There are plenty of SEC basketball players that fly under the radar due to various reasons.
That’s why it’s important to recognize players that made big contributions to their team’s success, even if they weren’t always the ones in the national or conference spotlight.
Your definition of underrated and my definition of underrated may be different, but the All-Underrated team is about giving a tip of the cap to guys that don’t always get the credit they deserve.
Let’s dive into the All-Underrated team for this season.
Robert Hubbs III (Tennessee)
We talk a lot about Tennessee’s young core, which is understandable since 13 of the team’s 15 players are either in the freshmen or sophomore class.
However, let’s not forget about the guy that’s had a tremendous senior season. Hubbs has not only led the Vols in scoring (13.9 PPG), but he’s been the leader on the floor for Rick Barnes.
Considering what this team’s outlook was after dismissing Detrick Mostella in early January, give Hubbs a lot of credit for stepping up and holding everything together.
Derek Ogbeide (Georgia)
It was easy to look at Georgia as a two-man team this season given the incredible contributions from JJ Frazier and Yante Maten.
But Ogbeide is a player to keep an eye on going forward.
The sophomore forward had 11 games this season where he had 10 rebounds or more, and there’s no doubt that he’ll be a big part of this team’s future.
Antonio Blakeney (LSU)
Blakeney should make an All-SEC team, but that doesn’t fully explain his situation.
Most people didn’t keep up with him this season due to most LSU games being complete blowouts, and if there was anyone that got the full experience of those losses, it was Blakeney.
He was on the court for over 33 minutes a game this season, but his scoring contributions (17.4 PPG) simply weren’t enough to overcome underwhelming coaching and an overall bad team. He scored 20 points or more in 14 games this year, and was really fun to watch.
Devin Robinson (Florida)
It may be cheating to have a future NBA draft pick in the underrated category, but let’s roll with it.
There’s little doubt that Robinson is one of the most athletic players in the the entire country. His athleticism allows him to do a lot of things well, and Mike White is finding different ways to use him on the court.
His overall game has improved under White’s leadership, and with John Egbunu out for the year due to injury, Robinson will be a huge asset for the Gators in their march towards making a deep NCAA tournament run.
Sebastian Saiz (Ole Miss)
Here’s another guy that will have All-SEC awards, yet still doesn’t get enough praise for the type of season that he’s had.
Saiz finished the season with 19 double-doubles (eighth in the nation), but wasn’t someone you heard a ton about since Ole Miss couldn’t push itself into the NCAA tournament picture.
His career with the Rebels has been outstanding, and this program will certainly miss his offensive and defensive production next season.
Jeff Roberson (Vanderbilt)
There’s nothing flashy about Roberson’s game. But you don’t need to be flashy to be a really good basketball player.
Roberson’s contributions haven’t gone unnoticed this season, as he’s hit double-figures in scoring in 20 games and set a career-high with 23 points in a blowout win over Mississippi State a few weeks ago. He also leads the Commodores in rebounding (7.1 RPG) and minutes played (31.6 MPG).
He’s the type of player that every team would love to have due to his ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor.
Admon Gilder (Texas A&M)
Yes, the Aggies turned the ball over a lot this season. However, people have to remember the role that Gilder was thrust into as a sophomore.
Texas A&M lost a great leader and floor general in Alex Caruso, and it was going to be impossible for Gilder to completely replace him after playing only 20 minutes per game during his freshman season.
But this season, he played nearly 35 and made good strides throughout the year despite a disappointing season overall for the Aggies.