College basketball season is quickly approaching! We’ll have games starting Nov. 25, and there are some exciting contests on the SEC nonconference schedule.

As we approach the start of the season, I’m going to do a bit of shameless self promotion here and ask that you please follow @SDSBasketball on Twitter. I, and some other SDS basketball folks, will be posting stories, analysis and jokes on that account. Should be fun!

Anyway, here are your questions for this week’s SDS Mailbag:

@Topper_Fan:

Do you think the SEC Championship Game gets played with all the escalating COVID-19 issues?

I’m choosing to remain optimistic on that front. Now then, there are some caveats to that optimism. For example, right now I’d say it’s only 50/50 that the game gets played on Dec. 19.

I think it’s going to be important to be flexible, and that starts with the College Football Playoff and bowl game committees. If they stay firm in playing games on New Year’s Day and Jan. 2, then things are going to be a lot tougher in terms of getting all the regular-season matchups in.

But, on Thursday, Bob Bowlsby — the Big 12 commissioner and a member of the CFP operations committee — said those games could potentially be moved to later dates. That’s huge. And, honestly, it makes sense. Let the Big Ten have a couple extra weeks to reschedule games. Same for the Pac-12, SEC and whoever else needs it. There shouldn’t be any rush during a pandemic season.

So, yes, I think the SEC Championship Game will be played. I just hope the SEC and the bowl game committees are flexible enough to let us get in as many regular-season games as possible.

@SChinni12:

Which SEC men’s basketball coach do you think is on the hottest seat entering 2020-21?

Let’s dive into this question by first looking at which coaches aren’t on the hot seat. Four programs — Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Arkansas — hired new coaches last year, so they’re all safe. Tom Crean (Georgia) and Kermit Davis (Ole Miss) were hired in 2018, so I give them a pass this year, too.

Then there are the guys who are safe based on the work they’ve done in recent years — John Calipari (Kentucky), Rick Barnes (Tennessee) and Bruce Pearl (Auburn). Frank Martin (South Carolina) also fits into that category, probably.

That’s 10 of your 14 SEC coaches right there. Also, I’m almost certain Mizzou can’t fire Cuonzo Martin without cause until May 1, 2021, based on the way his contract was written. I know some Mizzou fans are growing frustrated with him, but he might get another year just based on that contract language.

LSU would probably love to keep Will Wade around, but that depends on if the NCAA ever does anything with allegations against Wade or not. If not, Wade will be in Baton Rouge for the foreseeable future.

That leaves us with 2 guys — Mississippi State’s Ben Howland and Florida’s Mike White. I’ll put White on the slightly higher seat. Howland is going through a rebuilding year after losing guys like Reggie Perry, Robert Woodard II, Nick Weatherspoon and Tyson Carter. White has talent. His team was underwhelming with all that talent last year, so he needs to overachieve this year. If not, his time in Gainesville could be coming to an end.

@JeremySpeck:

Which major college players will surprisingly decide to return to school next year? Nobody wants to be a Jet.

That’s very true. Until the Jets fire coach Adam Gase, who seems to be way in over his head as an NFL coach, that’s a situation I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. That said, I think Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence declares for the 2021 NFL Draft and goes to the Jets.

It’s not an ideal situation, but you can’t pass up No. 1 overall pick money. That’s generational wealth being delivered to you overnight. Even if he never signs a second contract, Lawrence would be foolish (in my opinion) to pass up being the top pick. I won’t fault him if he does decide to return to Clemson. It’s his choice and he can do whatever he wants. But money from the Jets spends just as well as money from anywhere else.

However, I think we could see some surprising names return to school, and one I mentioned last week was Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond. This is a loaded draft class, with Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Kyle Trask and Mac Jones, among others. Mond could return to school and become a potential first-round pick for 2022.

Also, how crazy would it be if Texas QB Sam Ehlinger came back? Texas fans can dream, can’t they?

@TylerVision92:

Tennessee’s last 4 coaches (including Jeremy Pruitt) have an average tenure of 2 years. The previous 4 coaches have an average tenure of 10 years, but only 1 national title to show for it. All that said, is stability better long-term even if you’re sticking with a coach that you don’t necessarily love?

I think the answer to your question lies somewhere in between. Two years is a joke, unless you’ve had a tenure like Chad Morris’s at Arkansas. But 10 years, well, that’s a really long time. If I were going to hire a new coach, I’d guarantee him or her 5 years to reach their goals.

Five years is ideal. It allows the coach to get their recruits into the program as the major contributors. If you still can’t put together a consistently winning squad, it’s time for a change. That’s why I understand South Carolina’s frustration with Will Muschamp this year. This is Year 5 and the Gamecocks have not improved their lot in the SEC East. If he didn’t have such a massive buyout, I think he’d be a lock to be fired after the season.

As for Pruitt, I think the hot seat talk is a bit premature. If the Vols struggle to reach bowl eligibility in 2021, then we can have some tough conversations. For now, though, he’s recruiting at a high level and has the opportunity to pull off an upset or 2 down the stretch.

I’d preach patience for now on Rocky Top. If things don’t improve next year, though, that seat will heat up in a hurry.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.