It no longer just means more for football, folks. The SEC has always had a handful of powerful and storied basketball programs, but the league has never been as competitive, talented and deep from top to bottom as it is now. For proof, look no further than the record 14 teams the conference sent to the 2025 NCAA tournament. 

The SEC asserted itself as the top league in the sport last year, and backed that up in the postseason as its own Florida Gators cut down the nets in San Antonio, bringing the program's third national title home to Gainesville in head coach Todd Golden's third season at the helm. 

Speaking of coaches, the conference welcomes three new ones, none of whom will be under more scrutiny than Steven Pearl, the son of legendary Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl who shockingly retired at the end of September. The elder Pearl resurrected the Tigers' from obscurity, leading Auburn to the first two Final Fours in school history. Now, after establishing Auburn as one of the premier basketball programs in the nation, he's left his son to finish what he started and chase the Tigers' first ever national title. And with a roster that retained its top talent even amidst the surprise coaching change, that's not outside the realm of possibility for Auburn. 

The other two coaching changes occurred in the Lone Star State, with Texas A&M bidding Buzz Williams farewell and bringing in Bucky McMillan from Samford. Williams led the Aggies to three straight NCAA tournament appearances, but after two straight second-round exits, Texas A&M is starting fresh, seeking its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2018. 

Meanwhile in Austin, Sean Miller comes over from Xavier to replace Rodney Terry, who had the Longhorns regressing ever since he led them all the way to the Elite Eight after taking over for Chris Beard mid-season during the 2022-2023 campaign. 

SEC College Basketball Preview for 2025-26

History says the SEC faces long odds of being quite as stacked as it was last season, but with no shortage of talent once again, the 2025-2026 campaign should be thrilling as the conference tries to maintain its sudden stranglehold on the sport. 

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.

Top SEC Players

Overall: Ja'Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee  

An SEC newcomer, Gillespie is primed to thrive with Tennessee under head coach Rick Barnes. It was a long road home for the Greeneville, Tennessee native. He started his career at Belmont, spent last season with Maryland and transferred to the Volunteers in April. He now finds himself set to man the point in Knoxville, giving him an excellent chance to build on what was a great season last year with the Terps in which he averaged 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 45/41/86 shooting splits. He's phenomenal as a facilitator, and his shooting, particularly from distance, has only improved each year. Last year in Barnes' offense, starting point guard Zakai Zeigler averaged a whopping 7.4 assists. Gillespie now steps into the same system, except that he's bigger and a better shooter than his predecessor. 

Also Considered: Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky; Boogie Fland, G, Florida 

Scoring: Josh Hubbard, G, Mississippi State  

After finishing second in scoring in the SEC last year (1.0 points behind Texas' Tre Johnson), Hubbard has a great shot to take home the conference's scoring crown for the first time in his career. He's been a walking bucket since he stepped on campus in Starkville: he averaged 17.1 points as a freshman, and pushed that total to 18.9 points per game last season. He has the ultimate green light from distance, averaging 9.2 three-point attempts last year, and finished with very respectable 40/35/88 shooting splits. The Bulldogs were a middling 8-10 in conference play last season, but Hubbard, who scored 20-plus points in just over 41 percent of his games, is liable to explode any night. 

Also Considered: Keyshawn Hall, F, Auburn; Aden Holloway, G, Alabama; Pop Isaacs, G, Texas A&M; Boogie Fland, G, Florida; Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky 

Rebounding: Quincy Ballard, C, Mississippi State  

The seven-footer gobbled up rebounds like nobody's business last season at Wichita State, and he'll take his massive 260-pound frame to Mississippi State for the 2025-2026 season. Florida's Alex Condon was also in the running here, but while Condon has help in the frontcourt in the form of Rueben Chinyelu, who pulled down 6.6 rebounds per game last season, Ballard should have the glass all to himself in Starkville. He averaged 9.2 rebounds last season with the Shockers, securing double-digit rebounds in nearly half of his games. 

Also Considered: Alex Condon, F, Florida; Jayden Quaintance, F, Kentucky; Devin McGlockton, F, Vanderbilt; Aiden Sherrell, F, Alabama, KeShawn Murphy, F, Auburn; Felix Okpara, F, Tennessee 

Assists: Jaland Lowe, G, Kentucky

Tennessee's Gilespie would be a good choice once again here, but I'll go with the Wildcats' intriguing transfer from Pittsburgh. Lowe was easily the Panthers' best player in a down year that saw Pitt miss the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. He was the leading scorer with 16.8 points, but he won't be asked to score at such a high clip in Lexington, especially when paired with a shooter like Otega Oweh. Rather, he'll be asked to set the table with his passing ability -- evidenced by his 5.5 assists per game, tied for fourth in the ACC. On a stronger roster with more dangerous scorers from top to bottom, he has a real chance to improve on that number in 2025-2026. 

Also Considered: Ja'Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee; Labaron Philon, G, Alabama; Dedan Thomas, G, LSU; Frankie Collins, G, Vanderbilt, Boogie Fland, G, Florida; Pop Isaacs, G, Texas A&M

Center: Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky  

There's plenty of other forwards who will be productive in the SEC, but in terms of a true center who offers up a little bit of everything, Quaintance is the man. Though the Arizona State transfer isn't yet cleared for full contact after missing the final six games of the season with a knee injury, when he does return to the court, he should make an immediate big-time impact for the Wildcats. As a true freshman in Tempe, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.6 blocks while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, and there's no reason why his game shouldn't continue to grow on a much better team. 

Also Considered: Quincy Ballard, C, Mississippi State; Matas Vokietaitis, C, Texas; Rueben Chinyelu, C, Florida, Somto Cyril, C, Georgia, Jaylen Reed, C, LSU

Freshman: Nate Ament, F, Tennessee  

The consensus five-star forward should step right into a prominent role in Knoxville. The 6-foot-9, 190-pound Virginia native is the crown jewel of Tennessee's freshman class, and despite his stature, he boasts both excellent shooting and ball-handling skills. Time will tell how he holds up in a physical conference like the SEC, as scouts lament his relative lack of strength as one of his few flaws. Still, expect Ament to be a force as a scorer and on the glass for the Volunteers in what could be his lone season of college hoops. 

Also Considered: Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas; Ilias Kamardine, G, Mississippi; Jasper Johnson, G, Kentucky; Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas; Eli Ellis, G, South Carolina 

Top SEC Transfers

Boogie Fland, G, Florida

The former five-star recruit had a solid debut season last year with Arkansas, but it was one marred by injury -- he missed 15 straight game from late-January through the middle of March. Still, he displayed advanced facilitation skills at the point, averaging 5.1 assists as a true freshman, while still functioning as a capable scorer who averaged 13.5 points on 38/34/83 shooting splits. His efficiency could certainly improve in his sophomore campaign, but as he heads to Gainesville to join the defending National Champions and one of the best rosters in the sport, there's no reason to think Fland's game won't keep growing. He'll hold down the point for the Gators and should be one of the most impactful transfers in the nation. 

Dedan Thomas, G, LSU

LSU was the second-worst team in the conference last season, finishing just 3-15 in league play. The pressure for a turnaround is on in Baton Rouge, and Thomas, the transfer from UNLV, will be asked to lead the charge for the Tigers. Last season in Las Vegas, Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists. The skilled guard will now run point for LSU in his junior season. The transition from Mountain West basketball to the SEC will always come with questions about adjusting to the conference's physicality and athleticism, but for someone like Thomas expected to touch the ball at a considerably high rate, he'll generate plenty of production on volume alone. 

Xzayvier Brown, G, Oklahoma

After two highly productive seasons at St. Josephs, Brown will now see if his skills will translate to big-time, high-major basketball. There's pressure on head coach Porter Moser to turn things around after the Sooners finished 15th in the SEC and just 6-12 in conference play, and Brown is a huge part of Oklahoma's hopes of building a competitive SEC program in its second year in the conference. Last year, he averaged 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals on 42/35/90 shooting splits, and he's now expected to hold down the point in Norman. With a starting five featuring a handful of other talented transfers, including guard Nijel Pack (Miami FL) and forward Tae Davis (Notre Dame), Brown should have no shortage of scorers to distribute the ball to.

Xaivian Lee, G, Florida

Florida needed to replace its starting backcourt this offseason, and when you win the national title, you get to do that with two of the top guards available in the portal in Fland and Xaivian Lee, who comes to Gainesville by way of Princeton. The 6-foot-4 guard was phenomenal the past two seasons with Princeton, and last year he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals. He's a high-volume shooter, and he hit 37 percent of his threes last season on 5.4 attempts per game. He'll share the backcourt with Fland, and it'll be interesting to see how the work is divided, but that's an excellent problem for the Gators to have. 

Also Considered: Keyshawn Hall, G, Auburn; Pop Isaacs, G, Texas A&M, Jalil Bethea, G, Alabama, Derrion Reid, F, Alabama; Dailyn Swain, F, Texas

Top SEC College Basketball Sleepers

Simeon Wilcher, G, Texas

Wilcher was a small fish in a big pond last season at St. John's. He started 25 games and averaged 8.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists, but was still out-shined by star guards RJ Luis and Kadary Richmond, among others. Now, he's found a new home in Austin with a rebuilding Longhorns team, which should allow him to thrive. First of all, he should be an every-game starter, so that's bound to help him break out. What's more, Texas has a distinct lack of proven production, meaning Wilcher, with his NCAA tournament experience and production on a top team last season, should be one of the elder statesmen of this Longhorns' squad. 

Derrion Reid, F, Oklahoma

Reid was a five-star prospect out of high school, but injuries limited his involvement to 14.0 minutes per game across 24 appearances as a freshman with Alabama last year. Still, don't let a season thwarted by injuries make you forget just how talented Reid is as a player. The 6-foot-8 forward is a gifted scorer who, if his perimeter shooting and handles continue to develop, could blossom into a problematically large wing if given the opportunity. The Sooners loaded up through the transfer portal, but there should still be a starting spot for Reid at the three. With a full season as a starter, there's no telling how his game could expand. 

Thomas Haugh, F, Florida

Haugh was an invaluable bench player last year on Florida's national title-winning squad, averaging 9.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. The 6-foot-9 forward also shot the ball well for his size, posting 49/34/79 shooting splits. Now, he's primed to start for the Gators at small forward, and if that's indeed the case, he'll be surrounded by playmakers on a loaded Florida squad with a great chance to run it back in 2025-2026. When he was pushed into a starting role for six games last season, Haugh averaged 13.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 53 percent from the field and 51 percent from distance. 

For under-the-radar breakout candidates in other conferences that could be difference-makers on your fantasy team, check out RotoWire's 2025-26 college basketball sleepers.

Top-10 SEC Basketball Players

1. Ja'Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee  
2. Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky  
3. Josh Hubbard, G, Mississippi State  
4. Boogie Fland, G, Florida  
5. Alex Condon, F, Florida  
6. Labaron Philon, G, Alabama  
7. Nate Ament, F, Tennessee  
8. Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn  
9. Keyshawn Hall, F, Auburn  
10. Jaland Lowe, G, Kentucky

*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2025-26 player rankings.

Projected Team Standings

1. Florida  
2. Kentucky  
3. Arkansas  
4. Alabama
5. Auburn  
6. Tennessee  
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas
9. Mississippi State  
10. Mississippi  
11. Texas A&M  
12. Missouri  
13. Vanderbilt
14. LSU  
15. Georgia  
16. South Carolina
     

There's not much debate that, at least on paper, Florida is once again poised to be the top team in the SEC after winning the conference tournament last season en route to a national title. The Gators return much of their production in the front court and hand-picked some of the best transfer portal prospects in Fland and Lee to fill out the back court. 

Outside of Gainesville, I also really like Kentucky's roster, one populated with some of the finest transfers money can buy combined with one of the best players in the nation in Otega Oweh. You also have to like what Arkansas coach John Calipari is building with a good mix of returning production, transfer portal talent and blue chip true freshmen. And in the Yellowhammer State, Alabama and Auburn are serious threats to win the league once again as well. Each of those feature sophomores (Alabama's Labaron Philon and Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford) that I can't wait to watch this season. 

Still, this league remains incredibly deep once again, and plenty of teams in the middle of the pack have a shot to make some serious noise as well. Oklahoma, who quietly reeled in a loaded transfer class as well, should boast an excellent starting five. Texas looks well poised in head coach Sean Miller's first season, while Ole Miss is trending upwards and looks to have put together a solid roster in year three under Chris Beard. 

Projected Team Rotations

Editor's Note: This table is not edited following publication, but check out RotoWire's 2025-26 college basketball projections for our full player list, which can be filtered by conference, and is updated to account for recent news and injury information.

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