Each week until the college basketball season starts, an ex-player will help The Dagger preview his former conference. Former Mississippi State guard Shane Power was kind enough to join us this week to provide a scouting report on the SEC:
1. Who's your pick to win the SEC East and West this season?
I'm really interested to see how Kentucky rebuilds. If they can get Enes Kanter eligible and get Brandon Knight playing the way Coach Cal gets all his point guards to play, I think they're the team to beat in the East. As far as the West, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, I think they'll be right up there. Ole Miss has a lot of fire power with Chris Warren. And Mississippi State obviously will play the non-conference season without Dee Bost, but they're pretty loaded. They've got Ravern Johnson and Kodi Augustus. You add Dee and Renardo Sidney to that mix and they become a pretty dangerous team.
Other Voices Worth Your Attention
Twenty players, coaches, reporters or bloggers worth following on Twitter for your daily SEC basketball fix.
• John Clay, sports columnist, Lexington Herald-Leader:
@johnclayiv • Chandler Parsons, Florida forward:
@ChandlerParsons • Kyle Veazey, college sports writer, Jackson Clarion Ledger:
@KyleVeazey
• Scotty Hopson, Tennessee guard:
@shopson32 • Matt Jones, Founder of Kentucky Sports Radio:
@KySportsRadio • Brandon Marcello, Mississippi State beat writer, Jackson Clarion Ledger:
@bmarcello
• Tim Tucker, Georgia beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
@ajcuga
• John Pennington, founder of MrSEC.com:
@MrSEC • Travis Haney, South Carolina beat writer, Charleston Post & Courier:
@gamecocksblog • John Calipari, Kentucky coach:
@UKCoachCalipari
• Mark Bradley, sports columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
@MarkBradleyAJC
• Don Kausler Jr., Alabama beat writer for the Birmingham News:
@Tide_Source
• Brett Dawson, Kentucky beat writer, Louisville Courier-Journal:
@wildcats • Rachel George, Florida beat writer, Orlando Sentinel:
@osgators
• Michael Hamilton, Tennessee athletic director:
@utadmike
• Evan Woodbery, Auburn beat writer, the Birmingham News:
@Auburnbeat • Kevin Brockway, Florida basketball beat writer, Gainesville Sun:
@gatorhoops
• Rick Bozich, reporter for Louisville Courier-Journal:
@RickBozich
• Terrence Jones, Kentucky forward:
@TerrenceJones1 • Gentry Estes, Georgia/SEC writer for 247Sports.com:
@GentryEstes247 2. Is there a dark horse who can dethrone Kentucky in the East?
I think Florida has the best chance. They have probably the best five returners coming back. I think you'll see them step up, win some of the bigger games this season and not lose to teams they're not supposed to lose to.
3. Is there a team that you think will struggle more than usual this season?
Vanderbilt has a great system and they've got some talent, but they've got some holes to fill. South Carolina has been very tough the past couple years with Devan Downey, so he's going to be very hard for them to replace. You see what he did at the NBA summer league. He just tore it up.
4. What chance do you give Mississippi State to contend in the SEC and return to the NCAA tournament?
When you look at that team on paper and add Dee Bost and Renardo, they're as talented as anyone in the country. There's a lot of stuff that has to come together. They've got to find a way to get Renardo involved. They've been a perimeter-oriented team the past couple years. But if they can put it all together, they could be really strong.
5. Who's your choice for SEC player of the year?
That's a really tough question. I think it's completely up in the air. You look at some of the guys at Florida, they've got a chance. If Tennessee had a big year and Scotty Hopson averaged 16 to 20, he'd have a shot. The kid at Georgia, Trey Thompkins, he has a shot. Then you've got to throw in Brandon Knight and Enes Kanter at Kentucky if Kanter gets eligible.
6. What SEC arena is the toughest to play in for opposing players?
Certainly Rupp Arena is the toughest to play in. It's so big it's like playing in the middle of an Aircraft Carrier. The depth perception is a little different. They have huge crowds. And I think the referees just expect Kentucky not to lose in that building. I think one of the most fun places to play is the O-Dome in Gainesville. Their crowd's right on top of you and their student section is fun and energetic. And then I think Alabama's probably one of the toughest places to play. Their crowd is just ruthless. And I don't want to be biased, but I think the Hump is a tough place to get a victory. The fans really get into it and it seems like shooting becomes contagious there.
7. If you could go back in time and play for an SEC coach besides Rick Stansbury, who would it be and why?
I'd probably say Billy Donovan. He's got those national championships under his belt, he's developed a lot of players into great college players and pro players. I think it would be interesting to go be coached by him and pick up his philosophies and perspective on the game. When you've got those rings on your finger, that means something. It would be neat to learn from a champion.
Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/SEC-Preview-Scouting-the-league-with-Mississipp?urn=ncaab-278815
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