Lovell’s Notebook: SEC releases full 2019 conference schedule

By
Blake Lovell
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The SEC released its full conference schedule on Friday, and as always, it’s filled with plenty of intriguing storylines.

After the success of last season, all eyes are on the league as it figures to make an even bigger jump heading into the 2018-19 campaign.

Let’s roll through some quick thoughts on several things that stand out within the schedule.

Where are the “easy” games?

In the past, it’s been easy to identify games that could be circled as probable wins.

However, that simply isn’t the case anymore in the SEC. The strength of the league is too overwhelming to count on any guaranteed wins, and last season was a good indicator of the overall depth in the conference.

A record-breaking eight teams made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that nine could enter the field this time around.

So, while someone has to win and someone has to lose, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to figure out how each game will unfold.

That could make my daily predictions posts even more inaccurate than usual.

Welcome to the SEC, Tom!

Here’s how Tom Crean will get introduced to SEC play:

  • at Tennessee (1/5)
  • vs. Vanderbilt (1/9)
  • at Auburn (1/12)
  • vs. Kentucky (1/15)
  • vs. Florida (1/19)
  • at LSU (1/23)

Five of those six teams are preseason top 25, while Vanderbilt may not be far behind.

And guess what? It doesn’t get any easier after that, as Georgia will host Texas in the 2019 SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

The Bulldogs will have non-conference play to adjust to a new system and the loss of Yante Maten, but the SEC slate is going to be a different animal.

Familiar territory

Ole Miss will open up SEC play at Vanderbilt, which will be new head coach Kermit Davis’ second trip back to the Nashville area this season (the first being against his former team on Dec. 21).

David led MTSU to three straight victories over the Commodores between 2012 and 2017, and he’ll look to keep that streak going with the Rebels.

Ole Miss has won six of the last eight meetings between the two schools, and it’s the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Rebels have opened at Memorial Gym.

Of course, it will likely be a challenging trip for Davis and company, as Bryce Drew will feature an excellent freshman class to add to a solid group of returners.

Embracing expectations

Alabama and Kentucky will certainly be two of the most fascinating teams in the SEC this season, so it’s fitting that they’ll square off against each other in Tuscaloosa to tip off league play.

The Wildcats will likely garner votes as the nation’s top team entering the season thanks to the tremendous depth on the roster.

This really could be one of John Calipari’s best teams since arriving in Lexington, and as always, how far they go will depend mostly on the on-court chemistry between the host of newcomers.

As for Alabama, the post-Collin Sexton era got a big boost with the addition of 5-star point guard Kira Lewis, who reclassified from the 2019 class.

Adding Lewis takes away one of the main concerns I had about this team. When you combine that with the return of Riley Norris and the arrival of Tevin Mack, you’ve got a team with a lot of options to work with.

Circle the date

It’s hard to imagine there being any conference game days without drama and excitement, but keep an eye on Feb. 23 as potentially being the most anticipated Saturday of the season.

Here’s the schedule:

  • Auburn at Kentucky
  • Vanderbilt at Alabama
  • Missouri at Florida
  • Tennessee at LSU
  • Texas A&M at Arkansas
  • Georgia at Ole Miss
  • South Carolina at Mississippi State

The first four games feature eight teams that should undoubtedly at worst be in the NCAA Tournament bubble picture.

Beyond that, there’s intrigue as to how Texas A&M and Arkansas will replace their top stars, how the debut seasons have unfolded for Crean and Davis, and whether the Gamecocks can form a dangerous threat against a Mississippi State team that’s a sleeper SEC title contender.

Let the fun begin.