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College Football

BRACKET: Who was the best SEC men’s basketball player of all time?

Adam Spencer

By Adam Spencer

Published:

Not having basketball this month sucks. Yes, there are more important things than sports as the world fights back against a COVID-19 outbreak, but not having sports is still tough to handle.

So, as we continue to make our way through a sports-less March, we here at Saturday Down South figured we’d give you fans something to vote on.

We’ve put together a bracket of 32 of the best SEC men’s basketball players of all time. Your job? Vote on each matchup to determine who ultimately gets crowned the winner.

Starting Sunday, March 22, and running over the next couple of weeks, we’ll have each matchup posted on our Twitter account (@SDS) and on Instagram (@SaturdayDownSouth). Head over there to vote for who you think should win each matchup, and we’ll update things as the bracket moves along.

A couple of notes:

  • Every team had to have at least one player in the bracket.
  • Every player had to have played while his school was in the SEC.

Without further ado, here are all of the first-round matchups you’ll have a chance to vote on between now and Wednesday:

Pistol Bracket:

(1) Pete Maravich, LSU vs. (8) Jabari Brown, Mizzou

  • Maravich (1967-70): 44.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists per game
    • 3x SEC Player of the Year (1968, 1969, 1970)
    • 2x College Basketball Player of the Year (1969, 1970)
    • 3x NCAA scoring leader (1968, 1969, 1970)
  • Brown (2012-14): 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game

(2) Corliss Williamson, Arkansas vs. (7) Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

  • Williamson (1992-95): 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks per game
    • NCAA champion (1994)
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (1994, 1995)
  • Varnado (2006-10): 10.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 blocks per game
    • 2x NCAA blocks leader (2008, 2009)
    • 3x SEC Defensive Player of the year (2008, 2009, 2010)

(3) Bernard King, Tennessee vs. (6) Joakim Noah, Florida

  • King (1974-77): 25.8 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game
    • 3x SEC Player of the Year (1975, 1976, 1977)
  • Noah (2004-07): 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks per game
    • 2x NCAA champion (2006, 2007)

(4) Johnny Neumann, Ole Miss vs. (5) Bailey Howell, Mississippi State

  • Neumann (1970-71): 40.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (1971)
    • NCAA scoring leader (1971)
  • Howell (1956-59): 27.1 points, 17.0 rebounds per game
    • SEC Most Valuable Player (1958, 1959)

Diesel Bracket:

(1) Shaquille O’Neal, LSU vs. (8) Tyler Davis, Texas A&M

  • O’Neal (1989-92): 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals per game
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (1991, 1992)
    • College Basketball Player of the Year (1991)
    • NCAA rebounds leader (1991)
    • NCAA blocks leader (1992)
  • Davis (2015-18): 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 blocks per game

(2) Charles Barkley, Auburn vs. (7) John Stroud, Ole Miss

  • Barkley (1981-84): 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 blocks
    • SEC Player of the Year (1984)
  • Stroud (1976-80): 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds per game

(3) Grant Williams, Tennessee vs. (6) Al Horford, Florida

  • Williams (2016-19): 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 blocks per game
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (2018, 2019)
  • Horford (2004-07): 10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks per game
    • 2x NCAA champion (2006, 2007)

(4) Dan Issel, Kentucky vs. (5) Reggie King, Alabama

  • Issel (1967-70): 25.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game
  • King: (1975-79): 18.4 points, 10.8 rebounds per game
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (1978, 1979)

Human Highlight Bracket:

(1) Dominique Wilkins, Georgia vs. (8) Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

  • Wilkins (1979-82): 21.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.7 blocks per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (1981)
  • Foster (2004-08): 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2008)

(2) Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, LSU vs. (7) Dale Ellis, Tennessee

  • Abdul-Rauf (1988-90): 29.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals per game
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (1989, 1990)
  • Ellis (1979-83): 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals per game
    • 2x SEC Player of the Year (1982, 1983)

(3) Bob Pettit, LSU vs. (6) Chuck Person, Auburn

  • Pettit (1951-54): 27.4 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists per game
  • Person (1982-86): 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals per game

(4) John Wall, Kentucky vs. (5) Alex English, South Carolina

  • Wall (2009-10): 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.8 steals per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2010)
  • English (1972-76): 17.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.0 blocks per game

Brow Bracket:

(1) Anthony Davis, Kentucky vs. (8) Vernon Maxwell, Florida

  • Davis (2011-12): 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 4.7 blocks per game
    • College Basketball Player of the Year (2012)
    • SEC Player of the Year (2012)
    • SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2012)
    • NCAA blocks leader (2012)
  • Maxwell (1984-88): 18.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals per game

(2) Allan Houston, Tennessee vs. (7) Scottie Wilbekin, Florida

  • Houston (1989-93): 21.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals per game
  • Wilbekin (2010-14): 6.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2014)

(3) Chris Lofton, Tennessee vs. (6) Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky

  • Lofton (2004-08): 16.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2007)
  • Mashburn (1990-93): 18.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (1993)

(4) Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina vs. (5) Glen Davis, LSU

  • Thornwell (2013-17): 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2017)
  • Davis (2004-07): 16.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game
    • SEC Player of the Year (2006)
Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.

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