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Ranking the SEC’s top 25 men’s basketball players for 2020-21 season

Adam Spencer

By Adam Spencer

Published:

The SEC just led all conferences with 12 players selected in the 2020 NBA Draft — 6 in the first round, 6 in the second.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, there are plenty of guys battling for their spot in the loaded 2021 NBA Draft. Across the board, every SEC team has talent.

Who are the best of the best? Here are our rankings of the SEC’s 25 best players:

Honorable mentions: Jeremiah Tilmon, C, Mizzou; Keyshawn Bryant, F, South Carolina; Jermaine Couisnard, G, South Carolina; Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee; Kevin Marfo, F/C, Texas A&M; Jordan Bruner, F, Alabama

25. Darius Days, F, LSU

Days is a solid guy to have in your starting lineup. He averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds as a starter last year. Can he do more now that LSU needs to replace the production of Emmitt Williams and Skylar Mays? We’ll see. But I expect him to at least match the numbers from last year.

24. Noah Locke, G, Florida

Locke was one of the few Gators to actually take a step forward last year. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. But, if he’s going to be even better this year, he’ll have to improve his all-around game in Florida’s faster style of play.

23. Tre Mann, G, Florida

Speaking of the Gators wanting to play faster, Mann stands to benefit hugely from that schematic shift. He’ll spend time at different spots if he comes off the bench, but his game should translate to the speedy style of play. Expect him to average a lot more than the 5.3 points and 1.9 rebounds he averaged last year.

22. Savion Flagg, G, Texas A&M

Flagg was the 2nd-leading scorer on a balanced A&M squad last year. This year, without Wendell Mitchell and Josh Nebo in the starting lineup alongside him, he’ll need to step up. He’s a 37% 3-point shooter, so I expect him to get more looks from long range this season.

21. Desi Sills, G, Arkansas

Sills is going to have a lot of work to do for the Razorbacks this year. Mason Jones, Isaiah Joe and Jimmy Whitt are all gone, so much more of the scoring load is going to fall on Sills. He averaged 10.6 points per game last year, but he’s going to have to do a lot more with much more defensive attention on him this season.

20. AJ Lawson, G, South Carolina

Lawson has been remarkably consistent in his 2 years in Columbia, but there’s a case to be made he took a tiny step back last season. Here’s how his stats compare:

  • 2018-19: 29.9 minutes, 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 35.8% 3-pointers
  • 2019-20: 29.1 minutes, 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 33.9% 3-pointers

If the Gamecocks are going to continue to be a tough out in SEC play, Lawson is going to need to improve this year. He has the talent, as evidenced by this incredible putback dunk:

He was a preseason All-SEC honoree. We’ll see if he can live up to that.

19. Dru Smith, G, Mizzou

Smith leads a Mizzou squad that returns a ton of experienced players. He was also a second-team All-SEC preseason honoree. Smith isn’t a 3-point threat, but he is a menace in other ways. He scored 12.7 points per game and averaged 2.1 steals last season:

Mistakes made around Smith turn into easy buckets on the other end of the floor.

18. Devontae Shuler, G, Ole Miss

Shuler has been a solid scorer alongside Breein Tyree the past 2 seasons, but he’ll take on a bigger role in 2020-21. He’ll need to be more of a ball-handler, which means we could see him improve not only on his 11.7 points per game from last year, but also his 3.3 assists per contest.

17. Xavier Pinson, G, Mizzou

After getting off to a slow start last season, Pinson finished as perhaps Mizzou’s best player. He averaged 11.1 points, but he was doing much better later in the season. His athleticism is off the charts, and he plays fearlessly:

Yes, the Tigers have plenty of experience returning this year, but not much star power. Pinson is the best bet to make the leap into stardom.

16. Jaden Shackelford, G, Alabama

Shackelford made the SEC’s All-Freshman team last season, but it still felt like he was a bit overlooked. That’ll happen when you play alongside guys like Kira Lewis Jr., John Petty Jr. and Herb Jones. But, fun fact, Shackelford is actually the SEC’s leading returning scorer, having averaged 15 points per game last year:

Shackelford and Petty (more on him later) should be a really fun duo to watch this year.

15. Romello White, F, Ole Miss

The Rebels landed White, a Georgia native who spent the first 3 years of his career at Arizona State, as a graduate transfer this offseason. He gives Ole Miss its best post threat in years, having averaged 10.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season. He has a nose for the bucket and is a strong finisher at the rim:

He and Shuler should have a lot of fun in the pick-and-roll game this year.

14. Scotty Pippen Jr., G, Vanderbilt

Pippen has a great feel for the game, which I guess is something that happens when your dad is Scottie Pippen. The younger Pippen needs to be more careful with the ball, as he averaged 2.7 turnovers per game last year. But he did a lot of good, too, averaging 12.0 points and 3.6 assists. He’s very creative on the floor, as evidenced by this sneaky play:

If nothing else, he’ll ensure that Vanderbilt is entertaining to watch this year.

13. Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee

Springer and fellow 5-star 2020 Tennessee signee Keon Johnson are going to be an exciting duo to watch this season. Springer is everything you want in a guard — great ball-handler, decent shooter, aggressive defender and a guy who can finish at the rim:

He’ll be in the mix to be a Day 1 starter in the Vols’ loaded lineup.

12. Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn

Cooper wasn’t as highly rated as Springer coming out of high school, but he’s still a 5-star guy. And, I have him 1 spot higher than Springer simply because he’s going to be counted on to do a lot more for Auburn. He already has NBA-level speed and is an excellent finisher in the lane:

He’s decisive and quick. And, he should put up big numbers because he’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot.

11. Javonte Smart, G, LSU

With no Skylar Mays to lead the way, Smart will have to become even more of a playmaker. He took a moderate step forward last year, averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. I thought he should have been even better, but that just goes to show the potential he has. He’ll be a focal point of the LSU offense this season.

10. Herb Jones, F, Alabama

Jones is one of the top defenders in the SEC, even when he only has 1 healthy hand. Oh, and who could forget when he stepped to the line and knocked down a 1-handed free throw last year (with his non-dominant right hand)?

He only averaged 7.9 points last year, but with all the talented scorers on Alabama’s roster, that was plenty. He’s on the team to average 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals a night. He’s also an underrated passer, having averaged 2.3 assists per game in 2019-20. If he can even take a tiny step forward as a scorer, he’s well worth the No. 10 spot on this list.

9. Scottie Lewis, G, Florida

Lewis was frustratingly inconsistent last season. But, then, so were the Gators as a whole. A man with this much athleticism and speed should average more than 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game:

Yes, he’s active on defense, averaging 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks, but he needs more touches on offense. He’ll get those in the up-tempo pace coach Mike White wants to play this year. Now, he’ll just have to make the most of them. He shot 36.1% from 3-point range, so he should let it fly from beyond the arc more, too.

8. Olivier Sarr, F, Kentucky

Transfer big men haven’t had the major impact we’ve expected in recent years at Kentucky. Reid Travis and Nate Sestina were both solid players, but they didn’t become stars. I expect that to change this year with Sarr, who transferred to Kentucky from Wake Forest.

Sarr’s not necessarily the best above-the-rim player, but he has some incredible classic post moves. Just look at what he did to Duke last season with his back to the basket:

https://twitter.com/KY__Clips/status/1319061080061034496

If Sarr can improve upon his average of 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks from last year, Kentucky will be a Final Four contender.

7. Terrence Clarke, G/F, Kentucky

Clarke and fellow 5-star freshman BJ Boston will get a lot of well-deserved hype coming into this season. Clarke is slightly bigger than Boston, so he will probably get a lot of time at the 3 spot. He’s perhaps the more athletic of the 2 freshman wings, and has jump-out-of-the-gym ability:

There should be plenty of lobs thrown his way this season.

6. John Petty Jr., G, Alabama

Petty is probably the best pure shooter in the SEC. He shot 44% from 3-point range in 2019-20. I’ll say that again. He shot 44% from 3-point range last year.

And it’s not like he only took 2 per game. No, he shot 6.7 long-range bombs per game, making 2.9 of them. He thrived in Nate Oats’ run-and-gun style. Yes, Kira Lewis is gone, but Petty should continue to put up numbers alongside new point guard Jahvon Quinerly.

5. John Fulkerson, F, Tennessee

Fulkerson became a star last year, going from 3.1 points per game to 13.7. He’s not going to stun you with his athleticism, but he is always in the right spot and is a great finisher around the rim and in the mid-range game.

He’ll continue doing what he does best. Now that Tennessee will surround him with more talent, it’ll lead to even more opportunities for Fulkerson to make plays.

4. Trendon Watford, F, LSU

Watford definitely made the right decision returning to school for his sophomore season. He’s active on both ends of the court, averaging 13.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game as a true freshman:

Depending on how much Will Wade wants to play him, Watford could end the season as a 15-point, 10-rebound guy, which would have him solidly in the mix for the SEC Player of the Year award.

3. BJ Boston, G, Kentucky

Boston is the highest-rated freshman in Kentucky’s top-rated recruiting class, so he’ll be under a lot of pressure to live up to the hype. Fortunately for John Calipari and the Wildcats, Boston shows every indication of being an elite player.

This highlight video shows an athletic wing who can shoot at a high level, distribute the ball when needed and put it on the floor to get to the rim:

He looks like Kentucky’s next 1-and-done, and could be a top-5 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

2. Keyontae Johnson, F, Florida

The SEC’s Preseason Player of the Year only checks in at No. 2 on my list, but that’s no slight to him. After averaging 14.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals last season, he’s poised to be even better in 2020-21.

At only 6-5, Johnson is shorter than most forwards, but he uses his strength to position himself well for rebounds. He can also put the ball on the floor better than most forwards, so close out on him on the perimeter at your own risk:

https://twitter.com/Efawcett7/status/1322240510912733189

It’s tough to find a weakness in Johnson’s game. If his Florida teammates can elevate their performances this year, it could be a special year for Johnson.

1. Yves Pons, G/F, Tennessee

Pons is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and for good reason. It’s tough to find a guy who is more instinctual on that end of the floor. He can position his body, knows where to be when it comes to help defense and can leap out of the gym:

https://twitter.com/SKPearlman/status/1282425970478252033

He also improved as a 3-point shooter last year, knocking down 34.9% of his long-range attempts. His form isn’t the prettiest, but it was effective enough:

Pons is more than just a dunker and defender. He’s an elite athlete and one of the smartest players on the floor. If his shooting continues to improve, he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

MORE HOOPS: SEC basketball power rankings entering 2020-21 season

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.

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