With the college basketball season in full motion, many have been thinking about who will be the champions of the regular season. Who will be the top seed when March rolls around? While we don’t have all the answers right now, it’s fun to speculate. With that being said, let’s look at the odds to win the SEC basketball regular season championship. We’ll explore what the early season has taught us, where Tennessee fits in, and who we think is going to be atop the SEC when the final buzzer sounds.
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SEC Championship Odds: Tennessee Leads the Betting Market
Tennessee is the clear leader to win the SEC regular season title, but after that there are four teams jumbled together. The SEC is a highly competitive conference, so there is sure to be plenty of back-and-forth throughout the season. Below, we’ll take a closer look at some of the top teams.
Tenesseee Volunteers
Tennessee is the favorite for this season’s SEC regular season winner, and when we take a look at this roster and body of work up until now, there’s a reason why. The Volunteers started this season with a lot of unknowns. Zakai Ziegler may not be back to star potential after his grueling ACL injury. Will transfer Dalton Knecht be what the Vols need? Can head coach Rick Barnes balance this roster to get the most out of his team?
So far, all answers have pointed to yes with this roster finding more bright spots than just Knecht. Against Georgia Southern, forward Jonas Aidoo put up 29 points and 11 rebounds which led the team in both categories. Knecht had 21 points against Illinois, and veteran guard Santiago Vescovi put up 21 points against Kansas. This team has talent everywhere, and while dangerous, Barnes has made it look easy balancing this team.
Tennessee is ranked No. 12 nationally and arguably has the best roster in the SEC. The only real problem is that the Vols are losing against teams that they would face in a deep March tournament run. Purdue, Kansas, and UNC have all beaten the Volunteers, and while there is no cause for immediate panic, cautious concern is a more appropriate description.
With all of this combined, the Volunteers have a bit of Miami Dolphins in them right now — a great head coach, a dynamic offense and a couple of players that transcend the way this team plays. This team can be No. 1 in the SEC without question, but when we’re talking about the bigger picture of the March Madness tournament, it’s tough to see Tennessee making a deep run.
Kentucky Wildcats
Head coach John Calipari, dare I say, might be on the hot seat? It was another preseason filled with Kentucky recruiting hype. The arguable best coach in the NCAA has found himself a team that can finally do it. The unfortunate part is, we have heard, seen and replayed this movie so many times. Championships are the expectation at Kentucky and Calipari has not been to the Final Four since 2015, and now the pressure is mounting. While Tennessee is losing to good teams. The Wildcats are sputtering and failing to overcome teams like UNC-Wilmington.
Despite all of this, Calipari does have himself a couple of really nice, championship-caliber players. Aaron Bradshaw is starting to see real playing time, and was a consensus five-star recruit coming into this season. Guard Antonio Reeves has found his footing and gets the ball quite a bit in the current offensive scheme. His consistent 20-point games are enough to turn heads and are something this team can lean on.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers have one of the deepest and most reliable lineups in NCAA basketball. This team tends to play a 10-man rotation, a constant headache and monotonous style to devise a plan against. With so much consistency, everyone has the chance to get the hot hand. Both starters and bench players hover around 20 minutes per game, which means there is no fatigue setting in, which allows each player to give their all for the duration.
Coupled with the fact that head coach Bruce Pearl has won the SEC regular season title twice already at Auburn, this starts to become dangerous for opponents. Freshman guard Aden Hollaway has been a bright spot, as has forward Johni Broome. This team is poised to make a big splash this season.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies have been on the outside looking in these past few seasons, leaving all of College Station starving for a real chance at the title. Texas A&M has the same odds to win the SEC as Auburn, but with less talent on the roster. The biggest draw is guard Wade Taylor IV, after having been named SEC Preseason Player of the Year just a couple months ago, the expectations start to rise.
How can the Aggies compete in a packed SEC if the roster is not as comparable to Tennessee or Kentucky? This team thrives at the free throw line, and with Taylor having averaged 16 points a game as a sophomore last season, the Aggies do deserve a tip of the cap and could be a dark horse to win the SEC.
Prediction: Rocky Top of the SEC Mountain
The Tennessee Volunteers have everything you want to see in a team that hopes to compete. The early season losses are not as big of a deal as most want to make it because teams go through growing pains this time of year, figuring each other out with transfers and returning veterans.
The Vols have all the pieces of the puzzle together. Knecht has been a star, and Barnes is getting the most out of him. If this team can stay away from the late season injury bug, Tennessee can beat anyone in the SEC and make a deep March tournament run.
