It's time for Dave Odom to live up to his reputation as the teacher that he earned at Wake Forest. After two back-to-back NIT championships, the Gamecocks struggled mightily last year. And with only one senior on a team with no winning background, competing for an SEC title seems like a long shot at best.
Devan Downey should put up big numbers and exciting plays, but there just doesn't seem to be enough talent around him. The Gamecocks have a decent supporting cast, but what team in the league doesn't?
Odom, by his own doings, will have make a lot happen with very little to pick up the expectations in Columbia.
Tennessee
Chris Lofton returns to the Volunteers—and that is bad news for the rest of the SEC.
Coach Bruce Pearl also has an extremely athletic frontcourt to go along with Lofton, as Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith are both long, rangy, athletic bodies who crash the boards, run and trap well, and block shots. Pearl has a deep bench and an arsenal of experienced players at his disposal. On paper, Tennessee is flat out loaded—with guard play, shooting, rebounding, and aggressive defense.
Another 20-win season is all but a lock for the Volunteers. The challenge will be getting over the hump of early tournament exits.
Vanderbilt
Kevin Stallings has changed the atmosphere in Nashville. Vandy is no longer the finesse, three point shooting team it was in the past.
The loss of Derrick Byars is huge, but the way Vanderbilt ended last season has to make the Commodore faithful optimistic about the future. Early on, Shan Foster has the look of an SEC player of the year candidate; if he can replace Byars' production, Vanderbilt might not miss a beat.
This team has that "it" factor we often hear about—they play hard, together, and smart.
Here is the way I see the East playing out:
1. Tennessee: They simply have too much talent and experience.
2. Florida: Despite their youth, Billy the Kid knows how to find ways to win.
3. Vanderbilt: A consistent team that will be on the brink of breakthrough all season.
4. Kentucky: The odd mix of Gillispie and Smith's players might be too much to overcome.
5. South Carolina: Can the Gamecocks get over the hump? Maybe next year.
6. Georgia: Another building block season for Dennis Felton.
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