I guess based on how we finished last season and what we’re returning, I just expected we would crack the top 25 in most of these polls. Is this base on having to replace Moses?
I don’t know how credible BRB is, just came across the poll and was somewhat surprised. Another surprise was Alabama being ranked. Do they have some studs coming in or something? What can you guys tell me about why they would be ranked over us?
Bama is bringing a 5-star guard (Sexton) who will remind people of D’Arron Fox and another big 4-star SG who was a Top 50 recruit. They also return their top 3 scorers (Key and Ingram are studs). They are going to be good, but like most pre-season polls it’s all speculation as to how well they gel.
I’m biased, but I think most of the country is undervaluing how good our backcourt, and how good Gafford is going to be. This Hog team will be able to play a legit 10 deep lineup.
There have been several off-season predictions about the SEC this coming season and the Hogs are usually around 7th or 8th in the SEC. I think those that follow Arkansas closely are expecting a much better outcome than that. The Hogs did lose three very valuable Seniors though, and they may be more difficult to replace than we’d like to believe.
I love Blue Ribbon, it’s my favorite college basketball preseason publication, hands down. Every team has at least 1,000 words written about it, close to 2,000 for big conference schools. Pre-ordered mine (digital version) and it’ll be available next week.
Kentucky’s going to be ranked high obviously. Be interesting to see how all their youth fits and whether they have enough shooting. They’ll be huge and athletic.
I kinda think Florida is being overrated in these preseason polls. I get that KeVaughn, Chiozza and a healthy Egbunu is a really nice core trio, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to replace Hill, Robinson, Barry and Leon and be as good as they were a year ago. If they can, credit to Mike White, who I like a lot.
I’m high on Bama. Had the best defense in the conference last year and add a star talent (Sexton) and other good pieces. They had the athletes to match Kentucky last year. Should be able to score more this year.
Really high on A&M. Think they might finish second and could have a chance to win it. JJ Caldwell is the truth and they’ll have the best frontcourt in the conference. They’ll be big too. Shooting is my main question with them.
I think Kentucky, A&M and Bama will all probably be better than Arkansas. I could see Arkansas, Florida and Missouri (I know, I know, but they have a ton of talent) in the same tier. I also think Mississippi State and Auburn are potentially interesting.
Twenty years ago or so Blue Ribbon was hands down the best college basketball preview publication. (I still have my copy of the 1993-94 edition somewhere). Haven’t seen one in almost that long so I don’t know if it’s better, worse or the same. From what Jimmy said, it sounds like they’ve maintained their quality.
Arkansas freshman class is highly regarded within Arkansas. I wonder if the fact that it is an all-Arkansas class has resulted in a lack of respect for it outside of Arkansas.
Missouri - had someone who saw them this weekend say they look really, really good
Arkansas - think they were picked sixth or seventh by BR last year
South Carolina - ewwwww
Georgia
Ole Miss
Auburn - like Pearl, needs to start to put it together
Vanderbilt
Mississippi State - think they can finish higher
Tennessee
LSU
All-SEC team
F - Yante Maten - UGA
F - Robert Williams - A&M
F - Michael Porter Jr. - Missouri
G - KeVaughn Allen - Florida
G - Hamidou Dillao - Kentucky
We’re not going to be ranked highly in preseason after losing Kingsley and Hannahs without highly publicized 5-star recruits replacing them. Who cares? I’d rather go into the preseason tournament being overlooked.
Macon and Barford are flying under the radar as one of the best backcourts in the nation. Macon, not Hannahs, was our best perimeter player last year. He should have been All-SEC but wasn’t. Barford came on in the second half of the season. Gafford and Thompson have the potential to provide close to the same production as Kingsley and Thompson last year since I expect Thompson to be more assertive. Few outside of Arkansas know a thing about Jones and maybe Hall. There is every reason to believe that we are better than a cursory scanning of the roster would predict. However, unrealized potential is still unrealized.
Do you know if hall has been killing it in the conditioning workouts or if he has just managed to get a lot of publicity from the bball social media accounts? He sure looks like he has a heck of a motor.
[quote]Alabama ranked 10th nationally last season in adjusted defense, according to Ken Pomeroy. and with four starters and six of the top eight players in the rotation returning, there’s no reason to believe the Tide won’t continue to be tough to score against.
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Didn’t know they’d started publishing basketball stuff. Does a Fieldhouse subscription only get you college stuff or could I read NBA stuff with that, too?