SEC men's basketball preview: Pressure mounts on John Calipari to deliver with another talented Kentucky team

The 2023-24 men's college basketball season begins Nov. 6. Come back each day this week as we break down the biggest conferences, teams and more leading up to the season. Check out our previews on the Big 12, the ACC and the Big Ten.

After placing eight teams in the NCAA tournament last season, the SEC is loaded again with five Top 25 entries and multiple legitimate national title contenders.

The drama, as usual, surrounds Kentucky, where John Calipari's seat will be hotter than ever. He's back with another blue-chip freshman class and the expectations that always reside in Lexington.

Las Vegas likes the Wildcats, while media voters peg Tennessee as the SEC's best bet. Arkansas, Alabama and Texas A&M hope to make some noise as well. Let's take a spin around the top of the SEC.

Ranked SEC teams

No. 9 Tennessee

No. 14 Arkansas

No. 15 Texas A&M

No. 16 Kentucky

No. 24 Alabama

Others Receiving Votes: Auburn (27), Mississippi St. (20), Missouri (6), Florida (2)

Notable national championship odds

Odds via BetMGM

• Kentucky +1600
• Arkansas +2500
• Tennessee +3000
• Alabama +3500
• Texas A&M + 5000

Can Calipari deliver after years of disappointment?

For Kentucky fans, another first-weekend exit next March won't cut it.

After one NCAA tournament win in three seasons and an eight-year Final Four drought, Big Blue Nation is restless. Its collective ire is directed squarely in one direction — at Calipari.

It's been a long time since Calipari's 2012 Wildcats cut down the nets in New Orleans. For most programs, a 10-season national championship drought isn't a drought, but Kentucky isn't most programs.

Calipari regularly shows up to the court with the best players. The bevy of five-star talent he's recruited since arriving in 2009 has produced 35 first-round NBA Draft picks. That recruiting success has translated to a single national championship in 14 seasons. In Lexington, that's not enough.

Things haven't been the same since a 38-0 start in 2015 produced a fourth Final Four in five seasons. That run ended with a devastating loss to Wisconsin in the national semifinal and with it, a squandered shot at college basketball history. Kentucky has not been back to the Final Four since. The last three seasons have been excruciating.

Last season peaked with a No. 4 ranking and ended with a second-round NCAA tournament exit at the hands of Kansas State. The Wildcats were ranked as high as No. 4 in 2021-22 as well. They entered tournament play as a No. 2 seed then suffered a humiliating loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's in the first round. In 2020-21, the preseason's 10th-ranked team finished 9-16 and didn't sniff the NIT, much less the NCAA tournament.

This year, SEC media picked three teams — Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas — to finish ahead of Kentucky. But Vegas likes the 16th-ranked Wildcats for a reason. They're loaded again and more than capable of competing if they can translate their talent into a cohesive unit.

As they so often do, they'll look to freshmen to lead the way. A stacked class featuring four five-star recruits arrived on campus this fall. Forward Justin Edwards — No. 3 in his class — was named First Team All-SEC before stepping onto a college court. The 6-foot-7 wing handles the ball in isolation, shoots confidently from midrange and attacks the basket with ferocity.

He's a plus defender who projects as a lottery pick next summer. Five-star point guard D.J. Wagner projects to start at point guard and is expected to join Edwards in the first round of the draft. As is 7-foot freshman center Aaron Bradshaw. The Wildcats will have to wait to see Bradshaw play. He's recovering from a foot injury that's expected to sideline him until at least late November.

Fifth-year senior and Second Team All-SEC guard Antonio Reeves leads Kentucky's veteran contingent. There's plenty of talent to compete. But wins won't come easy in a stacked SEC featuring five ranked teams.

Vols expected to build off Sweet 16 run

Tennessee is the favorite among SEC media and AP voters. Fresh off a trip to the Sweet 16 that included a tournament win over Duke, the No. 9 Vols have a strong shot at a deeper run this season.

Tennessee made the Sweet 16 despite playing without injured starting point guard Zakai Zeigler, who tore his left ACL just days before the tournament. Zeigler has remained sidelined in preseason exhibitions, but he's expected to return sooner than later once the season starts. An elite defender and the team's top distributor, Zeigler sets the tone for a program that stakes its identity on rugged defense.

Gone is 2023 All-SEC freshman Julian Phillips, who made the jump to the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. But the Vols return one of the most experienced teams in the SEC with junior shooting guard Santiago Vescovi joining Zeigler in the starting backcourt and the preseason All-SEC team.

Fifth-year senior Josiah-Jordan James and senior All-Big Sky transfer Dalton Knecht are among the veteran players who could join them in the starting lineup. Experience and strong guard play are two of basketball's most-coveted assets come March.

Aggies, Razorbacks, Crimson Tide in the mix

Texas A&M is looking to build off its first NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons with a ranked team featuring preseason SEC Player of the Year Wade Taylor IV. The junior guard broke out last season, averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 35.6% on 6.3 3-point attempts per game. He led the Aggies to the SEC tournament final against Alabama and anchors a 15th-ranked 2023 team with its highest preseason ranking since 2007.

Fifth-year senior guard Tyrece Radford joins Taylor in the backcourt fresh off a Second Team All-SEC selection last spring. In fact, eight of Texas A&M's nine leading scorers from last season return. As does reigning SEC Co-Coach of the Year Buzz Williams. Experience and strong guard play is a trend atop the SEC.

Arkansas, meanwhile, is expected to remain competitive despite the loss of guards Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. to the first round of the NBA Draft. Eric Musselman reloads in the backcourt from last season's thrilling, shirtless run to the Sweet 16 with another All-SEC guard in Davonte Davis. Sophomore forward Trevon Brazile joins him on the the All-SEC team after missing most of last season with an ACL tear. A 6-10 athlete with 3-point range and shot blocking instincts, his upside is the NBA Draft lottery.

No. 24 Alabama isn't expected to return the No. 1 seed heights it experienced with All-American and lottery pick Brandon Miller. The Tide also lost SEC tournament MVP Jahvon Quinerly to Memphis in the transfer portal.

But there's talent there led by preseason All-SEC selections Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, who transferred from North Dakota State after earning All-Summit League honors. Alabama will lean on a four-man incoming transfer class to fill the void of the talent exodus at the top of the roster while trying to move on from last season's shooting tragedy involving Miller.

Notable Early Games

All times ET | * neutral site

Nov. 7
Auburn at No. 20 Baylor* | 9 p.m. | ESPN

Nov. 10
Florida at Virginia* | 7 p.m. | ACCN
No. 9 Tennessee at Wisconsin| 9 p.m. | Peacock

Nov. 14
No. 1 Kansas at No. 16 Kentucky* | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN

Nov. 17
Georgia at No. 13 Miami* | 3:30 p.m. | TBD