Ranking the top 10 SEC players entering 2023-24 season
Honorable mention
Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
Per usual, a number of Kentucky players are set to be among the best in the SEC this season, and that includes multiple members from the Wildcats’ freshman class including Dillingham. While not ranked quite as highly out of high school as his teammates Justin Edwards, D.J. Wagner or Aaron Bradshaw, the 6-foot-1 Dillingham is an elite scorer and playmaker evidenced by a 40-point outburst in Kentucky’s preseason scrimmage.
Aaron Estrada, G, Alabama
Estrada has had multiple homes in his college basketball career, starting out at Saint Peter’s, later transferring to Oregon and eventually playing with Hofstra the past two years. The 6-foot-3 guard is an elite scorer who averaged over 20 points last season, and is one of several key additions to a new-look Alabama team.
Tyrece Radford, G, Texas A&M
Radford is a veteran player who began his college basketball career at Virginia Tech before playing for Buzz Williams at Texas A&M the last two years. The Aggies are projected to be one of the best teams in the SEC, and the 6-foot-3 guard will again be one of Texas A&M’s most important players after averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists a year ago.
Mark Sears, G, Alabama
After beginning his college basketball career at Ohio, Sears transferred to Alabama and had a nice season last year for one of the best teams in the nation, averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The 6-foot-1 guard should take on a larger role this season with some of the guys the Crimson Tide lost to the NBA.
D.J. Wagner, G, Kentucky
Wagner is part of an unbelievable freshman class at Kentucky that includes a few other of the nation’s top recruits in Aaron Bradshaw, Rob Dillingham and Justin Edwards. A top-five player in his class coming out of Camden High School in New Jersey, the 6-foot-3 Wagner should instantly slot in as one of the SEC’s top playmakers.
Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee
It’s still unknown when Zeigler will make his return to the court after suffering an ACL injury last February, but when healthy, he is one of the most explosive players in the conference. Last year, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds for Tennessee prior to his injury.
