SCHOOL OF LISTS: Five on five: The SEC

5 MUST-SEE GAMES

Florida at Florida State, Dec. 7: Funny thing happened when the Gators turned great —- they started having trouble with FSU. Florida has lost three of four to its Tallahassee rival. OK, not so funny.

Indiana at Kentucky, Dec. 13: The Hoosiers have lost 13 of their past 17 against UK. They have just two returning players, have lost three scholarships and face further NCAA sanctions. Sounds like a set-up.

Texas A&M at Alabama, Dec. 13: Here’s an early conference report card. The Tide is a good pick to win the SEC West. The Aggies are a cut below the Big 12 elite.

Tennessee at Marquette, Dec. 16: The Vols have a loaded nonconference schedule, including Temple, Gonzaga, Kansas and Memphis. Marquette has four starters back from a 25-win team.

Clemson at South Carolina, Dec. 30: The Gamecocks may be the worst team in the SEC. The Tigers have beaten USC four times in a row and 12 times in their past 17 meetings. Think that really matters?

5 IMPACT FRESHMEN

Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas: With six seniors gone, the Hogs’ prospects are down. Does that give Clarke, who averaged 41 in high school, approval to let fly?

JaMychal Green, Alabama: At 6-9 and 220 pounds, Green is equipped to handle SEC play. The Tide needs some of that after the NBA departure of Richard Hendrix.

Scotty Hopson, Tennessee: A sleek scorer, Hopson has a custom fit with UT’s up-tempo style, particularly now that Chris Lofton is gone.

Emmanuel Negedu, Tennessee: A gem from Wolfeboro, N.H., Negedu is a 6-7 power forward who plays taller with very long arms. Scoring? Not yet. Rebounding? No problem.

Howard Thompkins, Georgia: The biggest signing yet for Dennis Felton, Thompkins, a natural power forward, has a shooting range that frees him outside. UGA was the SEC’s lowest scorer last year.

5 STORY LINES TO WATCH

Vols rising: Could Tennessee actually be better after SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton left? Tyler Smith may be the SEC’s best player now, and a top-rated recruiting class blends nicely.

Tenant wanted: Auburn opens its new $92.5 million basketball arena in 2010. Now if the school could only build a program. The Tigers have been to the NCAA tournament once in the past eight years.

Welcome to Red Stick: Trent Johnson left Stanford for this? LSU lost 18 games last year and then lost its top player (Anthony Randolph) to the NBA.

Hail the champions: Dennis Felton was a loss away from losing his job last year when Georgia managed to win the SEC tournament. Where does he go from here?

Crimson inertia: Alabama has stalled. After failing to make the NCAAs last March, the team voted down playing in the NIT. A healthy Ronald Steele helps, but the West Division is there for the taking.

5 PLAYERS ON THE HOT SEAT

Nick Calathes, Florida: He led the Gators in scoring, assists and steals as a freshman, and his team still couldn’t make it into the NCAAs after the twin championships.

Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt: Three of the Commodores’ four top scorers are gone. Vandy always seems to overachieve, but the 6-11 Ogilvy has a big load to carry.

Patrick Patterson, Kentucky: The SEC’s co-Freshman of the Year last season, Patterson is the figurehead for a team that is still a player or two shy of a load.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State: He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last season, but now the Bulldogs, minus their two leading scorers, need more offense than his 7.9 points a game.

Chris Warren, Ole Miss: The starting front line is gone from a 24-win team. Warren, the 5-10 point guard, has to buy the Rebels some time while the roster matures.

5 UNKNOWNS WHO COULD STEP UP

Jermaine Beal, Vanderbilt: With the best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.1), Beal can run an offense. This year, Vandy wants the 6-3 point guard to score.

Ravern Johnson, Mississippi State: At 6-7 and just 175 pounds, he’s not much to look at. Neither was his freshman scoring average (2.4). But he may be the team’s best shooter.

Bobby Maze, Tennessee: When guard Ramar Smith was dismissed, Maze, who averaged 20.7 points at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, signed on.

Jodie Meeks, Kentucky: Last year, hip and pelvis injuries and surgery for a sports hernia kept the 6-4 guard out of 20 games. Lest they forget, he was UK’s No. 4 scorer two years ago as a freshman.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU: Mitchell went for 12 with six rebounds vs. UCLA in the 2007 NCAA semifinal. After missing last year with a shin fracture, he’s the Tigers’ wild card.