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Ben Simmons’ LSU Tigers The Most Likely SEC Dark Horse

By Cody Daniel

Mar 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds High School All American athletes Antonio Blakeney (2) and Ben Simmons (25) who have both committed to LSU pose for pictures during portrait day at the Westin Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds High School All American athletes Antonio Blakeney (2) and Ben Simmons (25) who have both committed to LSU pose for pictures during portrait day at the Westin Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The SEC has long been known as the premier powerhouse conference in college football. But there’s no shortage of quality basketball in the SEC and when it comes to the hardwood, the Kentucky Wildcats are king.

Historically, this has almost always been the case, and even more so under John Calipari’s current six-plus year reign, in which the Wildcats boast a national championship, four Final Four trips, five Elite Eight appearances and five visits to the Sweet 16. Unfortunately for the SEC and the rest of the college basketball world, there’s no end in sight.

Sep 11, 2015; Springfield, MA, USA; John Calipari with Larry Brown and Pat Riley (right) speaks during the 2015 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2015; Springfield, MA, USA; John Calipari with Larry Brown and Pat Riley (right) speaks during the 2015 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

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But there’s a David for every Goliath and in regards to the upcoming season, the LSU Tigers have the greatest hopes of being this year’s David and surpassing Kentucky in the SEC.

The Tigers’ roster took two colossal hits this offseason with the departures of sophomore power forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey, with both jetting for the 2015 NBA. Their absence leaves head coach Johnny Jones faced with the daunting task of replacing the 44 percent of LSU’s scoring and 49 percent of the Tigers’ rebounding, which Martin and Mickey provided last season.

But that’s life in college basketball. If Kentucky were able to hang on to some of its revered recruits more than a single season, it’s arguable that the Wildcats would have one, if not two or three more national championships under Calipari.

But when one door closes, another opens and luckily for Jones and his LSU Tigers, two All-Americans in the form of the nation’s consensus No. 1 freshman, Ben Simmons, and the No. 15 talent, Antonio Blakeney, walked through the open door as headliners of a recruiting class that finished No. 3, per 247Sports Composite.

Now obviously, adding elite talent doesn’t always make for a successful formula within a rotation resulting in wins. I can’t think of a better example than last season’s Texas Longhorns, who entered the season ranked No. 10 after adding Myles Turner, ESPN’s No. 2 recruit.

As you likely know by now, things never worked out within that Texas rotation and the Longhorns finished the season 20-14 after a second round NCAA Tournament exit.

Whether or not that same misfortune becomes the 2015-16 LSU Tigers remains to be seen, but just as with Texas last season, LSU features an abundance of talent with the potential for a tremendously special season.

By abundance, I mean three likely first-round NBA Draft selections next year, and quite possibly the No. 1 overall pick in Simmons, along with Blakeney and junior point guard Tim Quarterman, in addition to adding Brandon Sampson, the No. 39-ranked freshman. Outside of Kentucky, there isn’t another team in the county that can make such a claim, with emphasis on the No. 1 pick.

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers guard Josh Gray (5), Tigers guard Tim Quarterman (55), and Tigers guard Keith Hornsby (4) look on during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers guard Josh Gray (5), Tigers guard Tim Quarterman (55), and Tigers guard Keith Hornsby (4) look on during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

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LSU’s roster also returns key contributors in senior guards Keith Hornsby, whom averaged 13.4 points per game, Josh Gray and sophomore guard Jalyn Patterson; both saw greater than 24 minutes of action per game last season and combined for 13.9 points per game.

Elbert Robinson, a 7’1” center and the No. 60 recruit from 2014 whom saw considerably limited action (6.2 mpg) sitting behind Mickey and Martin, will also likely step into a much larger role as the main man down low.

Each of the aforementioned Tigers will likely makeup what would be an eight-man rotation with a plentiful blend of veteran leadership, experience and sheer raw talent. A roster so noteworthy it takes a back seat to only the Kentucky Wildcats.

It would be an extreme stretch to proclaim any team in the SEC not named Kentucky as the favorite to win the conference. While Arkansas, the SEC’s second place finisher from 2014-15, took a staggering step back with the losses of Michael Qualls and Bobby Portis, LSU and a veteran Texas A&M squad that added four four-star freshmen will both stage another step forward.

But at the end of the day, if you have any hopes of outlasting UK in the SEC race, the talent throughout your roster simply has be able to stack up.

Considering LSU has three, if not four 2016 NBA Draft selections on their roster, as opposed to Texas A&M’s lone projection, senior forward Danuel House, the Tigers stand as the most realistic dark horse SEC favorite; sentiment that’s been claimed by both Bleacher Report and HoopsHabit’s own D’Joumbarey Mareau.

"“The Bayou Bengals should be considered one of the favorites to win the Southeastern Conference.”"

It could go without saying that in order to win the regular season conference title, you’re going to have find a way to knock Kentucky off, whether it be the home or road upset. Per ZagsBlog, LSU’s Simmons is looking forward to the latter.

“As for Kentucky, Simmons’ brother told USA Today that Ben would ‘love nothing more than to go into Kentucky and beat them.'”

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