4 members of our six-person skilled panel picked Florida to win the SEC earlier than the season. However after a 7-4 begin marked by a 3-4 file in opposition to high-major opposition, the No. 23 Gators are clearly a piece in progress.
May they nonetheless win the SEC? Completely. Thomas Haugh is taking part in like an All-American, and if switch guards Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton) can recuperate from abysmal 3-point capturing begins, the sky is the restrict for Florida. However there is a lengthy solution to go.
The opposite group receiving first-place votes in our preseason SEC ballot was Kentucky, and the Wildcats have been an injury-prone wreck up to now. They lastly picked up a win over a top-200 NET group in opposition to Indiana final weekend. However at simply 7-4 and with some ugly efficiency on its ledger, UK has so much to show earlier than it may be seen as a league title contender.
Inside why Kentucky is battling an costly roster and what coach Mark Pope can do to repair the problems
Adam Finkelstein
So who will rise above the fray within the SEC to win a league that seems extra extensive open than initially anticipated? There are many intriguing candidates, together with a Vanderbilt group that improved to 11-0 Wednesday with a win at Memphis. The No. 13 Commodores are the SEC’s highest-rated group at KenPom and are constructing off final yr’s breakthrough debut for coach Mark Byington.
Circumstances may be made for No. 14 Arkansas, No. 16 Alabama and No. 20 Tennessee as nicely. And what about Auburn? Bruce Pearl retired, and the Tigers have been on the fallacious facet of a pair lopsided defeats. However additionally they have double-digit wins over Oregon, St. John’s and NC State.
For this week’s Dribble Handoff, our writers are making their second-chance picks for who will win the SEC in 2026
Alabama
Every year, the SEC palms out trophies for each regular-season convention championships and conference-tournament championships. So, over the previous 5 seasons, between 14 and 16 completely different packages have been competing for a complete of 10 SEC trophies.
Alabama has 4 of them.
I feel the Crimson Tide will get one other in March.
I agree with most others that the SEC is wide-open and might be gained by any variety of groups, contemplating there are seven league members presently ranked between tenth and twenty fifth at KenPom.com — and none within the high 9. I am not sure any of the seven have the stuff to truly end with one of the best file within the SEC, however most of them do, which is among the many causes the eventual champ might end with 5 – 6 convention losses. Both manner, my guess is that Alabama finishes with fewer than anyone else and wins the SEC’s regular-season title for the third time in a six-year span whereas Labaron Philon, the Crimson Tide’s star guard, walks away with SEC Participant of the 12 months honors. — Gary Parrish
Kentucky
A traditional and irresistible buy-low alternative whereas on the similar time staying true to what I predicted two months in the past? Signal me up. I had Kentucky because the agency high group within the SEC heading into the season. Since then … it has been tough. Solely final Saturday, when UK beat Indiana 72-60 at Rupp Enviornment, did Mark Pope’s group lastly earn a win over a high-major opponent. It is 1-4 general, with its final non-con power-conference alternative looming this Saturday on the CBS Sports activities Traditional in opposition to No. 22 St. John’s.
We could nicely see a giant nook turned by Massive Blue. With Jaland Lowe now again and working the purpose AND with defensive menace Jayden Quaintance anticipated to make his Kentucky debut within the close to future, I’m taking the Cats to emerge from what I feel would be the best race of any energy convention. Kentucky has been close to the highest of the checklist of essentially the most disappointing groups by way of the primary six-plus weeks of the season. Lowe and Quaintance are the 2 most necessary gamers, although, and I feel they will show that true in a number of weeks’ time. — Matt Norlander
Florida
My how issues have modified in simply over a month since we first laid out our SEC predictions. Kentucky appears listless, Tennessee’s misplaced three of its final 4 and defending nationwide champion Florida is 7-4 getting into the weekend. The league feels extensive open.
Due to that, I am sticking with my authentic choose of Florida, with Vanderbilt second if I needed to reconfigure my projections. For as ugly because the file is, the reality is that this Florida group could be very near being 11-0. Three of its losses had been in opposition to top-10 groups, and all 4 of its losses had been by a mean margin of simply 3.8 factors. There isn’t any comfort in shedding shut video games, however there may be solace available in realizing this Gators group is shut.
They’ve additionally undeniably not performed nicely, too, which, with a glass-half-full mentality, is encouraging. There’s a lot extra juice to be squeezed from this roster. The Xaivian Lee-Boogie Fland backcourt continues to develop. Thomas Haugh stays a star. And the frontcourt of Alex Condon and Reuben Chinyelu is as constant as ever. Micah Handlogten minutes as a change-up additionally stay efficient.
There are only a few holes on this group is what this choose boils all the way down to. And the holes which have existed up to now appear very able to being plugged and stuck for good.
I am undecided this Florida group may be run-away-from-the-league good and even repeat nationwide champion good. However in a wide-open SEC it has the horses and the scheme to win video games by pounding the offensive glass and destroying groups with its protection. That was a lot of the recipe that led it to 36 wins final season (lacking solely Walter Clayton Jr. and a top-two offense), however it would possibly nonetheless be ok to get the Gators league {hardware} by common season’s finish. — Kyle Boone
Vanderbilt
Believing in a non-traditional energy requires religion, however that religion is less complicated to search out when it is backed up by proof. Vanderbilt has offered ample proof of its championship potential throughout an 11-0 begin. The Commodores, in 12 months 2 underneath coach Mark Byington, have diversified their offensive arsenal and are routinely racing previous their opponents with a high-powered assault. It is led by a dynamic 1-2 punch at guard in Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner, who’ve helped Vandy to the nation’s second-best assist-to-turnover ratio whereas filling it up at a prolific clip. Frankie Collins can also be meting out practically 5 assists per sport off the bench and hasn’t even begun to search out his exterior capturing stroke but.
Returning forwards Tyler Nickel and Devin McGlockton present dimension, ground spacing and management. One knock is that Vanderbilt continues to be a bit lean on the inside, which suggests Jalen Washington must keep wholesome and out of foul hassle if the Commodores are going to have professional rim safety. However nobody on this yr’s SEC is ideal, and the Commodores are the kind of wagon that may pounce on the various vulnerabilities of the league’s different title contenders.
This group bears similarities to the 2020-21 Alabama group that gained the SEC in coach Nate Oats’ second yr. The largest distinction is that Vanderbilt has truly confirmed considerably extra at this level within the calendar than that Crimson Tide group, which recovered from a 4-3 begin in non-conference play to go 16-2 within the SEC. In what’s been a season of wrestle for the SEC up to now, the Commodores are an outlier for all the suitable causes. — David Cobb
Florida
Not all convention schedules are created equal, and Florida’s appears considerably simpler in mid-December than it did within the preseason. South Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia kind Florida’s double-dip opponents. South Carolina nonetheless seems to be an SEC bottom-feeder. Georgia is best than we anticipated, however the jury continues to be out on that time guard room, and the proverbial horse has been crushed to demise with Kentucky. Florida solely has to play Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee as soon as … at dwelling. Outdoors of Vanderbilt, the 5 different groups that Florida has to tangle with on the street (Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas A&M) are all in scorching water to make the NCAA Match and charge exterior the top-40 nationally.
Florida’s schedule has aged nicely, and the info helps the attention check. Bart Torvik has the Gators’ SEC slate ranked thirteenth best.
That does not even think about that this group isn’t far-off from being actually good. The Gators are nonetheless crushing groups on the glass and in paint factors. They nonetheless play ridiculously arduous and current actual complications for SEC foes. We have seen a number of situations of transfers discovering their footing after a number of months of their new houses. If the execution improves and Boogie Fland, Xaivian Lee and Alex Condon begin capturing it higher from downtown to present Tommy Haugh a bit extra assist, the Gators will probably be in high quality form to emerge from an SEC that does not have a flawless group this yr.
If the Gators maintain serve at dwelling, they’ll definitely head to Rupp on the ultimate Saturday of the common season with title implications at stake. — Isaac Trotter
Florida
My preseason choose to win the SEC and the nationwide title was Florida. Though I am not tremendous assured on the latter nonetheless, I’ll double down and take the Gators to win the SEC. Florida has an excessive amount of expertise on the roster to not compete for the convention crown once more. I belief Florida to show issues round as soon as SEC play rolls round subsequent month.
A part of my perception is that Thomas Haugh is taking part in like an All-American and switch guard Xaivian Lee is exhibiting indicators of enchancment after a lackluster begin to the season. It is also no secret that Todd Golden’s squad has performed a brutal nonconference schedule. Three of Florida’s 4 losses this season have come to top-five opponents (Arizona, Duke and UConn). The one loss to an unranked group got here in opposition to TCU final month.
The Gators have a transparent id and power: their frontcourt. Throughout convention play and the NCAA Match, Florida was in a position to overpower groups due to it. Certain, Florida would not have a man on the roster of Walter Clayton Jr.’s caliber anymore, however that is nonetheless an excellent group.
The SEC is extensive open, so it would not damage to choose the group that confirmed it might win in any respect, lower than 9 months in the past. — Cameron Salerno