Florida coach Todd Golden has a prediction for the Southeastern Conference this season:
asserted
Golden → have → Conference
“It’s going to be as good as it was two years ago,” he said.
asserted
he → go → ?
“Everybody got better.”
asserted
Everybody → get → ?
The powerhouse league put a record 14 teams into the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
asserted
league → put → 2025
Auburn landed the overall No. 1 seed in the tourney that year and advanced to the Final Four along with the Gators, who ended up cutting down the nets in San Antonio.
asserted
who → land → Antonio
The SEC failed to maintain that level of dominance in 2026, getting four fewer teams into the NCAA field and advancing only Tennessee to the Elite Eight.
asserted
SEC → fail → Eight
But with the tournament expanding from 68 to 76 teams, could the SEC snag nearly 20% of the spots in 2027?
uncertain
SEC → expand → 2027
The league will open the season with seven teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
asserted
teams → open → Top
“The rosters, when you look across the board right now, tell you this is going to be another historical year in the SEC,” Georgia coach Mike White said.
asserted
White → look → SEC
It starts with No. 1 Florida, which returned four starters, including three of the most decorated frontcourt players in the conference.
asserted
which → start → conference
Center Rueben Chinyelu was the national defensive player of the year, forward Thomas Haugh was a first-team All-SEC forward and Alex Condon earned second-team honors while emerging as one of the most versatile big men in the country.
asserted
Condon → earn → country
The Gators also returned point guard Boogie Fland and SEC sixth man of the year Urban Klavzar.
asserted
Gators → return → year
Still, Golden wanted more.
asserted
Golden → want → more
So he brought back shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen, who spent last season at Kentucky after three years in Gainesville.
asserted
who → bring → Gainesville
Aberdeen needed a court injunction to land a fifth year of eligibility.
asserted
Aberdeen → need → eligibility
“It puts us in better spot to win the national championship,” Aberdeen said.
asserted
Aberdeen → put → championship
“We want nothing less than that.
asserted
We → want → that
That’s our goal for this year, and we’re going to do everything we can to get that.”
asserted
we → ’ → that
Aberdeen, Chinyelu, Condon and Haugh were mostly role players when Florida won the national title in 2025, getting a front-row seat to watch guards Walter Clayton, Alijah Martin and Will Richard carry the Gators to the crown.
asserted
Clayton → win → crown
Now they’re the backbone of the team widely picked as the preseason favorite to win it all in five months in Detroit.
asserted
they → ’re → Detroit
“It’s probably going to be more intense this year being chased,” Condon said.
asserted
Condon → go → ?
“Everyone’s treating (us) like it’s the national championship for them.”
asserted
it → treat → them
Top players
Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard and Alabama’s duo of Amari Allen and Aden Holloway give the league some of the best guards in the country.
asserted
Tanner → give → country
Florida’s trio, Kentucky’s Malachi Moreno and Arkansas’ Billy Richmond are frontcourt players to watch.
asserted
trio → watch → ?
“The competition this year … even on your best night, you better be ready,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said.
asserted
Barnes → say → night
“But even if you are ready, you know you’re going to be in for a battle because I think every team, as you look around the league, has improved themselves on paper certainly.
asserted
you → know → paper
Kansas State point guard PJ Haggerty landed at Texas A&M. Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic signed with Kentucky.
asserted
Momcilovic → land → Kentucky
Colorado point guard Isaiah Johnson found a new home with Texas.
asserted
Johnson → find → Texas
Forward Juke Harris moved from Wake Forest to Tennessee, and forward David Punch left TCU for Texas.
asserted
Punch → move → Texas
And several guys swapped schools within the conference, including Texas signing former Auburn forward Elyjah Freeman and former Tennessee guard Amari Evans, and Arkansas bringing in former Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson.
asserted
Arkansas → swap → Wilkinson
Top freshmen
No. 7 Texas added the nation’s top recruiting class, including dynamic forwards Marcus Spears Jr. and Austin Goosby.
asserted
Texas → add → Jr.
Arkansas, meanwhile, landed the No. 2 high school prospect in the country, guard Jordan Smith Jr.
“I’m loving what I’m seeing.
asserted
I → land → what
But for anybody to predict this team, you’re crazy,” Razorbacks coach John Calipari said.
asserted
Calipari → predict → team
“I don’t have an idea.
asserted
I → have → idea
I don’t know yet.
asserted
I → know → ?
When you’re talking 17, 18, some 19-year-olds, how are they going to react when they get punched in the mouth?
asserted
they → talk → mouth
How do they react if they’re not playing the minutes they want to play?
asserted
they → react → minutes
I don’t know yet.”
New coaches
LSU made the league’s only coaching change after last season, firing Matt McMahon and re-hiring Will Wade on the same day.
asserted
LSU → know → day
Wade took an “unconventional approach” to rebuilding LSU’s roster, and the Tigers are still hoping St. John’s transfer RJ Luis can gain eligibility through the court system.
asserted
Luis → take → system
Wade spent five seasons (2017-22) in charge of the Tigers, leading them to the SEC regular-season title in 2019 and three NCAA Tournaments.
asserted
Wade → spend → 2019
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
