SEC Tournament 2012: Kentucky and 4 Teams to Watch Out For

This year's 2012 SEC Tournament will be loaded with talent, and the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats are not the only team capable of turning heads in New Orleans.

Teams that make it through the gauntlet of SEC conference play and into the NCAA Tournament will be battle-tested and ready for a deep run.

Here are five teams that will continue to make waves now that the regular season is finished.

No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats (30-1, 16-0)

John Calipari brought another loaded recruiting class to Lexington, and the freshmen have been fantastic for Kentucky. The three first-year players in the Wildcats' starting lineup were all ranked in the top five in their recruiting class by Rivals.com.

Anthony Davis has arguably been the best player in the nation. He is leading his team in scoring and rebounds and averaging a ridiculous 4.7 blocks per game. Davis is the leading candidate to be the first player taken in the next NBA draft. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has shown relentless hustle and energy. He is an athletic swingman who is an elite perimeter defender and gives the Wildcats a physical edge. Fellow freshman Marquis Teague has also been productive and leads the team in assists.

The returning players have played major roles as well, and sophomores Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones round out the best starting five in college basketball. While both of these players were not as highly touted coming out of high school as their teammates, they were top-25 recruits.

Kentucky is the overwhelming favorite to take the SEC Tournament and will be many people's bet to finish as NCAA champions. With the amount talent on the roster, the Wildcats are the safest pick in the country to be the last team standing after March Madness ends.

No. 16 Florida Gators (22-9, 10-6)

Florida made more three-point shots this year than any other team in the country. Those 307 long-range buckets show how dangerous the streaky Gators can be when they heat up.

Junior guard Kenny Boynton has led the charge for his team, averaging 16.8 points per game. He is shooting 43.4 percent form beyond the arc, taking 7.6 shots a night from downtown.

Fellow backcourt players Mike Rosario, Erving Walker and Bradley Beal are all capable deep-range shooters. Even the big men get involved in the long-ball frenzy, and 6'10" Erik Murphy is also shooting 43.4 percent on his three-point attempts.

The Gators have been marred by inconsistency this year, but their ability to have several deep threats on the floor at once means that they are never out of a game.

If the Florida shooters get comfortable in New Orleans, the Wildcats may be the only team capable of stopping them. 

Tennessee Volunteers (18-13, 10-6)

Tennessee is the hottest team in the SEC right now, winning eight of its last nine games. 

The Volunteers struggled early in the season and lost six of their first nine games. They have since beaten Florida twice and had a signature win over Connecticut, who was ranked No. 11 when the game was played.

First-year coach Cuonzo Martin has done an incredible job with this year's team and has had significant contributions from several different players.

Sophomore guard Trae Golden and junior forward Jerrone Maymon have been the Vols' best players throughout the season, but both had off games against UConn. In that contest, freshman Jarnell Stokes made his first career start and put up 16 points and grabbed 12 boards. Senior Cameron Tatum scored 15 points and hit four three-pointers to help out the big freshman and lead his team to victory.

Tennessee is on the bubble for a bid to the NCAA Tournament and will have more to play for than any other team in the SEC's playoff. If this team continues its current form in New Orleans, it will surprise a lot of fans across the country.

Vanderbilt Commodores (21-10, 10-6)

Vanderbilt is a top-heavy team, but John Jenkins and Jeffrey Taylor have been able to make up for the squad's lack of depth.

Both players are capable of scoring in bunches. Jenkins, a junior, leads the SEC in scoring, and Taylor, a senior, is tied for second. 

The duo is capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor and both are shooting better than 45 percent from three-point range.

The Commodores' star players are both upperclassmen, and veteran leadership will help the team come together and play well in the postseason.

Jenkins and Taylor are two of the most potent scorers in the SEC. If they can coax good performances out of their teammates, Vanderbilt will have a shot at a conference title.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-10, 8-8)

Mississippi State has looked like two completely different teams at points during this season, and the Bulldogs' chances at an SEC title depend on which squad shows up.

The team started the season with a 13-2 record and was ranked No. 15 in the nation at the start of SEC play. But the Bulldogs slumped in the second half of the year and are 8-8 against conference opponents. They have lost five of their last seven games.

Upperclassmen Arnett Moultrie and Dee Bost have led the team's scoring efforts while being helped out by freshman Rodney Hood, a top-20 recruit.

Moultrie is a beast inside, averaging 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Bost is a streaky guard who leads the SEC in assists, and Hood is a tall and lanky perimeter player with a smooth left-handed jumper.

The trio complement each other perfectly. If they can find a way out of their current slump, the Bulldogs could be the dark horse in New Orleans.