Earlier than the main target totally shifts to the 2025-26 males’s school basketball season, we’re evaluating how this previous season went.
With grades for the ACC, Huge East, Huge Ten and Huge 12 already in, we’re transferring on to the SEC — our closing report card of this collection. With a record-setting 14 NCAA event bids in 2024-25, it is no shock the SEC earned probably the most A grades of the 5 conferences we have coated, and solely the second with no single F.
A part of this course of is easy: staff that performed like a great staff will earn a powerful grade, and a great staff that performed like a foul staff won’t. However it is going to be difficult for sure groups. Some had championship desires. Others hoped to win only one recreation. Both manner, we’re judging every squad’s season primarily based on preseason expectations whereas providing grace on a case-by-case foundation for any unlucky midseason occasions.
Word: Groups listed in alphabetical order below every grading tier.
Leap to a staff: Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Oklahoma | Ole Miss | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas A&M | Texas | Vanderbilt
A grades
Grade: A
Grant Nelson and Mark Sears — two starters from the staff that misplaced to UConn in Alabama’s first journey to the Closing 4 in 2023-24 — returned to assist the Crimson Tide compete for the SEC crown, making Alabama the straightforward decide to win the convention title within the SEC’s preseason ballot. Whereas the Crimson Tide finally completed third behind rival Auburn and Florida, they nonetheless boasted the perfect offense within the nation’s strongest convention. Sears, an AP first-team All-American, led their electrical scoring assault to the Elite Eight, the place Alabama misplaced to Duke.
Grade: A
From Jan. 13 to March 3, Bruce Pearl’s program was ranked No. 1 within the AP prime 25 whereas on a 20-1 run. Led by Wood Award contender Johni Broome, the Tigers gained the convention championship within the No. 1 league on KenPom. Though they misplaced to eventual champion and SEC rival Florida within the Closing 4, Auburn — which had simply three NCAA event appearances in 30 years earlier than Pearl’s arrival in 2014 — had a exceptional season, with probably the most wins (32) in program historical past.
Grade: A
Final summer time, Walter Clayton Jr. withdrew from the NBA draft to return to Florida after a season worthy of an All-SEC first-team choice. He needed to organize for the professionals whereas serving to the Gators win on the highest degree in school basketball. Todd Golden had the answer: He moved Clayton to level guard and added expertise like Florida Atlantic switch Alijah Martin, which helped the Gators seize their third nationwide championship (and their first since 2007).
The Most Excellent Participant of the NCAA event, Clayton additionally put himself in place for a possible first-round choice on this summer time’s draft — he’s projected to go twenty ninth total in ESPN’s newest mock.
Grade: A
There’ll all the time be a “what if?” factor to this season, Mark Pope’s first as the pinnacle coach of his alma mater, with prime transfers Kerr Kriisa, Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson all lacking vital time as a result of accidents. However the Wildcats by no means made excuses on their strategy to securing one of many nation’s most spectacular résumés; wins over Duke, Florida and Tennessee (twice) stamped a season that featured eight top-30 KenPom wins.
It was a dominant debut for Pope, who needed to construct the roster from scratch following John Calipari’s departure to Arkansas and took the Wildcats all the way in which to the Candy 16, the place they misplaced to rival Tennessee. One among America’s prime offenses additionally matured into a decent defensive staff, clocking in at 51st nationally in defensive effectivity.
Grade: A
After a win over Wichita State on Dec. 23, 2023, Missouri recorded only one victory for the remainder of that season. Consequently, coach Dennis Gates, who had led the staff to the NCAA event the earlier yr, confronted questions on his future. However these questions have been answered throughout this previous season as Gates helped the Tigers orchestrate one of many biggest turnarounds in school basketball historical past (a 22-12 file after going 8-24 in 2023-24).
Duke switch Mark Mitchell and veteran Caleb Grill have been anchors of a program that beat Kansas, Florida and Alabama. The Tigers stumbled late and misplaced to Drake within the first spherical of the NCAA event however ended the season tied for sixth place in a loaded SEC after being picked to complete thirteenth within the preseason.
Grade: A
Within the closing seconds of Tennessee’s win over Illinois in December, Rick Barnes drew up a play that he had realized from legendary highschool coach Morgan Wootten in 1980, when he was a Division I assistant. Barnes’ expertise gave him and the Vols an edge, profitable 30 video games for the third time in program historical past and the second time below him. They bumped into an amazing Houston staff within the Elite Eight and fell quick in opposition to the eventual nationwide runners-up, however that does not take away from how Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier led one of many prime groups within the nation.
Grade: A
Contemplating how new coach Mark Byington was charged with rebuilding a program that lacked a practice of success, it was not stunning when Vanderbilt was picked to complete final within the SEC’s preseason ballot. However the Commodores had different plans. Jason Edwards (17.0 PPG) was the centerpiece for a program that exceeded the chances by ending in a four-way tie for seventh within the convention standings and reaching the NCAA event for the primary time since 2017.
B grades
Grade: B
John Calipari’s transfer from Kentucky to Arkansas was the most important story of final offseason. With the assistance of monetary backers like Tyson Meals chairman John Tyson, Calipari hand-selected the highest recruits and transfers within the nation. However a collection of accidents finally affected the Razorbacks with Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero, their prime two scorers, lacking vital time. And whereas their 0-5 begin to SEC play garnered headlines, a run to the Candy 16 — the place that they had a late lead over Texas Tech earlier than shedding 85-83 in additional time — helped salvage an imbalanced season.
Grade: B
Georgia’s season solely strengthens the SEC’s case as one of many biggest conferences in latest NCAA males’s basketball historical past. The Bulldogs earned a 9-seed as one of many league’s 14 groups to have their names referred to as on Choice Sunday, going 8-10 in convention play with wins over Texas, Kentucky and Florida. Contemplating their nonconference slate was anchored by a victory over St. John’s, a Georgia staff that was largely thought of to be an afterthought getting into the season — the Bulldogs have been picked to completed twelfth within the preseason ballot — ended its marketing campaign with wins over the Huge East champion Crimson Storm and nationwide champion Gators.
Grade: B
Josh Hubbard, who averaged 18.9 PPG, helped the Bulldogs survive within the SEC to earn a visit to the NCAA event as an 8-seed. They completed ninth within the convention standings after being picked to complete tenth within the preseason ballot, however their 8-10 file in league play was ok for the choice committee, which is the one factor that issues. Chris Jans coached a staff that did simply sufficient in a stacked convention.
Grade: B
It was a rocky yr for the Sooners. After profitable their first 13 video games of the season, they went 0-4 to open SEC play earlier than ending 7-14 of their closing 21 video games. They nonetheless managed to earn their first journey to the NCAA event below Porter Moser, although, due to that undefeated begin. Projected NBA draft lottery decide Jeremiah Fears was the younger star of an Oklahoma squad that had wins over Louisville, Arizona and Michigan.
Grade: B
Chris Beard had his most proficient and balanced groups taking on at Ole Miss in 2023 — the Rebels have been top-25 in adjusted offensive and defensive effectivity on KenPom — and he made probably the most of that with this system’s first run to the Candy 16 in 24 years. The Rebels managed to complete 10-8 in convention play with wins over Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee. Sean Pedulla (15.4 PPG, 39.2% from past the arc) was an all-SEC third-team choice and certainly one of six gamers who averaged double figures for the Rebels.
Grade: B
Buzz Williams’ squad completed tenth in KenPom’s adjusted defensive effectivity, the primary top-10 end of his profession. Texas A&M was picked to complete fifth within the SEC’s preseason ballot, which is strictly the place it landed within the closing standings. However with the convention’s collective power and a midseason harm to Wade Taylor IV (15.7 PPG), nothing got here simple for the Aggies, who accrued nonconference wins over Creighton, Texas Tech and Purdue. A loss to Michigan within the second spherical of the NCAA event capped a subpar end to the season (3-6 of their final 9 video games).
D grades
Grade: D
The Tigers completed fifteenth, only one slot under their predicted spot within the SEC’s preseason ballot. Matt McMahon loved a profitable run at Murray State, the place he helped future NBA celebrity Ja Morant develop his recreation earlier than arriving at LSU in 2022. However McMahon has had no such luck with the Tigers, who missed the NCAA event for the third straight season and completed under .500 for the second time in his three years.
It wasn’t a great season to be a mediocre staff within the SEC.
Grade: D
The 2023-24 marketing campaign was a dream for Lamont Paris and South Carolina — the Gamecocks gained 26 video games, completed in a four-way tie for second place within the SEC and earned a 6-seed within the NCAA event. However 2024-25 was a nightmare, with solely two convention wins. Nonetheless, the SEC’s worst staff managed to beat three NCAA event squads (Clemson, Texas and Arkansas).
Grade: D
It appeared the Longhorns had every little thing a staff might need. Tre Johnson, a projected top-10 decide within the 2025 NBA draft, averaged 19.9 PPG and had top-of-the-line freshman debuts of the NIL and switch portal period. Additionally they had high-level transfers like Arthur Kaluma (Kansas State) and Tramon Mark (Arkansas) on the roster. However Rodney Terry was fired after they completed 19-16 (6-12 in SEC play) and barely made the NCAA event, the place they misplaced a First 4 recreation to Xavier. In an attention-grabbing offseason twist, the Longhorns then changed Terry with Xavier coach Sean Miller.
