South Carolina basketball: SEC projections for 2020 season
By Jacob Elsey
#14. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt loses Aaron Nesmith and Saban Lee from a squad that finished just 3-15 in the league play last season. The Commodores have struggled with injuries over the last few years, running into some bad luck with many of their top players.
Dylan Disu and transfer DJ Harvey should be the go-to guys. Disu averaged 7.4 points per game from his forward position, and Harvey scored 10.7 a game last year at Notre Dame.
#13. Georgia
Superstar Anthony Edwards is gone, as are three seniors. It could be another long year for head coach Tom Crean, who’s yet to finish better than 13th in the league standings, despite having this year’s possible No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
It appears to be another rebuilding season for the Bulldogs.
#12. Mississippi State
Speaking of rebuilds, Mississippi State loses a ton of talent from a group that was on the NCAA bubble for much of last season. Reggie Perry, Robert Woodard, and Nick Weatherspoon are off the NBA draft. The Bulldogs will rely on newcomers to fill the voids.
#11. Missouri
Xavier Pinson and Dru Smith are back, leading what should be one of the conference’s most experienced teams. The question is, will that experience matter? This same roster had difficulty scoring points last year, especially from the outside, where they shot less than 30% from three.
Expect Missouri to improve upon their 7-11 SEC finish from last season, but they don’t appear to be catching up to the more talented teams in the league.