Looking Forward: Catching up on the SEC’s offseason

By Rob DausterMay 18, 2015, 1:40 PM EDT

With the early entry process over and with just about every elite recruit having picked a school, we now have a pretty good idea of what college basketball will look like in 2015-16. Over the next three weeks, we’ll be taking an early look at next season.

Last week, we took a look at the ACC, the Big 12, the Big Ten and the Pac-12. Today, we’ll look at the Big East and the SEC.

MAJOR OFFSEASON STORYLINES

1. Wild spring on the coaching carousel: The SEC’s coaching carousel was as wild and entertaining as any this spring. Rick Ray was fired by Mississippi State to make room for new head coach Ben Howland. Rick Barnes, fresh off an ouster at Texas, was hired by Tennessee to replace Donnie Tyndall, who was fired for NCAA violations one year after getting the job. Alabama threw a blank check at Gregg Marshall, misseed, and then signed former NBA head coach Avery Johnson. And then, of course, there was Billy Donovan, one of college basketball’s best, heading to the NBA to take over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was replaced by Mike White, which begs the question: Is Florida truly an elite job, or was Donovan simply an elite head coach?

2. Kentucky’s recruiting misses this spring: Kentucky lost seven of their top eight players to the NBA Draft this spring, changes that weren’t exactly unexpected. Every preseason top 25 that was released still had Kentucky listed in the top five, partly because the Wildcats were bringing in 2015’s top recruit (Skal Labissiere) and top point guard (Isaiah Briscoe). But there was also an assumption that at least one or two of the uncommitted stars in the class would end up in Lexington, because of course they would.

Right?

Well, not exactly. Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Ivan Rabb, Malik Newman, Stephen Zimmermann, Cheick Diallo and Derryck Thornton all went elsewhere. The Wildcats still have the pieces to win a national title, but it sure was odd to see John Calipari take an 0-fer on elite recruits during the spring.

3. Can anyone make the jump to elite?: Kentucky is the obvious favorite to win the SEC, but there are a number of other teams in the conference that will have the pieces to make some noise this season. LSU will bring in one of the nation’s best recruiting class, headlined by Ben Simmons. Texas A&M not only returns a number of key pieces from last year’s team, but they add four four-star recruits. Georgia returns the majority of their back court from last year’s NCAA tournament team. And perhaps most interesting will be Vanderbilt, who brought back Damian Jones and finished last season as one of the league’s hottest teams.

KEY ADDITIONS

Ben Simmons, LSU: Simmons is an incredibly entertaining and versatile prospect. A college four, Simmons has the handle and the passing ability to play the point if needed. Think former Iowa State forward Royce White. He’s joined by Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Randolph in LSU’s elite recruiting class.
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky: Labissiere is the best prospect in the 2015 class. A face-up big man that scores with his back to the basket, hits jumpers and blocks shots, Labissiere will remind some of Anthony Davis, although he doesn’t have close to the same ceiling.
Malik Newman, Mississippi State: Newman has an outside shot of leading the SEC in scoring, and could lead the country in shot attempts. The best guard prospect in the country, Newman was Howland’s first big recruit in Starkville.

SURPRISING DEPARTURES

Michael Frazier and Chris Walker, Florida: Maybe Frazier and Walker saw it coming with Billy Donovan. The junior shooting guard’s departure to the NBA is a major blow, while Florida may be happy to simply cut ties with the disappointing Walker, a former top ten recruit that never lived up to the hype.
Michael Qualls, Arkansas: Everyone believed that Bobby Portis was heading to the NBA after his sophomore season. Losing Qualls may actually hurt more, however, as he really showed how good he can be in the 2015 NCAA tournament.
Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey, LSU: It’s not all that surprising that Martin and Mickey headed to the NBA, but it does hurt. Neither are expected to go in the first round, and it leaves the Tigers, who have a ton of perimeter talent on their roster, without much depth in the post.

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

Damian Jones, Vanderbilt (Player of the Year)
Danuel House, Texas A&M
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Skal Labissiere, Kentucky
Ben Simmons, LSU

PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS, IN TWEET FORM

1. Kentucky: Coach Cal lost seven to the NBA and missed on a ton of elite recruits, but Skal, Ulis, Briscoe and Lee is as good of a top four as anyone.

2. Vanderbilt: The nation will get a chance to see how good Damian Jones and Riley LaChance are as Kevin Stallings adds another solid recruiting class.

3. Texas A&M: The majority of Billy Kennedy’s rotation returns and is joined by one of the nation’s best recruiting class. A&M is trending up in a big way.

4. LSU: Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney headline a loaded class to add to LSU’s already talented roster. But can Johnny Jones win with that talent?

5. Georgia: The Bulldogs lose their front line, but their guards — Gaines, Mann and Frazier — are back. Keep an eye on Yante Maten.

6. Florida: Losing Billy Donovan certainly hurts, but Mike White is a good coach and he still has talent: Kasey Hill, Chris Chiozza, Dorian Finney-Smith, Devin Robinson.

7. Ole Miss: Losing Jarvis Summers will hurt, but that will only mean more shots for Stefan Moody, one of the league’s most entertaining players.

8. Mississippi State: Rick Ray may have gotten a raw deal, but Ben Howland’s a great coach, and he can get talent like Malik Newman.

9. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have some young, talented pieces on their roster, namely Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier. What can Frank Martin get out of them?

10. Auburn: Bruce Pearl had an impressive recruiting haul with the Tigers, but they’re still quite young. A year or two away still.

11. Arkansas: It’s not going to be easy to overcome the losses of Michael Qualls and Bobby Portis, who was the SEC’s Player of the Year.

12. Tennessee: Getting Rick Barnes is a good sign for Tennessee’s future. He’ll get players … eventually.

13. Alabama: Anthony Grant didn’t exactly leave the cupboard full for new head coach Avery Johnson.

14. Missouri: Things are getting ugly in Columbia. Will Missouri keep Kim Anderson for more than two seasons?

Purdue’s Edey returning to school at NBA draft deadline; Kentucky’s Tshiebwe stays in

Associated PressJun 1, 2023, 11:17 AM EDT

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue’s Zach Edey decided it was the right call to go back to school instead of staying in the NBA draft. His predecessor as national player of the year, Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, is sticking with his pro pursuit.

And Connecticut’s reign as NCAA champion will begin with multiple starters having left for the NBA draft and one returning after flirting with doing the same.

The 7-foot-4 Edey and UConn guard Tristen Newton were among the notable names to announce that they were withdrawing from the draft, the NCAA’s deadline for players who declared as early entrants to pull out and retain their college eligibility.

Edey’s decision came in social media posts from both the center and the Boilermakers program that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament behind Edey, The Associated Press men’s national player of the year.

But Tshiebwe announced late in the afternoon that he would remain in the draft after a college career that included being named the AP national player of the year in 2022.

For the current champions, Newton (10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds) is returning after being one of four Huskies to declare for the draft after a run to UConn’s fifth national championship in early April. He scored a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the victory over San Diego State in the title game.

The others were Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, wing Jordan Hawkins and versatile guard Andre Jackson Jr. Sanogo (17.8 points) and Hawkins (16.3) have made it clear they have closed the door on their college careers, while team spokesman Phil Chardis said that Jackson (6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists) would remain in the draft.

The Huskies have 247sports’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class for next year to restock the roster, led by McDonald’s All-American point guard Stephon Castle.

The NBA’s withdrawal deadline is June 12, but is moot when it comes to college players returning to school due to the NCAA’s earlier timeline to retain playing eligibility.

STAYING IN SCHOOL

TREY ALEXANDER: Creighton gets back a 6-4 guard who averaged 13.6 points and shot 41% from 3-point range in his first full season as a starter.

ADEM BONA: The 6-foot-10 forward and Pac-12 freshman of the year is returning to UCLA after starting 32 games as a rookie and averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks – with coach Mick Cronin praising his toughness for “competing through multiple injuries for as long as he could” in a statement Wednesday.

EDEY: He averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists while shooting 60.7% from the field. His presence alone helps Purdue be a factor in the Big Ten race.

JOSIAH-JORDAN JAMES: The 6-6 guard went through the NBA G League Combine and had workouts with multiple teams before opting to return to Tennessee for a fifth season alongside teammate Santiago Vescovi.

JUDAH MINTZ: The 6-3 freshman averaged 16.3 points and 4.6 assists for Syracuse, ranking third among Division I freshmen in scoring behind only Alabama’s Brandon Miller and Lamar’s Nate Calmese.

OWLS’ RETURNEES: Florida Atlantic got good news after its surprise Final Four run with the return leading scorers Johnell Davis (13.8) and Alijah Martin (13.4). ESPN first reported their decisions, while Martin later posted a social media statement.

TERRENCE SHANNON JR.: Illinois got a big boost with Shannon announcing his night in a social media post. The 6-6 guard is returning for a fifth college season after averaging 17.2 points.

SPARTANS’ RETURNEES: Michigan State announced that guards Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard have withdrawn from the NBA draft. Standout guard Tyson Walker had previously withdrawn in April, setting up Tom Izzo to have five of his top scorers back.

GOING PRO

KOBE BROWN: Missouri’s 6-8 swingman opted against returning for a fifth college season after being an AP first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick averaging 15.8 points last season.

JAYLEN CLARK: The third-year UCLA guard averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while leading the Pac-12 with 2.6 steals en route to being named Naismith national defensive player of the year. Cronin called him a winner with strong intangibles who made UCLA “a better program because he chose to be a Bruin.”

BRICE SENSABAUGH: The Ohio State freshman averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 31 games before missing his final two in the Big Ten Tournament due to a knee injury. He’s a potential first-round prospect.

TSHIEBWE: The 6-9, 260-pound forward is a tough interior presence who led the country in rebounds for two straight seasons (15.1 in 2022, 13.7 in 2023) while racking up 48 double-doubles. But he faces an uncertain next stop and is projected at best as a second-round prospect.

North Carolina transfer Caleb Love commits to Arizona

Associated PressMay 31, 2023, 10:59 AM EDT

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Love is now headed to Arizona.

The North Carolina transfer tweeted, less than a month after decommitting from Michigan, that he will play next season with the Wildcats.

“Caleb is a tremendously talented guard who has significant experience playing college basketball at a high level,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said in a statement. “We look forward to helping Caleb grow his game at Arizona. And as we near the completion of the roster for the upcoming season, we feel great about how everything has come together. Now it’s time for the real work to start.”

A 6-foot-4 guard, Love averaged 14.6 points and 3.3 assists in three seasons at North Carolina. He averaged 17.6 points in seven NCAA Tournament games, helping lead the Tar Heels to the 2022 national championship game.

Love entered the transfer portal after leading North Carolina with 73 3-pointers as a junior and initially committed to Michigan. He decommitted from the Wolverines earlier this month, reportedly due to an admissions issue involving academic credits.

Love narrowed his transfer targets to three schools before choosing to play at Arizona over Gonzaga and Texas.

Love will likely start on a team that will have dynamic perimeter players, including Pelle Larsson, Kylan Boswell and Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley.

Biden celebrates LSU women’s and UConn men’s basketball teams at separate White House events

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 11:56 PM EDT

Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK

WASHINGTON – All of the past drama and sore feelings associated with Louisiana State’s invitation to the White House were seemingly forgotten or set aside Friday as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed the championship women’s basketball team to the mansion with smiles, hugs and lavish praise all around.

The visit had once appeared in jeopardy after Jill Biden suggested that the losing Iowa team be invited, too. But none of that was mentioned as both Bidens heralded the players for their performance and the way they have helped advance women’s sports.

“Folks, we witnessed history,” the president said. “In this team, we saw hope, we saw pride and we saw purpose. It matters.”

The ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes after forward Sa’Myah Smith appeared to collapse as she and her teammates stood behind Biden. A wheelchair was brought in and coach Kim Mulkey assured the audience that Smith was fine.

LSU said in a statement that Smith felt overheated, nauseous and thought she might faint. She was evaluated by LSU and White House medical staff and was later able to rejoin the team. “She is feeling well, in good spirits, and will undergo further evaluation once back in Baton Rouge,” the LSU statement said.

Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, Biden said, more than half of all college students are women, and there are now 10 times more female athletes in college and high school. He said most sports stories are still about men, and that that needs to change.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs and activities.

“Folks, we need to support women sports, not just during the championship run but during the entire year,” President Biden said.

After the Tigers beat Iowa for the NCAA title in April in a game the first lady attended, she caused an uproar by suggesting that the Hawkeyes also come to the White House.

LSU star Angel Reese called the idea “A JOKE” and said she would prefer to visit with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, instead. The LSU team largely is Black, while Iowa’s top player, Caitlin Clark, is white, as are most of her teammates.

Nothing came of Jill Biden’s idea and the White House only invited the Tigers. Reese ultimately said she would not skip the White House visit. She and co-captain Emily Ward presented team jerseys bearing the number “46” to Biden and the first lady. Hugs were exchanged.

Jill Biden also lavished praise on the team, saying the players showed “what it means to be a champion.”

“In this room, I see the absolute best of the best,” she said, adding that watching them play was “pure magic.”

“Every basket was pure joy and I kept thinking about how far women’s sports have come,” the first lady added, noting that she grew up before Title IX was passed. “We’ve made so much progress and we still have so much more work to do.”

The president added that “the way in which women’s sports has come along is just incredible. It’s really neat to see, since I’ve got four granddaughters.”

After Smith was helped to a wheelchair, Mulkey told the audience the player was OK.

“As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey joked. “Sa’Myah is fine. She’s kind of, right now, embarrassed.”

A few members of Congress and Biden aides past and present with Louisiana roots dropped what they were doing to attend the East Room event, including White House budget director Shalanda Young. Young is in the thick of negotiations with House Republicans to reach a deal by the middle of next week to stave off what would be a globally calamitous U.S. financial default if the U.S. can no longer borrow the money it needs to pay its bills.

The president, who wore a necktie in the shade of LSU’s purple, said Young, who grew up in Baton Rouge, told him, “I’m leaving the talks to be here.” Rep. Garret Graves, one of the House GOP negotiators, also attended.

Biden closed sports Friday by changing to a blue tie and welcoming the UConn’s men’s championship team for its own celebration. The Huskies won their fifth national title by defeating San Diego State, 76-59, in April.

“Congratulations to the whole UConn nation,” he said.

Marquette’s Prosper says he will stay in draft rather than returning to school

Associated PressMay 26, 2023, 7:08 PM EDT

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

MILWAUKEE — Olivier-Maxence Prosper announced he is keeping his name under NBA draft consideration rather than returning to Marquette.

The 6-foot-8 forward announced his decision.

“Thank you Marquette nation, my coaches, my teammates and support staff for embracing me from day one,” Prosper said in an Instagram post. “My time at Marquette has been incredible. With that being said, I will remain in the 2023 NBA Draft. I’m excited for what comes next. On to the next chapter…”

Prosper had announced last month he was entering the draft. He still could have returned to school and maintained his college eligibility by withdrawing from the draft by May 31. Prosper’s announcement indicates he instead is going ahead with his plans to turn pro.

Prosper averaged 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season while helping Marquette go 29-7 and win the Big East’s regular-season and tournament titles. Marquette’s season ended with a 69-60 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.

He played two seasons at Marquette after transferring from Clemson, where he spent one season.

Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. returning for last season of eligibility

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:18 PM EDT

Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports

Kevin McCullar Jr. said that he will return to Kansas for his final year of eligibility, likely rounding out a roster that could make the Jayhawks the preseason No. 1 next season.

McCullar transferred from Texas Tech to Kansas for last season, when he started 33 of 34 games and averaged 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds. He was also among the nation’s leaders in steals, and along with being selected to the Big 12’s all-defensive team, the 6-foot-6 forward was a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

“To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog,” McCullar said in announcing his return.

Along with McCullar, the Jayhawks return starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams from a team that went 28–8, won the Big 12 regular-season title and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Arkansas in the second round.

Perhaps more importantly, the Jayhawks landed Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, widely considered the best player in the portal, to anchor a lineup that was missing a true big man. They also grabbed former five-star prospect Arterio Morris, who left Texas, and Towson’s Nick Timberlake, who emerged last season as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.

The Jayhawks also have an elite recruiting class arriving that is headlined by five-star recruit Elmarko Jackson.

McCullar declared for the draft but, after getting feedback from scouts, decided to return. He was a redshirt senior last season, but he has another year of eligibility because part of his career was played during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a big day for Kansas basketball,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “Kevin is not only a terrific player but a terrific teammate. He fit in so well in year one and we’re excited about what he’ll do with our program from a leadership standpoint.”