Five things to watch in SEC basketball

5 Must-See Games

Florida at Florida State, Dec. 12: Funny thing happened when the Gators turned great — they started having trouble with FSU. Florida has lost three of four to its Tallahassee rival. Okay, not so funny.

Indiana at Kentucky, Dec. 13: The Hoosiers have lost 13 of their last 17 with 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. A&M took Bama by 13 last year.

Tennessee at Marquette, Dec. 16: The Vols have a loaded non-conference 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 last 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, a terrific shooter who averaged 41 in high school, approval to let fly whenever he feels it?

JaMychal Green, Alabama: At 6-9 and 220 pounds, Green is fully equipped to handle SEC play down low. 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 with Chris Lofton gone. An early Mississippi commitment, he switched to Tennessee late.

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 and shot-blocking? 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 Storylines To Watch

Vols rising: Could Tennessee actually be better after SEC player of the year Chris Lofton left? Very possibly. Tyler Smith may be the SEC’s best player now and a top-rate 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 once in the last 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. How quickly do the Tigers recover?

Hail the champions: Dennis Felton was a loss away from losing his job last year when Georgia managed to win the SEC tournament. So where do he go from here? Young Dogs better grow up fast.

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. What more can Calathes do?

Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt: Three of the Commodores’ four top scorers are gone and there’s not a senior on the roster. 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. As always, they expect more in Lexington.

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 that his 7.9 points a game.

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

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. He spent his summer working on the three-point line.

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 best pure shooter the Bulldogs have.

Bobby Maze, Tennessee: When guard Ramar Smith was dismissed from the UT program, Maze, who averaged 20.7 points at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, signed on a Plan B.

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, it was UK’s No. 4 scorer two years ago as a freshman.

Tasmin Mitchell, LSU: Last time anyone saw him, Mitchell went for 12 with six rebounds versus UCLA in the 2007 NCAA semifinal. After missing last year with a shin fracture, he’s now the Tigers’ wild card.