, told SDS at SEC Media Days. “We’d go and promise there was more to the league than Kentucky and Florida. All the sudden, we are the ‘it’ league in basketball, too. You look at the investment. The facilities. The  passion of the fan bases. The great coaches. The home sites in this league. Ridiculous. Coaches and players all at the top of their game. It’s incredible.”

The SEC has never finished No. 1 among power conferences in the KenPom era. This season could change that.

“It’s the best league in America. Period. You play a team picked to finish 12th and it’s a dog fight. Nowhere else is that the case,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard told SDS last month. “It’s exceptional to compete in that environment.”

To become the best league, the SEC had to collect the best players. From Wooden Award candidates like Johni Broome of Auburn and Mark Sears of Alabama to Final Four veterans like Lamont Butler of Kentucky and Florida’s Alijah Martin, the talent in the SEC is magnificent. Almost every team has a star, and in a league where picking 5 great players used to be a genuine challenge, it is now hard to limit the list to 15 great ones. Nevertheless, SDS did its best.

Here is our list of the top 15 players in the SEC ahead of the 2024-25 season.

15. Dre Davis, Guard (Ole Miss)

Davis is a perfect fit for a Chris Beard team: big (6-6), tough, physical, switchable, and a kid who plays with relentless energy. After powering Seton Hall to the NIT title, Davis transferred to Ole Miss, where he’ll play 4 different positions this season while offering the type of defense and rebounding last year’s team lacked. He can score too, of course, averaging 15 points per game while becoming 1 of just 6 Big East players since 2010-11 to average 15 or more points, shoot 50% or better from the field, and 80% or better from the free-throw line in conference play. A potential breakout star who could rank higher on this list if the Rebels make good on a preseason Top 25 ranking.

14. Asa Newell, Forward (Georgia)

One of 4 players to receive SEC Player of the Year votes in the preseason media poll, Newell is the lone freshman on our preseason list, edging other elite recruits like Tre Johnson of Texas and Boogie Fland of Arkansas. At 6-10 with the quickness of a guard, Newell is a menace as a help defender and rim protector. He will challenge for SEC All-Defensive Team honors immediately. The question is what he’ll offer on offense. He’s outstanding inside already, as long as he’s leveraging his side and using his left hand. To truly become All-American good, he’ll need to hit jump shots without space. For now, Mike White will likely pick and pop him some, content to allow him to grow as a stationary catch and shoot player when he ventures outside the paint.

13. Josh Hubbard, Guard (Mississippi State)

One of the most fun players to watch in the country, Hubbard is the SEC player who most epitomizes “Shooters Shoot.” Hubbard averaged 17 points and shot 35% from beyond the arc as a freshman for Chris Jans a season ago. Hubbard’s 478 shots in 27 minutes per game ranked 11th in the country. At least he knows why he’s on the floor, am I right?

https://twitter.com/TruMaroonNation/status/1850244075619782672

Miss State has more help in 2024-25, so I don’t think Hubbard takes 34% of Miss State’s shots again as he did last season. But when he gets hot, as he did when he dropped 34 against Kentucky, he’s a game-changing talent.

12. Alijah Martin, Guard (Florida)

Desperate to fix a defense that finished a disappointing 94th in KenPom defensive efficiency last season, Todd Golden and his staff went into the portal and inked one of the best on-ball defenders in America in Alijah Martin.

A fiery competitor who plays with immense physicality on both ends, Martin was the Most Outstanding Player in the East Regional in Florida Atlantic’s Final Four run in 2023, and he dropped 26 points in a heartbreaking 1-point loss to San Diego State in the national semifinals.

26 points on 13 shots for Alijah Martin in a heartbreaking Final Four loss. The chiseled 6'2 FAU sophomore showed off his scoring instincts and dynamic shot-making prowess all NCAA tournament long as well as his toughness and defensive versatility. pic.twitter.com/M3iHgaoXOM

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 2, 2023

Martin has been named to All-Defensive teams in 3 consecutive seasons and is healthy again this year after injuries limited his 2023-24 season with the Owls. The best transfer people haven’t discussed much in this league.

11. Mark Mitchell, Forward (Missouri)

Mitchell transferred back home to Missouri after 2 seasons at Duke where he started and earned a reputation as the ultimate glue guy for the Blue Devils. Sure, the 3-point jump shot looks funny and Mitchell doesn’t always seem like scoring comes naturally. But the former McDonald’s All-American still posted an effective field goal percentage of 56.1 (2nd on a Duke team that went to the Elite 8) and played magnificent defense, ranking 3rd in on ball points per possession against, per Hoops Lens. Back home with a more defined role, Mitchell will thrive for Dennis Gates and the Tigers in 2024-25.

10. Lamont Butler, Guard (Kentucky)

It’s astounding Butler didn’t find his way onto All-SEC teams in the preseason media poll, considering his pedigree as a winner, lockdown defender and shot-maker during his time at San Diego State. Butler hit one of the most iconic shots in Final Four history, and the odd effect of that seems to be people forget that he’s one of the best on-ball defenders in America.

FAU was 29-0 this season when outrebounding their opponent.

The Aztecs had a 35-34 advantage on the boards.

The last rebound of the game was pulled in by Nathan Mensah. It gave SDSU the edge on the glass and set up Lamont Butler’s game winning shot.pic.twitter.com/XBJSLBmN7P

— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) April 2, 2023

“You do not score on him if he’s guarding you 1-on-1, OK?” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher told SDS. “I have not seen a player take as much pride on that end of the floor as he does. It’s infectious, too.”

Jaxson Robinson and Butler will join forces to give Kentucky the SEC’s most underappreciated backcourt.

9. Grant Nelson, Forward (Alabama)

Nelson should benefit immensely this season from the addition of  Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi, who will give the Crimson Tide the rim protector they need to keep Nelson away from the basket more often in 2024-25. When Nelson gets pinned deep, he lacks the physicality to avoid foul trouble when banging with other big men. As long as he’s farther away from the hoop, Nelson is a versatile mismatch nightmare who can shoot the 3 (30 makes in 2024), attack a closeout and back down a smaller defender. A good passer, Nelson will also have an arsenal of elite shooters to pass to when he commands help.

8. Matthew Murrell, Guard (Ole Miss)

Murrell does everything, as evidenced by the fact that a season ago, the former top-50 recruit led Ole Miss in scoring, 3-point field goals and steals. His 10 thefts against Troy last December were a program record, and Murrell finished the season with 50 swipes, a bright spot on the SEC’s worst defense. If Murrell can replicate his 40% mark from beyond the arc last season, he should earn the first- or second-team All-SEC honors that eluded him last year.

“He’s a guy we think can be All-SEC defensive team if he commits to help defense away from the ball,” Beard told SDS. “He turned down a host of 2-way contract deals to come back and show he could be consistent. We know he will score. Now he will lead.”

One of the most explosive offensive players in the SEC when he’s hot, Murrell has All-American ceiling.

7. Wade Taylor IV, Guard (Texas A&M)

“In the annals of Texas A&M basketball, it will be hard to find a guy better than 4,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams told SDS at SEC Media Day. “He is competitive, curious, dynamic, determined. A joy to coach.”

Almost no player in the country carries a heavier workload. Taylor IV took a staggering 585 shots last season, including 302 3-pointers. That represented 31% of Texas A&M’s shots overall and almost 40% of the team’s makes from distance. When he’s on a heater, as 4 was in Texas A&M’s NCAA Tournament win over Nebraska, where he made 7 three pointers and scored 29 points, the Aggies are a force of nature. When he misses shots, the Aggies are fairly ordinary, and may be even more so without 4’s sidekick, Boots Radford, who is gone to graduation.

6. Johnell Davis, Guard (Arkansas)

Do not be surprised if Davis plays 35-40 minutes a night for John Calipari’s first Arkansas team. That’s how dynamic Davis is offensively.

Johnell Davis is going to be a problem at Arkansas!

Highlights vs Arizona last year

Davis put up 35 points (15-27FGs) 9 rebounds and 3 assists in the 2OT win over Arizona. He played 49 of 50 minutes! pic.twitter.com/y0ybn17dS0

— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) August 3, 2024

Davis has an outstanding burst with the basketball, which makes him extremely hard to guard given his prowess as a 3-point shooter, where he connected on 41.4% of his 3s a season ago at FAU. If you guard him too closely, he’s excellent at blowing by and getting to the free-throw line, which he did at an outstanding rate (5 fouls drawn per 40 minutes) in 2023-24. He can be a bit turnover prone (18.7% turnover rate), but with Boogie Fland and DJ Wagner there to allow him to play off the ball a bit more than he did at FAU, where he wasn’t a point guard but led the Owls in on-ball usage, that could improve in 2024-25 despite the jump to the more talented SEC. With Final Four experience and a penchant for the big moment, this is the biggest star on a roster full of big names in Fayetteville.

5. Collin Murray-Boyles, Forward (South Carolina)

By March of last season, it was difficult to find 5 players in the SEC more valuable than Murray-Boyles was for the Gamecocks. The future lottery pick capped his freshman campaign with 9 double-digit scoring outings in his final 10 games, including 15 and 11 in a home win over No. 24 Florida and another double double (11 and 12) in a nip and tuck loss to Tennessee that decided the regular season SEC title.

Collin Murray-Boyles are you kidding me!?

Gamecocks freshman has been really good the last 3 weeks.

This South Carolina team is just getting better.

pic.twitter.com/nAbZn6C3Uk

— Florida Basketball Hour (@FloridaBBHour) February 7, 2024

He was also ruthlessly efficient, making 9-of-10 shots in a win over Miss State, 11-of-15 in a rout of Arkansas, 8-of-11 in a win over Ole Miss, and 14-of-17 in a 31-point, 7-rebound decimation of Vanderbilt. All the offense and rebounding was accompanied by his ability to guard 5 spots on the floor and avoid foul trouble. A brilliant player who is only getting better.

4. Zakai Zeigler, Guard (Tennessee)

The frontrunner for SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Zeigler should demonstrate that he’s more than capable of handling a heavier scoring load in 2024-25 in the absence of the departed Dalton Knecht, the SEC Player of the Year last season and a Consensus All-American. Zeigler is also the leader of a Tennessee program that has won a regular season SEC title (2024) and a SEC Tournament championship in the senior’s time in Knoxville. A steady point guard who ranks fourth among returning SEC players in Points Above Replacement, per Bart Torvik, Zeigler will have a different set of demands without Knecht, but a strong close a season ago suggests he’s ready to meet the challenge.

3. Walter Clayton Jr., Guard (Florida)

Florida’s sensational scorer enters his second season in Gainesville after transferring from Iona, where he was an All-Conference guard for Rick Pitino. Clayton Jr. is a prolific shooter (36.5% from deep) with a lightning quick release who can also bully you downhill with the physicality and quickness that made him a highly sought after football recruit.

WALTER CLAYTON JR. TIES IT UP FOR THE GATORS

OVERTIME IN LEXINGTON

(via @SECNetwork) pic.twitter.com/F4JyaEO0k8

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 1, 2024

Clayton Jr.’s ability to make shots in space or beat defenders off the bounce helped the Gators become a top-15 offense in the country a season ago. He entered the NBA Draft process and was told to improve as a defender and limit his turnovers, which he’s taken to heart throughout the offseason. If he takes a step up from the guy who was one of the SEC’s best 3 players above replacement in SEC play last season, per Torvik, he’ll have a chance to make a name for himself — and some NBA money — in March.

2. Johni Broome, Center (Auburn)

Would it surprise us if Broome won the Wooden Award, honoring the nation’s best player?

Not even a little bit.

For now, the Auburn star will settle for preseason All-American accolades, a huge NIL deal and No. 2 on this list.

Put plainly, Broome does everything and most of it well. He’s a tenacious post defender who is comfortable guarding 4 or 5 spots on the floor. He is a dominant rim protector with a block rate around 10%. He is a highly technical, elite rebounder on both ends of the floor. He hits 35% of his 3s and should shoot more of them this season, having earned Bruce Pearl’s trust. He’s a plus passer. He draws 6.2 fouls per game, getting to the line at a high rate. KenPom’s 3rd-most valuable player in college basketball a season ago, there’s not a glaring weakness in Broome’s game.

He’s also an emotional and fiery leader, the guy opposing student sections hate and Neville Arena adores. One of the best players in the sport. An even better person off the floor. Appointment television.

1. Mark Sears, Guard (Alabama)

One of the national favorites for the Wooden Award, along with North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, Sears is a special talent and scorer who I think will lead Alabama to the program’s first national championship next April.

MARK SEARS FROM THE LOGO

Alabama-Clemson starting to heat up!pic.twitter.com/yrkNmCIe4a

— YKB (@ykb_app) March 31, 2024

Sears made 95 3-pointers at a 44% clip a season ago, stupendous numbers given the volume and range of his attempts. He’s also masterful at getting into the paint and getting to the line, making him the perfect weapon in Nate Oats’ high-percentage or high yield-only offense.

Sears will also guard better in 2024-25 thanks to the improved interior presence Alabama acquired in the transfer portal.

“I’ll have less help duty,” Sears told SDS last month. “I won’t have to dig down as much or fire the post. It means I can stay in a stance, apply ball pressure. It will be a better year for me guarding the ball, I know that.”

If it is, Sears will be the most complete player on the most complete team.

He’ll also be the SEC Player of the Year.

The post SEC basketball: Ranking the Top 15 players in 2024-25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

As usual, the Tobacco Road programs lead the way with a combined 5 players on the list (and more in honorable mentions). Stars from Louisville, Miami, Florida State, Clemson, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Pitt and Stanford also made the cut.

Here’s Saturday Down South’s ranking of the top 15 ACC basketball players for 2024-25:

15. Maxime Raynaud, Stanford (Center)

Maxime Raynaud had a breakout season last year for the Cardinal: 15.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game. He also shot a bit over 36% from 3 on about 2 attempts per game. Raynaud is a highly-skilled big who should be the best player on a Kyle Smith-led Stanford team this season.

14. Efton Reid, Wake Forest (Center)

Efton Reid is a tremendous post presence for Wake Forest. He averaged 10 points and 8 boards per game last season, and the Demon Deacons had a net rating of +19.9 when he was on the court. He needs to stay out of foul trouble this season, but Reid could be one of the ACC’s best bigs.

13. Nijel Pack, Miami (Guard)

Nijel Pack is entering his 5th season of college basketball and his 3rd year at Miami. He’s an elite scorer when he’s right and he has a true wingman this season in 5-star freshman Jalil Bethea. He should have a chance to average 15 points and 5 assists per game in 2024-25.

12. Elliot Cadeau, North Carolina (Guard)

Elliot Cadeau is a former 5-star prospect who reclassified so that he could join Carolina for the 2024-25 season. Cadeau had an up-and-down season, as you’d expect from such a younger player, but he is one of the best passers in the country entering his sophomore season. The shooting remains a major question mark that will determine his upside in Chapel Hill — and his viability as a pro prospect.

11. Tyrese Proctor, Duke (Guard)

Tyrese Proctor is entering his junior season at Duke, but he’s still a very young player all things considered. Proctor won’t turn 21 until next April. He also reclassified so that he could join Duke as a freshman in 2022-23 and it took him awhile to get going, but he’s a very reliable college guard at this stage. He made big strides in a few key areas last season and will now be relied upon a lot more to run Duke’s backcourt with Jeremy Roach out of eligibility. I’m expecting a big season out of Proctor.

10. Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville (Guard)

Terrence Edwards is a grad transfer from James Madison. He spent 4 years with the Dukes and grew to be a high-volume scorer. As a senior last season, Edwards averaged over 17 points per game. He’s a strong shooter and at 6-6, he also has the frame to be a legitimate deterrent on the defensive end. Moving to the ACC is a significant step up, but Edwards held his own against high-major competition last season. He scored 24 in a season-opening win over Michigan State and also scored in double figures against Wisconsin and Duke during the NCAA Tournament.

9. Jalil Bethea, Miami (Guard)

Duke isn’t the only ACC program with a 5-star freshman. Jalil Bethea is Miami’s highest-rated recruit in program history, per 247Sports, surpassing Lonnie Walker for that honor. He should provide some immediate scoring threat in the backcourt alongside Nijel Pack. He enters college with the reputation of being an elite shot-maker and may be one of the best isolation scorers in the league this year.

8. Jaland Lowe, Pitt (Guard)

Jaland Lowe is a rising sophomore for Pitt who has a chance to be one of the best offensive guards in this league in 2024-25. Lowe didn’t get much shine last season while playing alongside Bub Carrington, but he averaged 12 points and had a 3.7-to-1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio in ACC play. A potential first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Lowe figures to be the engine for Pitt’s offense this season. 

7. Kon Knueppel, Duke (Guard/Forward)

Cooper Flagg has (rightfully) taken up a lot of the oxygen with regards to Duke’s freshman class, but Kon Knueppel has been receiving plenty of hype this offseason as well. Knueppel has the reputation of an elite shooter and an excellent all-around offensive player. With Jared McCain now in the NBA, Jon Scheyer’s offense could use a big guard who can shoot from a variety of contexts. Knueppel fits that archetype perfectly.

6. Ian Schieffelin, Clemson (Forward)

Ian Schieffelin is perhaps Clemson’s best returning player from last year’s Elite Eight squad now that PJ Hall is gone. He nearly averaged a double-double last season and the Tigers will be counting on him to take another step forward in 2024-25.

5. Markus Burton, Notre Dame (Guard)

It seems like no matter who the coach is, Notre Dame always has a freshman guard who is making waves. Last year it was Markus Burton, who averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists per game in his debut season. Now back for his sophomore campaign, Burton profiles as one of the better scorers in this league despite his relative lack of size at 5-11. If Notre Dame has a big season, Burton will almost certainly be the reason why.

4. Jamir Watkins, Florida State (Guard)

Jamir Watkins is an excellent college guard. A former VCU transfer, Watkins averaged over 15 points per game last season in his first taste of ACC action with Florida State. He should have even more of a green light to score this season on an FSU team that doesn’t project to be very good.

3. Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest (Guard)

Hunter Sallis enjoyed a true breakout season last year at Wake as he led the ACC in minutes per game and poured in an efficient 18 points per night. He likely could have turned pro after that standout campaign, but instead is back to lead a Deacons team that should contend in the ACC this season. Sallis has first-team All-America upside this season — something that hasn’t been accomplished by a Wake Forest player since Chris Paul did it in 2005. 

2. RJ Davis, North Carolina (Guard)

It seems like it’s been years since the Iron Five took college basketball by storm in the postseason. Everyone else from that famous UNC starting 5 that ended Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching career in the Final Four has moved on from college, but RJ Davis is back for one last ride in Chapel Hill. He’ll spearhead a Hubert Davis offense that again promises to be one of the best in the country. This Carolina team has a lot of youth, but Davis is there to provide plenty of shooting, playmaking and veteran savvy.

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke (Forward)

Cooper Flagg has been known in basketball scouting circles for years. Now, he’s about to become a household name. The No. 1 player in the country for the class of 2024, Flagg is on track to be the most-hyped NBA prospect to come out of college basketball since Zion Williamson in 2019. He’s known as a defensive savant with an unrelenting motor, elite athleticism and an offensive game that’s rapidly developing. He likely won’t be Duke’s primary creator offensively, but he’ll do everything else Jon Scheyer needs from him for the Blue Devils to be a Final Four contender.

Honorable mentions in no particular order: Ian Jackson, North Carolina; Khaman Maluach, Duke; Drake Powell, North Carolina; Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech; Matt Cross, SMU; Chucky Hepburn, Louisville; Javian McCollum, Georgia Tech.

The post ACC basketball: Ranking the Top 15 players in 2024-25 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Last season was interesting for the ACC, to say the least. Much-maligned through much of the regular season, the ACC got 5 teams into the Big Dance. Crucially, the ACC once again sent 3 teams to the Elite Eight and NC State went on a wild run to the Final Four.

Looking ahead to 2024-25, it’s clear that there’s elite talent at the top of this league, particularly with the blue bloods. However, the ACC’s depth remains a shadow of what it once was — particularly with Stanford, Cal and SMU making their ACC debuts this season.

Here’s a look at Saturday Down South’s preseason ACC basketball power rankings ahead of the 2024-25 campaign:

18. Boston College

Boston College finished last season in the top 100 of KenPom’s ratings for the first time in the Earl Grant era. That would be good news, but the Eagles lost 5 key players to the transfer portal this offseason. Quinten Post is gone, too. Maybe Grant gets it going this year again, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

17. Cal

Cal enters this season ranked a depressing 135th in KenPom’s preseason ratings. That’s 1 spot ahead of Kent State, for those of you keeping track at home. A poor roster and heavy travel demands isn’t likely to translate to a good season for Mark Madsen’s bunch.

16. Florida State

Florida State has one of the better guards in the ACC in Jamir Watkins and a top JUCO player in Malique Ewin. Beyond that, I’m not sure what the Noles have going for them. This is a program that has more or less been in free fall for a few seasons now. The Noles haven’t finished above .500 in conference play since 2021, when Scottie Barnes was on the roster. That’s also the last time the Noles were in the NCAA Tournament. I would be surprised if FSU ended that drought this year.

15. Virginia Tech

In the 2 seasons since Mike Young guided the Hokies to their first ACC Tournament title, Virginia Tech is 4 games under .500 in conference play. They’ve missed the Big Dance both years. Per EvanMiya, their best player in 2024-25 projects to be College of Charleston transfer Ben Burnham, who averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds a game last season in the Coastal Athletic Association.

14. Stanford

Stanford hired a new coach this season, luring Kyle Smith from Washington State. Smith has a long track record of winning at hard jobs (he got Wazzu to the NCAA Tournament last season), but it’s not usually a quick process. I’m bullish on the Cardinal long-term given Smith’s well-documented belief in analytics, but it might be a tough first season in the ACC.

13. Notre Dame

Having Notre Dame ranked this high is a product of 2 primary factors: I believe in Markus Burton as a primary scorer and I think Micah Shrewsberry is a great coach. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Fighting Irish surprise some folks this season and compete for an at-large berth NCAA Tournament.

12. Syracuse

Once upon a time, JJ Starling was a 5-star prospect and seemed destined to be the next Notre Dame guard to turn pro. Now he’s entering Year 3 of college hoops and has never really put it together offensively. Will this be the year that the switch flips? Syracuse needs it to be. Eddie Lampkin is an interesting big in the ACC, but I think the Orange will need to get more out of their backcourt in order to be relevant.

11. NC State

NC State lost 4 massive pieces off of a team that made a Cinderella run to the Final Four this past March. It’s worth remembering that NC State wasn’t a good regular-season team last year to begin with, so it’s tough to know where to set expectations for the Wolfpack going into 2024-25. Kevin Keatts was on track to be fired before NC State’s miracle run in the ACC Tournament bled into March Madness. I’m not super optimistic about what this team will do now that DJ Burns, DJ Horne and other have moved on. Keatts won’t be going anywhere; winning the ACC Tournament triggered an automatic 2-year extension through the 2029-2030 season.

10. Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech quietly added Oklahoma transfer Javian McCollum this offseason. He should go a long way toward replacing Miles Kelly’s production now that he’s at Auburn. Baye Ndongo and Naithan George are rising sophomores worth getting excited about. It might be a year early, but I like what Damon Stoudamire is building here. 

9. Virginia

Tony Bennett’s sudden retirement was the surprise of the offseason. There are so many questions about this team that it’s difficult to make a reliable projection for the Cavaliers. But Virginia is always good in the ACC — at least it was under Bennett. This program hasn’t finished with a winning percentage below .600 in ACC play since 2011-12. But things have been trending down for a few years now, so I’m having a hard time being optimistic about Virginia given the coaching change.

8. SMU

Welcome to the ACC, Andy Enfield. The Mustangs brought in a solid guard transfer in Boopie Miller (Wake Forest) this offseason as well as a do-it-all forward in Matt Cross (UMass). If both hit, SMU could be interesting in Year 1. The problem, of course, is that Enfield largely underachieved in his 11-year run at USC. The only time he made it out of the first weekend of the Big Dance was when he had Evan Mobley (No. 3 overall pick in 2021) patrolling the paint.

7. Louisville

Did any program in the country get a bigger coaching upgrade than Louisville this past offseason? Going from Kenny Payne to Pat Kelsey alone should be a big boon for Louisville’s upside this season, but this team is full of unknowns at the moment. Chucky Hepburn, who started 100+ games for Wisconsin, will lead this team in the backcourt.

6. Clemson

It’s somewhat rare to see a team in today’s era return 3 starters, particularly after a deep tournament run like Clemson had last season. And yet, it feels like the Tigers have a big task ahead as they try to replace PJ Hall’s impact on both ends of the floor. Clemson enters the year 24th in KenPom’s preseason rankings, and I expect the Tigers will at least contend for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid this season.

5. Pitt

Pitt lost key players Bub Carrington and Blake Hinson, but Jeff Capel has done a great job of establishing a relatively high floor over the past couple of seasons. Jaland Lowe showed flashes of being a really effective player last season as a freshman with the Panthers, so he figures to be the next man up with Carrington now in the NBA.

4. Miami

Last season was a disaster for Miami coming off its Final Four run in 2023. The Hurricanes shed most of their roster from last season, but they do bring back Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland as key pieces. There’s also 5-star freshman guard Jalil Bethea, who could be a lottery pick if he has a good season at Miami. There’s significant upside for this team to a team that competes at the top of the ACC. BartTorvik has the Canes ranked 26th nationally entering the year.

3. Wake Forest

Senior wing Hunter Sallis (18 points per game last season) enters the year as a projected first-round pick by some outlets and should be one of the best players in the ACC this season. Parker Friedrichsen provides some outside shooting and Efton Reid was great for the Demon Deacons a year ago as well. Steve Forbes consistently proves himself as one of the ACC’s best coaches, and I think he’ll get the most out of this group in 2024-25. 

2. North Carolina

While I have Duke in a tier of its own at the top of the ACC entering the year, North Carolina isn’t a bad team by any means. RJ Davis is one of the best guards in the country and Elliot Cadeau should be ready to take a big step forward as well. Cade Tyson, a Belmont transfer, is a hyper-elite shooter. I have some questions about this team defensively (they finished 8th last season per KenPom) and, of course, about how the Tar Heels will adjust to life without Armando Bacot. Strange as it sounds for a UNC outfit, but rebounding will be a huge concern until these Heels prove it isn’t. But this is a very high-level roster and should be competitive at the top of this league.

1. Duke

Duke looks to be far and away the ACC’s best team and is clearly the league’s best shot at a legit national championship run in 2024-25. Cooper Flagg headlines a freshman class that also includes a couple other future first-rounders in Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel. Tyrese Proctor is back to help stabilize the guard rotation and Mason Gillis is a nice transfer addition from Purdue as well. This team has size, shooting, defense, veteran guard play and elite talent. The pressure is on for Jon Scheyer to deliver a Final Four run.

The post ACC basketball preseason power rankings: Can anyone catch Duke? appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Acaden Lewis is the player in question, a 6-2 lefty with an impressive control of the offense at his young age. Lewis’s jump shot has been a bit off and on, but he can still be a threat to score from range and has shown an ability to be an elite facilitator.

That’s why top schools such as Duke, UConn and North Carolina all wanted Lewis, who is rated as a 4-star prospect. Instead, the PG out of Washington DC is heading to Kentucky.

BREAKING: Top-30 recruit Acaden Lewis, one of the top point guards in the country, has committed to Kentucky, he tells @On3Recruits.

The 6-1 senior out of Washington, DC held offers from Duke, UConn, UNC, and more. https://t.co/hnueZr5Zh7 pic.twitter.com/rH9DsCrWPw

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 2, 2024

Lewis is Kentucky’s 3rd commitment of the 2025 cycle, joining 5-star CG Jasper Johnson and 4-star Center Malachi Moreno. He’ll need to bulk up some to compete against SEC competition, sitting at 170 pounds according to 247Sports.

Kentucky’s 2024 season starts in just a few days, with the Wildcats opening the year against Wright State on Monday. It’s a brand-new year with a brand-new roster, Wildcats fans – soon we’ll see what Pope’s crew is made of.

The post Kentucky beats out UConn, Duke for elite PG in Class of 2025 appeared first on Saturday Down South.

However, before the regular season gets underway, he made an appearance on Michael Krzyzewski podcast Basketball and Beyond to talk all things hoops. While the 2 Hall of Fame coaches did talk about the upcoming season, they also talked about when Krzyzewski scouted Calipari as a player.

“You recruited me to Army,” Calipari said. “You came in one time and your staff said stinks. Not him. He is not the guy.”

Coach K made a joke that they knew when they saw him play that Calipari should be a coach.

The expectations have raised for Arkansas with Calipari as the man in charge. The Razorbacks are ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll, and show some potential in a blowout win in a charity game against No. 1 Kansas. Arkansas will officially kick its season off next Thursday when it hosts Lipscomb at home.

That will be a good tune up game for the Razorbacks, as the schedule gets much more difficult three days later with a game in Dallas against No. 8 Baylor.

“You came in one time to watch me play and your staff said he stinks, not him.”

Coach K and Coach Cal have some fun on Basketball and Beyond this week and discuss the time Coach K scouted a young Calipari.

Full Episode: https://t.co/NpAjtQPT1P@DukeMBB | @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/9X4VoqeDqg

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) October 30, 2024

The post John Calipari looks back on being scouted as a player by Coach K appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Alabama’s Mark Sears was named Preseason Player of the Year. Sears is joined on the Preseason All-SEC First Team by fellow Preseason AP All-American Johni Broome (Auburn), as well as Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler, and Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV.

The preseason AP Top 25 features 9 SEC teams: Alabama 2nd, Auburn 11th, Tennessee 12th, Texas A&M 13th, Arkansas 16th, Texas 19th, Florida 21st, Kentucky 23rd, and Ole Miss 24th.

The 2024-25 regular season begins next week. Conference play in the SEC is set to tip off on Jan. 4. Tennessee is the defending regular-season champion. Auburn is coming off the SEC Tournament title. Alabama had the deepest NCAA Tournament run of any SEC team, reaching the Final Four.

Here’s a look at the full Preseason All-SEC teams selected by the coaches:

Preseason Player of the Year

Mark Sears – Alabama

First Team

Mark Sears – Alabama

Johni Broome – Auburn

Walter Clayton Jr. – Florida

Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

Wade Taylor IV – Texas A&M

Second Team

Grant Nelson – Alabama

Jonas Aidoo – Arkansas

Johnell Davis – Arkansas

Matthew Murrell – Ole Miss

Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State

Third Team

Chad Baker-Mazara – Auburn

Jaxson Robinson – Kentucky

Collin Murray-Boyles – South Carolina

Tre Johnson – Texas

Tramon Mark – Texas

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Robinson scored 24 points and sunk 8 3-pointers in Kentucky’s 98-67 win over Minnesota State. He also contributed 6 rebounds and 3 assists in just 24 total minutes of work.

It was a dominant performance from Kentucky, as you’d expect from an exhibition game against a Division II opponent. Another standpoint performer was Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, who poured in 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. He also distributed the ball well with 6 assists and was disruptive on the defensive end with 3 steals.

Andrew Carr (14 points) and Brandon Garrison (12 points) were the other Kentucky players who scored in double figures.

Here are some highlights from the performance:

Highlights: Kentucky 98, Minnesota St. 67

Jaxson Robinson – 24 PTS (8-12 3 FG) | 6 REB | 3 AST
Otega Oweh – 15 PTS (7-8 FG) | 6 AST | 3 STL
Andrew Carr – 14 PTS (5-7 FG) | 3 REB | 3 AST
Brandon Garrison – 12 PTS (6-9 FG) | 4 REB pic.twitter.com/gDBH6mG80C

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 30, 2024

After the game, coach Mark Pope said he was pleased with Kentucky’s performance except for in one specific area: the offensive glass. Pope said he expects Kentucky to be a much better offensive rebounding team than the Wildcats were on Tuesday night. UK corralled just 6 offensive boards from a possible 32 missed shots.

“We just didn’t perform the way we expect to perform on the offensive glass,” Pope told reporters after the game.

Kentucky will open the 2024-25 season in earnest on Monday, Nov. 4, against Wright State.

Attention Kentucky residents! Curious about what sportsbooks are legal in Kentucky? SDS has you covered with a full breakdown of all the top options! 

The post Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh shine in Kentucky basketball’s final tune-up game appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Flagg is also widely considered to be the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, and with that comes obvious opportunities when it comes to the NIL. He already has deals with New Balance and Cort Furniture, and he is represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

On Tuesday, Flagg became the first men’s college basketball player to get an NIL deal with Gatorade. He joins other collegiate athletes such as Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and a pair of women’s hoops stars Juju Watkins and Paige Bueckers who have NIL deals with Gatorade.

HISTORY: Cooper Flagg becomes the first Men’s NCAA hooper to lock in an NIL deal with @Gatorade.

The @DukeMBB star joins an elite lineup of college athletes to sign with the brand — including Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, and Shedeur Sanders. pic.twitter.com/mwPVDA2Ax8

— Boardroom (@boardroom) October 29, 2024

While Flagg is a generational talent, he is far from the only talented newcomer for the Blue Devils. Duke signed the nation’s No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2024, a group that includes 5 players ranked as 5-star prospects per the 247 Sports Composite.

Duke is currently No. 7 in the country, and will open the regular season on November 4 at home against Maine. Flagg grew up in Newport, Maine and he went to high school at Nokomis Regional high school for his freshman year. After that, he finished his high school at Montverde Academy.

The post Cooper Flagg signs historic NIL deal ahead of freshman year at Duke appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Once again pleased to inform you, it’s Kansaw now pic.twitter.com/yMAqnt0si5

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) October 26, 2024

Now, we understand this was just an exhibition. We also understand that Hunter Dickinson – Kansas’ top player and one of the best big men in the country – did not suit up Friday night. But it’s hard not to be excited about the offensive ceiling of this Razorbacks squad.

John Calipari is known for having very fun, NBA-ready freshman guards and this season is no exception. Boogie Fland was amazing for Arkansas on Friday, dropping 22 points with 5 assists and an incredible 6 steals. Fland is uber shifty, and he flashed a very real ability to create his own shot a few times against a great Kansas backcourt.

Another positive was DJ Wagner, who followed Coach Calipari from Kentucky. The former 5-star prospect was on and off at Kentucky – he really struggled to shoot at times, especially from range. There were promising signs from last night that Wagner has rounded a corner in the consistency department, though. The sophomore guard dropped a team-high 24 points on 8/12 shooting and looked confident while doing so.

Jonas Aidoo, the Razorbacks’ defensive anchor who transferred from Tennessee, did not play Friday. Instead, the Razorbacks ran through Zvonimir Ivisic, who also performed very well. The 7-foot Croatian dropped 18 points with 6 boards on 5/10 shooting with 4 assists and 2 blocks. Again – Dickinson was absent so take those numbers with a grain of salt, but that’s obvious improvement from his freshman season with the Wildcats.

Arkansas’ season tips off on November 6 when the Razorbacks face off against Lipscomb.

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On Tuesday morning, reports started breaking that Pope’s car had run out of gas in downtown Lexington, forcing traffic down on a busy road down to just 1 lane for a short period of time.

However, as it turns out, it wasn’t Pope who ran out of gas — it was his wife. As he tells it, she called him on Tuesday morning to help solve the situation and he recruited a few graduate assistants to the cause as well.

“We’re starting a Zoom compliance meeting at 9 a.m. and I get a phone call at 9:01 and it’s Lee Anne and she’s just run out of gas on the busiest street in Lexington,” Pope said. “So I get the GAs, we jump in the car. The police are there, it’s this huge thing. People are driving by and honking horns, ‘Let’s go Cats!'”

Here’s video of Pope’s story:

Apparently it wasn’t Mark Pope that ran out of gas this morning in downtown Lexington, it was his wife, Lee Anne.

He says he and some graduate assistants rushed down there to bring gas and save the day.

“People are driving by honking their horns saying ‘Let’s go cats!’”… pic.twitter.com/WHmprBtFhD

— Tres Terrell (@TerrellTres) October 23, 2024

Kentucky is just a couple of weeks away from officially tipping off the Mark Pope era at Rupp Arena. UK will open the 2024-25 season with USC Upstate on Nov. 4.

Attention Kentucky residents! Looking for a new sportsbook to try before the start of the college basketball season? Here’s a breakdown of all the best KY sports betting apps on the market in 2024

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The team is annually selected by a 55-member national media panel. The latest edition of the team is unique as it includes 6 players instead of 5. Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and Arizona senior Caleb Love received the same number of votes, so both players get a spot.

The rest of the team consists of Alabama’s Mark Sears, North Carolina’s RJ Davis, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson, and Auburn’s Johni Broome. Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner and UConn’s Alex Karaban were the other players to receive double-digit votes.

Sears helped lead Alabama to the Final Four last season after averaging 17.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 3.3 APG. Davis averaged 21.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG while leading the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16.

Dickinson’s Jayhawks suffered a 2nd-round exit, but the talented big man averaged 17.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 2.3 APG. Meanwhile, Broome’s Tigers suffered a shocking 1st-round upset while Broome averaged 16.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG.

Love was one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters, connecting from deep 93 times and averaging 18 PPG. Flagg was the top recruit in the nation for the 2024 class after starring for Monteverde Academy in Florida.

Dickinson is the lone player on the 2024-25 team to make a repeat appearance. The big man was also a member of the 2023-24 AP Preseason team. Purdue’s Zach Edey, Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot were the other selections last season.

This college basketball season will tip off on November 4. No. 8 Baylor and No. 6 Gonzaga play in a highly-anticipated opening night matchup.

AP Preseason All-America First-Team

Mark Sears
Caleb Love
RJ Davis
Cooper Flagg
Johni Broome
Hunter Dickinson pic.twitter.com/EaqIt85f8Z

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 21, 2024

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The Virginia head coach and his staff scoured the transfer portal, recruited a class Bennett said he was excited about, and then prepared for the new season. When he went to ACC Tipoff last week to discuss his team, Bennett said he was “hopeful.” After that media event, he and his wife took a break and went on a trip.

It was then that Bennett had an honest conversation about his future.

“I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program in this current environment,” Bennett said at a press conference on Friday. “If you’re gonna do it, you’ve got to be all in. If you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men. In looking at it, that’s what made me step down.”

On Thursday, Virginia announced that Bennett would be retiring, effective immediately. The national championship-winning head coach was set to begin his 16th season on the bench in roughly 3 weeks. Instead, he confirmed on Friday that associate head coach Ron Sanchez will take over as interim head coach in his absence.

Asked about timing, he said he always wanted to turn the job over to someone on his staff.

More than anything, Bennett called himself a square peg trying to fit into a round hole with all the changes to the college model in recent years. He admitted that his staff had mostly been handling conversations with player agents.

Bennett said the college game is not in a “healthy spot,” and cited a bevy of issues that are commonplace among major college coaches — the need for collective bargaining, regulations on the transfer portal, limits on agent involvement, and restrictions on the money teams can be spent for players.

He said Virginia would operate closer to a “professional model,” but said he’s not the man to lead that change.

“There’s still a way in this environment. There’s still a way to do it and hold to our values but it’s complicated and to admit honestly that I’m not equipped to do this is humbling.

“It’s right for student-athletes to receive revenue — please don’t mistake me — but the game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot. It’s not, and there needs to be change. I think I was equipped here to do the job the old way. That’s who I am.”

Tony Bennett explains where the changes need to come in college athletics, and the downfalls of the current environment.

“The game and college athletics is not in a healthy place”

: @wsls pic.twitter.com/nnrt2UhDSw

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) October 18, 2024

Bennett was teary-eyed all throughout his press conference on Friday. He said he still loves college basketball and will miss college basketball. He said he’ll be around the UVA program without becoming a distraction. But he ultimately felt it was a disservice to his players to continue.

“This is a place that will not compromise and do it the right way, and I wish it could be me but it can’t,” Bennett said. “And when you know in your heart it’s the time, you have to give it away.”

The post Tony Bennett explains decision to retire from Virginia appeared first on Saturday Down South.

And with his departure, the ACC will lose yet another active head coach that has won a national championship throughout their career. In fact, the upcoming season will mark the first since 1981-82 in which the ACC will open a college basketball season without a coach who has won an NCAA Tournament.

Dean Smith won his first title with North Carolina in 1982. Jimmy Valvano won the tournament with NC State the following year. Mike Krzyzewski won his first title with Duke in 1992. Bennett’s title in 2019 kept the streak alive after Krzyzewski’s retirement in 2022.

Bennett’s departure leaves just 6 active Division I men’s college basketball coaches with a national championship — Dan Hurley at UConn, Bill Self at Kansas, Scott Drew at Baylor, John Calipari at Arkansas, Tom Izzo at Michigan State, and Rick Pitino at St. John’s.

It’s also the fourth straight year the ACC has seen a national championship-winning coach leave the sport.

Jim Boeheim retired last March. Krzyzewski coached his final game for Duke in April 2022. Roy Williams retired in April 2021.

Bennett, 55, is set to hold a press conference on Friday where he will discuss what ultimately went into the decision and presumably explain the timing. He appeared at ACC Tipoff last week to discuss Virginia’s upcoming season. According to ESPN, the decision was not motivated by any health-related factors.

He ends his career with 433 wins across 18 combined seasons with Washington State and Virginia. He was twice named the AP Coach of the Year, won the ACC Coach of the Year award 4 times, and made the NCAA Tournament 12 times.

The post Tony Bennett retirement ends remarkable, decades-old streak for ACC appeared first on Saturday Down South.

Media days are where fans can get to learn about the players off the court, and see their personality. During SEC Media days, players from many of the teams played a throwback game of things that are no longer as popular as they used to.

“What Is This?”

We quizzed players at @SEC media day on classic items they may not remember pic.twitter.com/yhhgbRII3C

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 17, 2024

The players had to name a USB Drive, a VHS tape and a cassette tape. It went as you would expect with 18-23 year old kids. A few of them knew the objects, but there were also guesses such as a “CVS” tape.

SEC fans are hoping that many of their teams do a better job of playing on the court this season than having to guess late 90s and early 2000s essentials.

The conference could be in store for a major season, as there are 9 teams currently ranked in the top 25. Alabama is the highest ranked team at No. 2. The season gets underway on November 4.

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With 9 teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, including No. 2 Alabama, which the media selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference, there was no shortage of star power and storylines on Tuesday at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook.

Here are the 5 biggest takeaways from SEC Media Days.

The best (checks notes) basketball league in America

The SEC has come a long, long way since the late Mike Slive and Greg Sankey brought in a group of consultants to figure out how to make basketball matter in a league where presumably, it just means more.

The SEC ranked last among Power 6 conferences in KenPom’s conference rankings less than a decade ago in 2016. That’s when the SEC brought in outside consultants who came to the unsurprising conclusion that for the SEC to reign supreme on the hardwood the way it does on the football field, they needed to invest.

“Mike Slive and Greg Sankey understood that with the SEC Network and all the television programming, a quality basketball product was important. They did the hard work of preaching investment,” Georgia coach Mike White said Tuesday.

The investment came and slowly but surely, the winning followed.

The league is coming off a record 8 NCAA Tournament berths in 2024 and the conference’s first Final Four berth this decade with Alabama reaching its first Final Four a season ago.

While Texas and Oklahoma were added primarily for football prowess, they bring Big 12 credibility and basketball tradition to a conference already bursting with basketball momentum.

“We used to have promote our league in basketball. Billy (Donovan) and I used to have go tell people that our league was good and hope they believed us,” John Calipari, now the head coach at Arkansas, told SDS on Tuesday. “All the sudden, we are the ‘it’ league in basketball, too. You look at the investment. The facilities. The  passion of the fan bases. The great coaches. The home sites in this league. Ridiculous. Coaches and players all at the top of their game. It’s incredible.”

The SEC has never finished better than 2nd in the KenPom conference rankings, but with 9 preseason Top-25 teams and at least 11 bona fide NCAA Tournament berth contenders, it will almost certainly rank first come March this season.

There was a bounce in Sankey’s step on Tuesday, and it’s hard to blame him.

The SEC doesn’t have the storied tradition of Tobacco Road or set its seasons by basketball like the ACC. It hasn’t produced an NCAA Tournament champion since Kentucky won it all in 2012. Three ACC programs have won the tournament since then — not including Louisville, which won in 2013 before joining the ACC.

What the SEC does have in 2024-25 is the best basketball conference in America.

“It’s the best league in America, period,” Ole Miss coach Chris Beard said Tuesday.

Alabama will guard, which makes them the favorites to win the national championship

A season ago, Alabama rode one of the 4 best SEC offenses in the KenPom era to the program’s first Final Four. That’s the good news. The bad news is that 3 of the other offenses (Florida 2006, Florida 2007, Kentucky 2012) cut down the nets as national champions because they also happened to play a little defense. The other team on the list — Kentucky in 2015 — won 38 times and lost just once, in the Final Four to Wisconsin.

Alabama fell short in their quest to capture the program’s first national championship because they ranked a woeful 111th nationally in defensive efficiency and outside the top 200 nationally in 2-point defense and defensive rebounding.

To remedy that, Nate Oats made 2 critical decisions.

First, he hit the transfer portal, bringing Cliff Omoruyi, who gives the Crimson Tide an elite rim protector who will also make life easier on Alabama’s guards and forward Grant Nelson, who won’t have to play so close to the rim where he’s frequently bodied and can’t effectively use his length.

Cliff Omoruyi isn’t just a game-changer defensively for Alabama… he also opens things up for Grant Nelson to be the best version of himself.

NEW Scout Team with @EricFawcett_ is out now!

Watch/Subscribe: https://t.co/V4vxUuqYzw pic.twitter.com/rYSNrG7uz0

— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) October 15, 2024

The second decision was a staff addition, as Alabama brought in Brian Adams to coordinate the defense. Adams spent over a decade in the NBA, most recently with the Pistons. In that time, Adams led 6 top-5 NBA defensive outfits, including one that won an NBA title (Boston, in 2008).

Oats said Tuesday that the decision to hire Adams was intentional.

“We interviewed a handful of guys,” Oats said. “We were very meticulous with the hire. We weren’t even close to being a good defense last year and that falls on me as a coach. Everyone we interviewed, I told them, if you can’t coach a top-5 defense, don’t bother applying or talking to us. We narrowed it down as a staff and became obvious Brian was the right choice. Our defense is going to be markedly improved this season.”

That’s trouble for the rest of college basketball, because the Crimson Tide, led by unanimous preseason All-American Mark Sears, should once again score at a staggering level behind an avalanche of shooters including Latrell Wrightsell, Chris Youngblood and Houston Mallette. If uber-talented freshman Labaron Philon and Auburn transfer Aden Holloway contribute as Oats expects, the Crimson Tide will boast the nation’s most explosive and deep backcourt.

The combination of a defense that gets stops and the Oats offense makes Alabama the favorite to win the national championship.

John Calipari wants to talk about Arkansas

John Calipari is done talking about his departure from Kentucky, or so he would have you believe.

“I’ve said all I have to say about that,” the coaching legend said shortly after taking the stage Tuesday. “You can look it up.”

Of course, he then listed all the draft picks and lottery picks he produced at Kentucky, but college basketball needs Cal to be Cal.

As for his first Arkansas team, he likes what he has, especially in the backcourt.

“We have a chance to be great in the backcourt with DJ (Wagner), Nelly (Johnell Davis) and Boogie Fland,” Calipari said. “We have 3 really good guards with swagger.”

The key will be Wagner, who came with Calipari from Kentucky. Calipari was quick to point out that the former top-5 recruit was SEC Freshman of the Week 3 of the first 4 weeks of the season before injuring his ankle last season. While Wagner played through the injury, he was not the same player in SEC play.

“It limited what he could do,” Calipari said. “You hurt your ankle and you can’t jump. You aren’t as explosive off the dribble. It’s harder to shoot. So it’s good to see him with his swagger back. He’s a great kid. He cares so much. Maybe too much. Sometimes I wish he were less afraid to fail. But he’s going to have a great year.”

If he does, Calipari’s first Razorbacks team could do something his final 4 Kentucky teams couldn’t — play on the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

A wide open race for 2nd through 12th

If Alabama is in Tier 1 of the SEC by itself, then Tiers 2 and 3 are crowded.

There are as many as 12 SEC programs that could compete for the NCAA Tournament bids, from defending SEC regular-season champion Tennessee to 2024 SEC Tournament champion Auburn down all the way to an Oklahoma team that was the first team left out of the NCAA field last March.

But who will separate themselves?

The most likely Tier 2 group includes Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Auburn has a legitimate Wooden Award candidate in Johni Broome, who was one of the only SEC players to siphon votes away from Mark Sears for preseason SEC Player of the Year honors. The Tigers also feel like they’ll be better in the backcourt with JP Pegues running the point and a pair of 3-and-D menaces in Denver Jones and Chad Baker-Mazara defending the wings.

Kentucky is the most intriguing team of the group.

Mark Pope wins every press conference, and Tuesday was no different.

Showing up and fielding questions in a Kentucky letterman jacket, Pope raved about the experience and hunger of his first team in Lexington.

“I have a group of players that are incredibly curious,” Pope said. “They’re veteran guys and they’ve won a ton of games, but they’ve all done it different ways. So now I have a locker room that’s incredibly curious. That comes from humility. And when you are humble and you are curious, you have chance to grow really, really fast.”

It helps to have a lockdown winner of a guard in Lamont Butler and a savvy passer who understands Pope’s endless cutting, ball movement offense as well as Jaxson Robinson. Throw in a dynamic shooter like Koby Brea and a stretch mismatch in Andrew Carr and you start to see why the sum of this Kentucky team might be greater than its parts appear. What a fun concept for the sport’s best fan base, which too often has suffered seasons where the opposite is true.

Tennessee is coached by Rick Barnes, one of the best regular-season coaches in the history of the sport. Barnes, who has won college basketball games for over 4 decades, believes he might have the best defensive backcourt he’s ever coached in Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack, whom Barnes called “the most undervalued, underappreciated elite defender I’ve ever been around.” Chaz Lanier, a walking bucket who transferred in from North Florida, doesn’t need to be Dalton Knecht.

“No one can be DK, right?” Zeigler said Tuesday. “But Chaz isn’t approaching this like that. No one in our building needs him to score like Dalton. We have him and Darlinstone Dubar and myself and we’ll be more balanced. Sometimes that’s harder to guard.”

From Zeigler’s lips to Rocky Top’s ears. Or something like that.

Florida could finish as high as second in the league if the rebuilt frontcourt, led by Washington State transfer Reuben Chinyelu, a human Adonis and mountain of a rim protector and second-year All-SEC selection Alex Condon take the leaps their talent suggests is possible. If Florida’s frontcourt struggles, a finish of 7th or even 8th is more likely, but it’s hard to see a team with All-SEC guard and All-American candidate Walter Clayton Jr. and bulldog guard Alijah Martin, in from Florida Atlantic’s Final Four group, dropping any farther.

Ole Miss should make a big jump in Year 2 under one of the game’s best coaches in Chris Beard. The Rebels finished 141st in defensive efficiency last season. Beard believes they’ll be a more willing and physical group in Year 2, led by a group of tough-nosed positionless players like Malik Dia, a rim protector with a high IQ, do-everything guard Matthew Murrell, chiseled wing Jaemyn Brakefield, who at 6-9, 230 can guard 5 spots, and the switchable Dre Davis, who is an underrated defender who plays with great energy.

One of those teams should finish 2nd.

But at least 6 others, including Wade Taylor IV and Texas A&M, the uber-talented Texas, Chris Jans’ tough Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Mike White’s best Georgia roster yet, and Lamont Paris’ South Carolina team could make the NCAA Tournament. And yes, LSU and Missouri have better rosters than a season ago, too. No, there’s no Diego Pavia to bail out Vanderbilt.

Preseason Awards, of course!

The SDS All-SEC Ballot looked like this:

• Mark Sears, Alabama
• Johnell Davis, Arkansas
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
• Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

The SDS All-Defensive Team looks like this:

• Cliff Omoruyi, Alabama
• Johni Broome, Auburn
• Alijah Martin, Florida
• Lamont Butler, Kentucky
• Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee

SDS voted for Mark Sears as SEC Player of the Year. 

The post SEC Media Day takeaways: Alabama’s title run, Kentucky’s new path, John Calipari’s optimism and more appeared first on Saturday Down South.

The first Women’s NCAA AP Top 25 Poll of the 2024-25 season came out on Tuesday, and it wasn’t a surprise to anybody that Staley and the Gamecocks were atop the poll.

Got that so putting in the work!https://t.co/PBgs1plpNC pic.twitter.com/LTfRrMHzQb

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) October 15, 2024

This is the 4th time in the last 5 seasons that the Gamecocks have started the season in the No. 1 spot. In 2021-22 and 2022-23, the Gamecocks went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll.

South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll 84 times during the Staley-era in Columbia, which is the 3rd-most for any program in all of women’s college basketball. The program has never been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll without Staley as the head coach.

The Gamecocks return a lot of talent from last year’s team, led by All-American Te-Hina Paopao, who led the nation in 3-point% last season. Raven Johnson is also back, and she was 2nd in the nation last year in assist-to-turnover ratio.

South Carolina unofficially starts the season tonight with a game against Memphis as part of the Inaugural Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

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This season, with the Longhorns joining the SEC, 2 of Barnes’ worlds will collide. His current world, coaching the Volunteers since 2015, and his prior world, Texas, where he was the head coach from 1998 right up until he was fired in 2015 after the Longhorns failed to get to the Sweet 16 for the 7th straight season.

So, for the past quarter-century roughly, it’s been an orange planet for the 70-year-old Barnes, and now this season, Barnes’ Vols will be competing with Texas for SEC championships. And he absolutely is looking forward to it.

“The addition of Texas and Oklahoma solidifies that the SEC is the best league in the country across all sports,” said Barnes. “I have a special place in my heart for Texas, but I’ll go about that game the same way. My favorite part about playing Texas is I get to see my grandkids.”

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes on Texas joining the SEC: "The addition of Texas and Oklahoma solidifies that the SEC is the best league in the country across all sports. I have a special place in my heart for Texas, but I'll go about that game the same way. My favorite part…

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 15, 2024

The line about seeing his grandkids just tells everyone how even though Barnes has long since left Austin, a lot of what he left behind is still there. The Vols and Longhorns have met in each of the last 3 years, including home-and-home meetings as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge and this past March in the NCAA Tournament.

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And it’s hard to not see the SEC as the best conference in the country heading into the season. Incredibly, 9 SEC programs will start the year within the top 25, listed as follows:

• No. 2 Alabama
• No. 11 Auburn
• No. 12 Tennessee
• No. 13 Texas A&M
• No. 16 Arkansas
• No. 19 Texas
• No. 21 Florida
• No. 23 Kentucky
• No. 24 Ole Miss

Incredibly, you could make the argument there should be 10 SEC teams in the Top 25. Mississippi State not cracking the rankings is baffling considering who they return – even with Tolu Smith on the way out. Chris Jans has done an excellent job in Starkville, and the Bulldogs will have one of the best defenses in the conference right alongside Tennessee, Auburn and Texas.

Otherwise, this is a pretty solid preseason ballot from the AP. You could make the argument that Ole Miss isn’t quite a Top 25 team based on the forecast for their defense, but it’s hard to ignore the immense amount of talent Chris Beard has assembled on offense.

Outside the SEC, Kansas gets the top spot at No. 1, followed by the Tide, UConn, Houston and Iowa State.

The college basketball season tips off on November 4, just about 3 weeks away. Here’s a look at the full AP Top 25.

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Ken Pomeroy’s 2024-25 college basketball preseason rankings were unveiled late Sunday night, projecting the rankings of all Division I basketball programs from No. 1 Houston to No. 364 Mississippi Valley State.

The SEC grades out as the best conference in America this season according to KenPom, just ahead of the Big 12. Six teams start the year within his top 25 and the lowest ranked team – Vanderbilt – sits at 96. The SEC is one of just 3 conferences that has all members ranked within the top 100, joining the Big Ten and Big 12.

Here’s a look at the preseason rankings for all 16 SEC teams:

• Auburn: No. 3
• Alabama: No. 4
• Tennessee: No. 13
• Texas A&M: No. 16
• Texas: No. 18
• Arkansas: No. 25
• Florida: No. 28
• Mississippi State: No. 32
• Oklahoma: No. 40
• Kentucky: No. 42
• Ole Miss: No. 47
• LSU: No. 51
• Mizzou: No. 53
• South Carolina: No. 65
• Georgia: No. 67
• Vanderbilt: No. 96

So, what stands out?

Well, the top 3 is no surprise. The Tigers, Crimson Tide and Volunteers have been widely considered the best teams in the conference heading into the new season. Auburn returns Johni Broom, Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones to a lineup that should start 5 seniors/redshirt seniors. Auburn’s not going anywhere, folks.

Texas A&M at No. 16 isn’t too surprising either given who the Aggies return – Wade Taylor, Henry Coleman, Andersson Garcia, the list goes on.

The most surprising placings on this list may be Texas. I’m personally higher on the Longhorns than most, but I really expected them to come in around the mid-low 30s or so. There’s an awful lot of turnover for Rodney Terry and Co. heading into a new conference, and the Longhorns frontcourt has the potential to fall apart behind Kadin Shedrick.

Here are the full rankings for the 2024-25 season.

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Stoops made his appearance on Kentucky’s new LED court, which was transformed into a football field for the Wildcats’ head coach. While addressing the crowd, Stoops was sure to point out the fact that he was new to this event – an obvious jab at former Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari.

Take a look at the scene below.

Mark Stoops: “So this is Madness? I’ve been missing this for 12 years.” pic.twitter.com/FMVavSCczI

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) October 12, 2024

Stoops and Calipari’s feud at Kentucky is well-known. The football coach took exception to Calipari’s comments in 2022 when he insisted UK is a “basketball school.”

And while it may kind of be true – Kentucky basketball is a blue blood and a premier program in CBB history – his comment came in pretty poor taste. That’s not exactly the thing you say as the head coach in a major athletic program. Especially one where football is finally on the upswing after years of disappointment.

“It’s always been that way,” Calipari said when campaigning for a new practice facility. “Alabama is a football school. So is Georgia. I mean, they are. No disrespect to our football program. I hope they win 10 games and go to bowls. But this is a basketball school and we need to keep moving in that direction and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Stoops fired back with a few comments during a weekday presser, as well as the following response on social media:

Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC? #4straightpostseasonwins https://t.co/xUoKmUeonH

— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 11, 2022

Obviously, this isn’t what you want from 2 of the top programs at the same school

Mark Pope is in charge of things on the basketball court now. The former Wildcat and BYU head coach made the Cougars a constant threat in Provo, complemented by one of the best offenses in the country last season. He is working with a brand new team – there’s not a single returning player from last season’s squad – but the Wildcats should still be a fringe top 25 team in Year 1.

Kentucky’s season tips off against Wright State on November 4.

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Pitino, now the head coach at St. John’s, wore Kentucky blue as he was re-introduced to the rowdy crowd at Rupp Arena on Friday night. He presence was a surprise — he was the last member of the 1996 national championship team to walk out onto the floor.

The crowed at Rupp Arena erupted after realizing that Pitino was in the building:

Crowd erupts as Rick Pitino comes out last and hoists the 1996 national championship trophy… pic.twitter.com/q4V1aQvIQ6

— Jeff Drummond (@JDrumUK) October 12, 2024

Not only was Pitino present, but he also addressed the crowd. He spoke glowingly about Pope — who was on the ’96 team that Pitino coached to the national title — during his remarks.

“We get to root for a gentleman that … there’ve been a lot of great coaches here. A lot of great ones. But we get to root for someone that the name Kentucky, is what he’s all about. It’s not about Pope … the most selfless, humble, young man I’ve ever coached in my lifetime. One of the great, great examples of what Kentucky basketball is all about. Mark Pope is going to lead you to greatness in every sense of the word.”

Here’s video of Pitino’s brief speech to the crowd in Lexington:

Rick Pitino’s message to Big Blue Nation: pic.twitter.com/rZSlnHvfVM

— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) October 12, 2024

Despite all the enthusiasm around Kentucky’s program this offseason, expectations nationally are pretty low for the Wildcats in 2024-25. Kentucky is +3000 to win the SEC regular-season title this year. That’s tied with Mississippi State for the 9th best odds in the conference.

Interested in betting on Kentucky college basketball futures? Here’s a DraftKings KY promo to help you get started with up to $150 in bonus bets when you sign up!

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Both players are 5-star prospects per the 247 Sports Composite in the cycle while Cameron is among the top players in the entire country. Early Friday morning, it was announced that the twins were officially committing to Duke.

That commitment is far from a surprise. Their father, Carlos, played for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke in the late 1990s-early 2000s and helped lead Duke to the 2001 national championship. Carlos would eventually become a 2nd-round pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Breaking: Cameron and Cayden Boozer have announced their commitment to play college basketball at Duke.

Cameron and Cayden, No. 2 and No. 17 on ESPN’s Top 100 for the class of 2025, are the twin sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, who also played at Duke @SCNext pic.twitter.com/iVBGGo1cSC

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 11, 2024

Cameron is the more highly-regarded player of the 2 Boozer twins. A 6-foot-9 power forward, the 247 Sports Composite rates Cameron as the No. 2 overall player in the country and the No. 1 PF for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

As for Cayden, he is a 6-foot-4 point guard who is still ranked as a 5-star recruit per the composite. He checks in as the 21st overall prospect in the country and the No. 4 PG for the cycle.

They both play for Columbus High School in Miami, Florida, and they become the first commitments for Jon Scheyer in the 2025 recruiting class. Together, the Boozer twins give Duke the No. 5 recruiting class in the entire country and 2 marquee players to build around.

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The Razorbacks unveiled the new-look court with the vintage logo on Wednesday via social media.

via @RazorbackMBB on X (formerly Twitter)

The Slobber Hog was an Arkansas basketball logo used under Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson. It was featured on the court at Bud Walton Arena until 2008 when it was replaced with the official Razorback logo.

Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek used the Slobbering Hog’s popularity as a way to fundraise for the program’s NIL collective. That got John Calipari to chime in on the old logo.

Since I got on campus in April I’ve had many bring up the Slobbering Hog in Bud Walton! Razorback fans have a chance to make that happen now! https://t.co/BakEUe1uu7

— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) October 3, 2024

Razorback fans met Yuacheck’s challenge. The Arkansas AD shared that a late 6-figure donation and proceeds from a Justin Cole Moore concert helped get the total over the finish line.

HOG YEAH! Thanks to a late six figure donation, + @JustinColeMoore concert $ + an incredible number of Razorback fans donating what they could; we have hit our $500K goal to match our $500K donation to hit $1M mark in one week. Center court logo added this morning as promised. pic.twitter.com/SYny7MKCNh

— Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) October 9, 2024

The first game to be played on the new-look court will be Oct. 25 when Kansas visits Bud Walton Arena for a charity exhibition.

Vintage vibes in the air pic.twitter.com/w7yuazcbKP

— Arkansas Razorbacks (@ArkRazorbacks) October 9, 2024

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