CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 8 Seeds

RBP has been ranking the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. The 8 seeds:

32) San Diego State (Kawhi Leonard): While I didn't give the Aztecs bonus points for their shoe game, please enjoy the various Jordan models pictured below.





31) Memphis (Anfernee Hardaway): Back when Penny was balling in Bluff City and the school was still known as Memphis State, the blue unis with the gray trim were hard to top.




30) St. John's (Moe Harkless):Big fan of the black alternate and even bigger fan of the font.




29) Kentucky (Brandon Knight):As Kentucky has a history of terrible uniform choices (denim Converse unis, Apex cat scratch shorts, and soon to be debuted Nike Platinum gear come to mind), I am fearful the Wildcats will drop their current duds, which continue to grow on me.

All-Decade Teams: SEC

Each team includes the top 5 players from that program over the course of the past 10 years. As mentioned previously, I have not attempted to put together teams that fill all 5 positions on the floor.

The order in which the programs are listed corresponds to the power rankings from my previous post, "A Decade of SEC Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have LSU listed fifth and Mississippi State fourth does not mean that I believe Mississippi State's top 5 is better than LSU's top 5. That being said, I have ranked the players within each program.

Where part of a player's career came before the 2001-02 season, I have taken those years into consideration for purposes of this post.

Where a player transferred to a SEC program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a SEC program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.

Ranking Kentucky's top 5 was especially difficult - perhaps even more difficult than ranking Arizona's top 5. Players such as Jodie Meeks, Chuck Hayes, and Rajon Rondo would have made lesser programs' top fives with relative ease. However, those three very good college players probably slide into the 8 through 10 spots at Kentucky. I feel confident about my top 3 - Tayshaun Prince, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins. Prince is a no-brainer. Wall was sensational during his single season in Lexington, and DeMarcus Cousins was an absolute force of nature. Even though Wall and Cousins were only in Lexington for one year, the impact they had on college basketball and the Kentucky program during that short period of time justifies their rankings. The 4 through 7 spots are where it gets tricky. Patrick Patterson is my #4. He was a bright spot during the dark days of the Billy Clyde era in Lexington. Patterson excelled on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass but could also score. While his numbers were impressive, Patterson is best remembered for putting forth more effort than just about anyone else possessing his level of talent and athleticism. Gerald Fitch, one of the most underrated players of the last decade, is my #5. Fitch was the ringleader of two fabulous college basketball teams - the 02-03 and 03-04 Wildcats. Because neither team made it to a Final Four (and neither produced an NBA star), these teams have largely been forgotten outside of the Bluegrass state. Fitch was a crafty scorer, a good defender, and one of the best rebounders from the guard position I've ever had the pleasure of watching. His numbers, while solid, were not spectacular, but that largely can be chalked up to playing in Tubby Smith's system. I have Brandon Knight at #6 and Keith Bogans at #7. A strong case could be made on behalf of either of them for inclusion in the top 5. In his one season in the college ranks, Knight led the Cats to the Final Four. It's hard for me to leave Knight off this list, as I don't believe the gap between Wall and Knight is all that significant. (Also, Knight is going to be a better pro than Kyrie Irving, but that's a topic for another day.) Bogans was a solid (and probably underappreciated) four-year player, but I think of Bogans as more of a gunner than a guy who would go out and get you a win (see Fitch, Gerald).

*Note that Lawrence Roberts (Mississippi State), Marco Killingsworth (Auburn), and Toney Douglas (Auburn) also made the top 5 at Baylor, Indiana, and Florida State, respectively.

1. Florida
1. Al Horford (05-07)
2. Joakim Noah (05-07)
3. Corey Brewer (05-07)
4. Udonis Haslem (99-02)
5. Matt Bonner (00-03)

2. Kentucky
1. Tayshaun Prince (99-02)
2. John Wall (10)
3. DeMarcus Cousins (10)
4. Patrick Patterson (08-10)
5. Gerald Fitch (01-04)

3. Tennessee
1. Chris Lofton (05-08)
2. Vincent Yarbrough (99-02)
3. Ron Slay (00-03)
4. Tyler Smith (08-10)
5. C.J. Watson (03-06)

4. Mississippi State
1. Lawrence Roberts (04-05)
2. Jamont Gordon (06-08)
3. Jarvis Varnado (07-10)
4. Mario Austin (01-03)
5. Charles Rhodes (05-08)

5. LSU
1. Glen Davis (05-07)
2. Brandon Bass (04-05)
3. Ronald Dupree (00-03)
4. Marcus Thornton (08-09)
5. Jaime Lloreda (03-04)

6. Vanderbilt
1. Shan Foster (05-08)
2. Matt Freije ((01-04)
3. Derrick Byars (06-07)
4. John Jenkins (10-present)
5. Jeffery Taylor (09-present)

7. Alabama
1. Erwin Dudley (00-03)
2. Rod Grizzard (00-02)
3. Kennedy Winston (03-05)
4. Richard Hendrix (06-08)
5. Mo Williams (02-03)

8. Arkansas
1. Ronnie Brewer (04-06)
2. Sonny Weems (07-08)
3. Jonathon Modica (03-06)
4. Jannero Pargo (01-02)
5. Patrick Beverley (07-08)

9. Georgia
1. Jarvis Hayes (02-03)
2. Trey Thompkins (09-11)
3. Ezra Williams (01-03)
4. Travis Leslie (09-11)
5. Sundiata Gaines (05-08)

10. South Carolina
1. Devan Downey (08-10)
2. Carlos Powell (02-05)
3. Tre Kelley (04-07)
4. Zam Fredrick (08-09)
5. Sam Muldrow (08-11)

11. Mississippi
1. Justin Reed (01-04)
2. Chris Warren (08-11)
3. Dwayne Curtis (06-08)
4. Aaron Harper (01-04)
5. Terrico White (09-10)

12. Auburn
1. Marquis Daniels (00-03)
2. Korvotney Barber (06-09)
3. DeWayne Reed (07-10)
4. Marco Killingsworth (02-04)
5. Toney Douglas (05)

SEC Honors & Awards

Kentucky reached the Final Four for the first time since 1998, but the Wildcats' fell to UConn last night, which means it's time to honor the SEC's finest. Honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just SEC conference play.

All-SEC

Brandon Knight, Kentucky
#12 Freshman Guard 6-3 185
17.3 ppg 4.2 apg 4.0 rpg

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
#23 Sophomore Guard 6-4 215
19.5 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.2 apg

Terrence Jones, Kentucky
#3 Freshman Forward 6-8 245
15.7 ppg 8.8 rpg 1.9 bpg

JaMychal Green, Alabama
#1 Junior Forward 6-8 230
15.5 ppg 7.5 rpg 2.1 bpg

Trey Thompkins, Georgia
#33 Junior Forward 6-10 245
16.4 ppg 7.6 rpg 1.7 bpg


Player of the Year: Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Vanderbilt's John Jenkins may have been the league's most potent scorer, but Brandon Knight was the league's best player, displaying a deft shooting touch and heady leadership all while leading the Cats to the Final Four as a freshman point guard.

All-Defense

DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky
#34 Junior Guard 6-6 210

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
#44 Junior Forward 6-7 225

Reginald Buckner, Mississippi
#2 Sophomore Forward 6-8 235

Delvon Johnson, Arkansas
#21 Senior Forward 6-9 220

Sam Muldrow, South Carolina
#44 Senior Forward 6-9 230


Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Muldrow, South Carolina
Muldrow, who averaged 3.4 blocks per contest, did his his best Jarvis Varnado impression this year, swatting five or more attempts in nine games.

Freshman of the Year: Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Knight, the SEC's best player, is the choice, but teammate Terrence Jones, who struggled toward the end of the season, deserves recognition for a fantastic freshman campaign in which the versatile forward showed off an array of skills and, at times, took over on the offensive end of the floor.

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky
Prior to the SEC conference tourney, Alabama's Anthony Grant would have been RBP's pick for SEC Coach of the Year, but Cal gets the nod after leading his extremely young (and extremely talented) squad to the Final Four.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Freshman Power Rankings 3.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-9 280
Buckeye frosh is nation's most dominant player and a huge reason why Thad Matta's squad is ranked number one in the country.
previous rank: 1

2. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Versatile big brings to mind Tim Thomas.
previous rank: 3

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
The kid's a lottery pick, and the whole country would realize how fantastic he's been if we weren't so busy comparing him to John Wall.
previous rank: 5

4. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-8 225
Thompson, who plays bigger than his measurements would suggest, more than held his own against the Morris twins in the Longhorns' victory at the Phog.
previous rank: 7

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
With all due respect to Scotty Hopson, Tobias Harris is the Vols' best player, and he needs more touches.
previous rank: 4

6. Cory Joseph, Texas, 6-3 185
Joseph's heady play at the point is the biggest reason Texas has bounced back from last year's mess of a season.
previous rank: NR

7. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, 5-9, 195
While Ellington isn't quite Devan Downey at this early stage of his career, he's doing his best impression.
previous rank: NR

8. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Scott Drew's prized recruit is putting up nice numbers for an underachieving team, but we're getting close to over-hyped territory with young Perry.
previous rank: 6

9. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Selby is still working out the kinks after missing the first nine games of the season, but his explosiveness is evident.
previous rank: NR

10. Doron Lamb, Kentucky, 6-4 195
That the sweet-shooting New York product is the tenth best freshman in the country and only the third best freshman in Lexington is a testament to Coach Cal's recruiting prowess.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Kyrie Irving (Duke), J.T. Terrell (Wake Forest), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State)

Freshman Power Rankings 2.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Would have retained the top spot even if he hadn't exploded for 40 points against IUPUI.
previous rank: 1

2. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
If reports that Irving will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury are true, we've been robbed of the chance to watch a very special point guard play at the college level.
previous rank: 9

3. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Jones, averaging 20 and 10 for the Wildcats, is tougher and plays with more heart than I expected.
previous rank: NR

4. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Harris has replaced Tyler Smith and J.P. Prince as the Vols' point-forward.
previous rank: 5

5. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Knight has had some early struggles running the Wildcat offense but has no problem scoring.
previous rank: 3

6. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Versatile big man has talent scouts salivating.
previous rank: NR

7. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Longhorn frosh is second on team in scoring, tied for lead in rebounding, averages 2.4 blocks per contest, and has a ton of upside.
previous rank: 6

8. J.T. Terrell, Wake Forest, 6-4 175
Fearless two-guard leads Demon Deacons in scoring and is doing his best to keep a program teetering on the brink of decline respectable.
previous rank: NR

9. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Most hyped freshman in the land disappears for stretches and has been altogether underwhelming.
previous rank: 2

10. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-6 230
Fort Wayne-product is super-efficient on offensive end and would be ranked even higher if not for lackluster outings against Florida State and IUPUI.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Josh Selby (Kansas), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)

2010-11 Outlook: SEC

Projected Order of Finish

1. Kentucky - Coach Cal reloaded with another bumper crop of blue chips, but extreme lack of depth means young Cats will have to stay out of foul trouble and injury-free.

2. Florida - 6-9 225-pound freshman Patric Young provides the perennially soft Gators with much-needed toughness.

3. Tennessee - Bruce Pearl has done a great job in Knoxville, but it is pretty incredible that he still has his job at this point.

4. Vanderbilt - Commodores will miss point guard Jermaine Beal more than overrated big man A.J. Ogilvy.

5. Mississippi State - When Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney become eligible, watch out for a nice Bulldogs squad that will feast on the SEC West competition.

6. Georgia - Everyone's favorite dark horse is on the verge of becoming overrated.

7. Alabama - JaMychal Green, Senario Hillman, and Mikhail Torrance give the Tide a formidable threesome.

8. Mississippi - Senior guard Chris Warren leads Andy Kennedy's attack in Oxford.

9. South Carolina - Darrin Horn thinks he has something special in freshman guard Bruce Ellington.

10. Arkansas - John Pelphrey is on the hot seat after his Razorbacks missed the tournament for a second straight season.

11. LSU - I like Trent Johnson, but he has had trouble bringing talent to Baton Rouge.

12. Auburn - It was a mistake to fire Jeff Lebo one year removed from a 20-win season.

All-Conference

Dee Bost, Mississippi State, jr, guard
Travis Leslie, Georgia, jr. guard
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt, jr, forward
Chandler Parsons, Florida, sr, forward
Trey Thompkins, Georgia, jr, forward

Player of the Year

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt - Reminds me of a young Grant Hill.

Top Freshman

Brandon Knight, Kentucky - There will be less of a drop off from John Wall to Knight than people think.

Top Defender

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt - Locks down opposition's best player on nightly basis.

Freshman Power Rankings 1.0

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Burly big man reminds me of Elton Brand and may end up the most dominant player in all of college basketball.

2. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Has all the tools, but can he help the Heels rebound from an embarrassing 2009-10 season?

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Cerebral point follows in footsteps of Rose, Evans, and Wall.

4. Joe Jackson, Memphis, 5-11 160
There's some Iverson in this waterbug's game.

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Do-it-all big will be the best player on Bruce Pearl's roster from day one.

6. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Think LaMarcus Aldridge with some Ed Davis sprinkled in.

7. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Explosive combo guard with ability to take over needs to be a team player on ultra-talented Jayhawks squad.

8. Adreian Payne, Michigan State, 6-10 215
Izzo's most talented post player since Zach Randolph.

9. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
In unique position of starting at point guard for defending champion expecting to repeat.

10. Reggie Bullock, North Carolina, 6-5 190
Big, athletic two-guard with tons of upside.

Grading the Performances from the High School All-Star Games

The high school all-star games are typically the first chance we get to see the highly-anticipated crop of incoming freshmen showcase their skills amongst equals. It's important not to get too carried away with showings in these games considering the national rankings are based on four plus years of organized high school competition and the gauntlet of AAU debauchery. Nonetheless, these games are the best fodder we have for the upcoming season of college bball, so we must acknowledge them. I listed a few of my winners and losers based on performances at the McDonald's game:

WINNERS

Harrison Barnes: This guy could not play anywhere but UNC. His game will be described as smooth so many times next year that it will make everyone sick (Brett Favre is a gunslinger and Jerome Bettis is from Detroit). The best part about Barnes is that his game is EXACTLY what UNC lacked last year. As the Admiral aptly noted, Larry Drew has been the whipping boy of Raleigh, but that is not completely fair. Drew obviously isn't as good as Ray Felton or Ty Lawson, but Ole Roy found a way to win a lot of games without those guys over the last twenty years. Barnes showed range, high basketball IQ, and an NBA-ready physique. I kind of felt the same about Xavier Henry last year, but hopefully Barnes doesn't prove to be as off-putting as Xavier.

Jared Sullinger: Sully was right at home at the McDonald's game, and put on quite a show for his strong contingency of fans. I was impressed until I got a little deja vu recalling Felipe Lopez's McDonald's performance in NYC before four disappointing years at St. John's. Dare I speculate that Sullinger is the type of man the Admiral would love to build his team around. Big, physical, and skilled. He's going to be a force in the Big Ten, and the knock on him coming out of college will probably be whether he is athletic enough to bang with NBA bigs. For the time being though, he looks impressive.

Tobias Harris: Harris got hurt in the McDonald's game, and will probably be out of commission for several weeks, so the fact that I included him as a "winner" is a testament to how impressed I was with him. Harris was bigger, more athletic, and more skilled than I anticipated. I think that after Barnes, he projects as the best NBA prospect in the class right now. Bruce Pearl has yet to actually develop an NBA prospect, so hopefully for Harris's sake, he hasn't already peaked.

Terrence Jones: I loved the efficiency and versatility of his game. Jones can shoot, put the ball on the floor, rebound, and pass. He seemed to have a high basketball IQ, and although he only grabbed three rebounds, his reputation as a solid rebounder gets him a pass for that game. Besides, who rebounds in all-star games? That's bush league.

LOSERS

Brandan Knight: Knight made the same mistake that many top flight players do at the McDonald's game. He tried to use it as a forum to show that criticisms of his game are unfounded. Therefore, he took way too many threes to try to prove that he's a shooter. He should have just played his game and found open teammates, and he would have been fine. The game-winning shot was a nice touch, though. If it's any consolation, I predicted that Mike Conley, Jr. and Jordan Farmar would be complete busts in college after underwhelming McDonald's performances. Unless I'm mistaken, neither of those guys finished a season in which his team failed to make the Final Four. If you're still reading this after that revelation, then you're probably just an old friend of mine. Thanks, I appreciate your loyalty.

While on the subject of Knight, I will get an obligatory dig in on the Worldwide Leader, if I may. ESPN re-ranked the top prospects and dropped Knight behind Kyrie Irving after the McDonald's game. That's kind of like when they dropped John Wall behind Avery Bradley and Favors after the McDonald's game last year. Sidebar: ESPN owns rights to the McDonald's game but not the Hoop Summit Game. Ergo, (in my humble opinion) in ESPN's eyes, great performances in the Hoop Summit game pale in comparison to putting on a show for the ESPN audience at the Hamburger Classic. It was fun watching ESPN repeatedly referring to John Wall as the third ranked player in the ESPN top 100 last winter when Wall became a national sensation. Hopefully Knight, who seems like a great kid, enjoys similar success.

Keith Appling: Apparently Appling has a scorer's mentality. He took fifteen shots in seventeen minutes in the McDonald's game, and may have actually played so selfishly, that remaining recruits would go out of their way to avoid standing around and watching Appling next season in East Lansing. Izzo hasn't had too much trouble with people playing for themselves instead of his team, but he's going to have a tall task in getting Appling to learn a thing or two about shot selection.J