Way-Too-Early SEC Basketball Tiers: Florida & Texas Lead a Competitive League

The Big Ten was the best conference in college basketball last season, but the SEC is primed to regain that crown in 2026-27. The SEC flexed its muscles this spring in free agency in both retention and in the transfer portal. The SEC retained 10 of its top-30 scorers from a year ago, and none of those top-30 scorers transferred out of the league. Oh, and it poached 11 top-30 scorers from the four other high-major leagues, headlined by No. 2-rated  Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic , who picked Kentucky over Louisville and Arizona .

That means 21 top-30 scorers from high-major leagues will suit up in the SEC next season. For reference, the Big Ten is second with ... 14. The amount of proven talent in the SEC is off-the-charts good.

Way-too-early Big Ten basketball tiers: Michigan, Illinois, Michigan State primed to shine in 2026-27 Isaac Trotter

The winner of this league is going to be battle-tested. With summer practices tipping off this week, it's time to take an inventory of each team. These conference tiers provide a preferable way to contextualize each roster's outlook.

Spoiler alert: I have 10 teams with a top-25 grade. Loaded league. Just LOADED.

- Tier 1 - Title contenders : Pretty cut and dry. I think these teams have the upside to win the title. Not just make the second weekend. Not just win three in a row because of a nice draw. Six straight, do-or-die wins. - Tier 2 - Top 25 caliber club: These teams have accrued plenty of talent and should be safely in the NCAA Tournament field today, but they have a few flaws that could keep them out of the top tier. - Tier 3 - Tournament team : These teams have built good rosters and could flirt with top-25 status, but let's be honest: they aren't serious title threats. - Tier 4 - Bubble, even with a 76-team field : A Big Dance appearance is in the range of potential outcomes, but the NIT, the Crown (or worse) looms if things fizzle. - Tier 5 - The basement : These teams have a slim chance of making the Big Dance unless something drastically clicks or they make a late splash in recruiting.

Let's dive in.

Tier 1: National title contenders

1. Florida

2025-26 record : 27-8, 16-2 in SEC play.

Postseason : No. 1 seed; lost in Round of 32.

Projected 2026-27 starting lineup

- G Boogie Fland - G Urban Klavzar OR Denzel Aberdeen (if cleared) - Wing Thomas Haugh - F Alex Condon - C Rueben Chinyelu

Top bench options : G Isaiah Brown , Wing CJ Ingram II, G Alex Lloyd , F Arturas Butajevas, F Domen Petrovic, C Viktor Mikic , G AJ Brown

The scoop : Florida will be the best rebounding team in the nation with Alex Condon, Tommy Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu back in the fold in a mark of unprecedented retention. All three are All-SEC players in 2026-27. You can't say that about any other SEC club. Elite rebounding, in layman's terms, equals more scoring chances. Florida won the rebounding plus turnover delta by 10.4 possessions per game against high-major foes, per CBB Analytics. That ranked second only behind Duke . The Gators' massive shot-volume edge gives Florida the highest floor in all of college basketball.

This Florida team can't stink next year.

But the Gators' ceiling hinges on jumpers going in (novel concept).

Florida ranked in the 22nd percentile in efficiency on jump shots, and Todd Golden is relying heavily on internal development to fix those brick-laying woes. Incremental growth from Haugh and Condon wouldn't hurt, but frankly, point guard Boogie Fland has to be better, and he will with help from the Year 2 transfer jump. More playing time for Urban Klavzar will help; the 6-foot-1 junior is the best 3-point shooter on the roster. Another surge for second-unit guards like Isaiah Brown and Alex Lloyd won't hurt either.

Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen is the wild card. The senior guard is trying to get a fifth year of eligibility because he only played 41 minutes as a true freshman in 2022-23. But he played in 12 of 33 games (36%) and was not hurt. Typically, a player who suits up for 30% or fewer of the games and then suffers a season-ending injury can get a year back. Aberdeen does not hit either of those benchmarks, so his case, under the current rules, is shaky. But there don't seem to be any rules in college athletics anymore, so the wait continues. There's no doubt that Aberdeen would help this group considerably. The 6-foot-5 guard can be a jolt of instant offense, and he shot 62% at the rim and 36% from 3-point range on 171 attempts last year.

If Aberdeen can't play, Florida is still in very good shape. Fland, Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu are all useful-to-excellent individual defenders. This could easily be a top-5 defense in the sport. You can win a ton of games with smashmouth basketball that relies on defense, rebounding and free throws, plus Condon and Chinyelu have taken huge strides as efficient, low-post scorers who can punish mismatches.

But Aberdeen's splash of shot-making would vault Florida into a different zip code. It would walk into every game with an insane margin of error.

2. Texas

2025-26 record : 21-15, 9-9 in SEC play.

Postseason : No. 11 seed; lost in the Sweet 16

Projected 2026-27 starting lineup

- G Isaiah Johnson ( Colorado transfer) - G Austin Goosby - Wing Elyjah Freeman ( Auburn transfer) - F David Punch (TCU transfer) - C Matas Vokietaitis

Top bench options : G Amari Evans , G Mikey Lewis , G Bo Ogden, G Joe Sterling, F John Clark , G Mantas Laurencikas, C Lewis Obiorah , F Coleman Elkins

The scoop : Texas dipped its toes into every area of roster-building to construct a no-doubt contender. Sean Miller retained star center Matas Vokietaitis. The physical 7-footer will be one of the best big men in the SEC next year. He went into the high school ranks and landed top talent, headlined by uber-athletic top-20 guard Austin Goosby and top-50 sharpshooter Bo Ogden. Then, Texas did yeoman's work in the portal. You could make a case that the Longhorns landed one of the top offensive players in Colorado transfer Isaiah Johnson and one of the best defensive players in TCU transfer forward David Punch.

Texas' frontcourt will knock some teeth out, and the athleticism on this roster jumps off the tape, especially when Goosby and Auburn transfer Elyjah Freeman are filling the lanes and flying in transition.

Texas' defense will be way, way better. It has avenues to create advantages offensively in a bunch of different ways. Post-ups for Vokietaitis. Isolation for Punch. Johnson's speedy pick-and-rolls. You get the picture. Texas has pathways to be a top-20 offense and defense, at minimum.

This is why Sean Miller left Xavier for Texas. He has enormous resources and the ability to put together a big-time roster.

It's time for Texas to win. No excuses.

Tier 2: Top 25-caliber club

3. Alabama

2025-26 record : 25-10, 13-5 in SEC play.

Postseason : No. 4 seed, lost in the Sweet 16

Projected 2026-27 starting lineup

- G Aden Holloway - G Amari Allen - F London Jemison - F Drew Fielder ( Boise State transfer) - C Brandon Garrison (Kentucky transfer)

Top bench options : G Qayden Samuels, G/F Jaxon Richardson, F Cole Cloer, F Keitenn Bristow , F Jamarion Davis-Fleming , G Tarris Bouie, F Collins Onyejiaka

The scoop : Alabama has a good roster, and Nate Oats is on the sideline. Do you need to hear anything else? This team is going to be good.

(I'm being told more analysis is needed.)

This backcourt should absolutely smash. If senior Aden Holloway can keep his head on straight after some off-the-court snafus, he will be in the mix to lead the SEC in 3-point shooting. Yet again, Alabama got some great news at the stay-or-go NBA Draft deadline with Amari Allen choosing to run it back. The 6-foot-6 guard can play on or off the ball and just has a nose for the basketball. He averaged 11.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 35% from 3-point range as the third or fourth option last year for Alabama. His counting stats are going to go kaboom with the higher usage rate headed his way.

Allen and Holloway is a terrifying backcourt, but Oats has real depth here too. Prized freshman Qayden Samuels is all of 6-foot-5 and can really, really score. 6-foot-6 freshman Jaxon Richardson is an insane athlete who could push to start at the 3, and both Cole Cloer and London Jemison are rangy shooters who should fit seamlessly into this mix.

Alabama's defensive versatility should be a bit better thanks to the influx of perimeter size and switchability. Alabama had limited personnel when it started three small guards, and it finished 61st in defensive efficiency. This year, Holloway is the only rotation player who is shorter than 6-foot-5. Bigger is better in the SEC, and Alabama will have more arrows in the quiver on that end. Alabama's defense is going to be improved, but I still hesitate to say it will be a top-30 unit. A lot rides on the shoulders of Brandon Garrison. The big man is mobile and better defending on the perimeter than in the paint, but his processing and decision-making on both ends can make you want to rip your hair out.

It's impossible for an Oats-coached offense to stink. This roster will be very good on that end. If the defense is a top-40 unit, Alabama is going to be in the mix for the league title … again.

That's just what Oats does.

4. Arkansas

2025-26 record : 28-9 overall, 13-5 in SEC play

Postseason : No. 4 seed; lost in Sweet 16

Projected 2026-27 starting lineup

- G Jordan Smith Jr. - G Jeremiah Wilkinson - Wing Billy Richmond III - F Miikka Muurinen - F Cooper Bowser

Top bench options : Wing JJ Andrews, Wing Abdou Toure, G Isaiah Sealy , C Maper Maker, C Paulo Semedo , G Davion Thompson (expected to commit to Arkansas this week).

The scoop : John Calipari is at it again. The Razorbacks have reeled in one of the most talented rosters in the SEC. Point of attack defense should be a major strength. Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. is a voracious defender who is gushing with winning intangibles. He's not the polished offensive dynamo of a Darius Acuff Jr. , but Smith will be one of the best freshmen in the SEC from the get-go. He's just the tip of the spear for an Arkansas backcourt that is littered with options. Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson can score 15 points a game in his sleep, especially if Arkansas keeps playing fast. Billy Richmond III is a terror defensively and an effort-play machine. Young freshmen wings like JJ Andrews and Abdou Toure are so toolsy and play with a ton of force. Arkansas is going to hit you, and there's not much you can do about it.

This backcourt could be getting another influx, too. Prized four-star Davion Thompson is expected to commit to Arkansas this week and reclassify to join the Hogs immediately. There are some shooting questions on this roster which made Thompson a priority. He was one of the best shooters on the EYBL circuit, draining 52% of his triples on 7.7 attempts per game.

Arkansas would be a Tier 1, National Championship contender if the frontcourt had a bit more bite. Incoming freshman Miikka Muurinen profiles as a 7-foot stretch 4 with ball skills, length, athleticism and mobility. But is he tough enough to stick his face in the fan and make the hard winning plays every night? Furman transfer Cooper Bowser would be a rock-solid backup. I don't quite see it as a SEC starter. Another late frontcourt add would be helpful, and Calipari is sniffing around the JUCO market as we speak. A Murrinen-Boswer frontcourt is fine, but it won't be near the top of the pecking order of best frontcourts in the SEC.

One way to make up for iffy interior defense is to be hellacious at the point of attack. Arkansas has the personnel to do it. If it's consistently turning the water off for straight-line drives, some of Arkansas' interior issues could be masked.

Arkansas has athletes for days. This roster is just brimming in upside, but missing out on one of the prized centers in th

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/sec-basketball-rankings/)._