Media picks State to finish 8th...

[drummerdawg]

Newman is 2nd team All-SEC.

http://www.secsports.com/article/13926979/media-picks-kentucky-win-sec

[Liverpooldawg]

That's probably about right although Newman will probably be first team.

[smootness]

That's probably about right although Newman will probably be first team.

I think it's low, but I understand the caution. It's about where I expected us to be picked, but I think we'll finish higher, around 4-5. I feel fairly confident we'll be better than Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

And I understand these kind of picks will always favor volume over efficiency, but Moody is absolutely not a top 6 player in the league. He shot Ole Miss out of just as many games as he shot them into. I understand it wasn't a bad strategy for them last year, but he's overrated.

[Jack Lambert]

After four years of sucking and to be picked 8th out of 14 seems good but what does it say about the six teams behind us and what does it say about our new staff vrs those staff in the bottom 6.

[drunkernhelldawg]

I suppose that meets expectations. Truthfully, it's a little disappointing to me. We only have Newman for one season. I hope we can get in the top half of the conference and make the tournament. Gotta sweep the pre-conference schedule.

[sleepy dawg]

I suppose that meets expectations. Truthfully, it's a little disappointing to me. We only have Newman for one season. I hope we can get in the top half of the conference and make the tournament. Gotta sweep the pre-conference schedule.

Newman is just 1 guy though... A very good one, and I know in basketball 1 super star can take you a long way. However, if we can keep Howland for 4 years, I expect we will get at least 1 more 1 and done, and by then he will have developed a very solid team around to put around that next guy.

[smootness]

I suppose that meets expectations. Truthfully, it's a little disappointing to me. We only have Newman for one season. I hope we can get in the top half of the conference and make the tournament. Gotta sweep the pre-conference schedule.

Why would it be disappointing at this point? It's just a prediction and likely will be an incorrect one.

Florida won 2 more SEC games than we did last year WITH Billy Donovan. They lost a lot more off of last year's team than we did (3 of their top 5 scorers, including #2 and #3), and our recruiting class is at least as good. They're only ranked above us because of the name, we will be better.

Georgia had a good team last year but lost their best two players, and the only guys they had in the post. Their recruiting class is essentially a non-factor, so they're going to have to have somebody emerge from out of nowhere if they want any semblance of a frontcourt. I think we will be better than them without much problem as well.

And South Carolina? They won the same number of SEC games we did, they lost slightly more than we did, and their recruiting class is not as good. They brought in PJ Dozier, which is great, but they're going to have to get serious improvements from some guys who have been disappointments so far (Carrera and Thornwell) if they want to be as good as we will be. I don't understand them being ranked above us. Thornwell scored pretty well last year, but he's a guard who shot 34% from the field and 27% from 3. They need him to shoot less, not more.

Kentucky, Vandy, A&M, and LSU could all be better than us this year. I would be fairly surprised if anyone else in the SEC is.

[Thompson92]

It's important to remember that Howland has had losing seasons in his first season at every place he's coached. I think this team definitely has the potential to end up in the top 5 of the SEC, but if we actually finish 8th, it won't be the end of the world. I don't know a lot about basketball, but I would assume it takes time to implement his system.

I'm excited about this season. I wish it would hurry up and get here.

[maroonmania]

It's important to remember that Howland has had losing seasons in his first season at every place he's coached. I think this team definitely has the potential to end up in the top 5 of the SEC, but if we actually finish 8th, it won't be the end of the world. I don't know a lot about basketball, but I would assume it takes time to implement his system.

I'm excited about this season. I wish it would hurry up and get here.

If folks thought the media were going to project us going from the SEC bottom four to the SEC top four just because of Howland and Newman then you were being unrealistic. We may end up jumping up that far but we will never get that kind of plus projection from the media within the SEC.

[msstate7]

It's important to remember that Howland has had losing seasons in his first season at every place he's coached. I think this team definitely has the potential to end up in the top 5 of the SEC, but if we actually finish 8th, it won't be the end of the world. I don't know a lot about basketball, but I would assume it takes time to implement his system.

I'm excited about this season. I wish it would hurry up and get here.

Howland's teams are based on defense. Since ray got our guys to buy into playing hard defensively it could really help us get it turned around this year... Oh and having a veteran team will help too. I think at worst that we'll be an nit team. Unrealistic? Maybe...

[Bothrops]

Newman is 1st team if he's a one year player.

[Political Hack]

Elite 8 is fine by me in Year one.***