SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Matt Melton | Nov 5, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 26: Oscar Tshiebwe #34 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks to the bench during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 26, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Wildcats 75-73. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

1. Kentucky Wildcats

The final team in our SEC Basketball preseason power rankings, Kentucky holds the No. 1 spot as we enter the 2022-23 season.

After a down 2020-21 campaign, Kentucky bounced back in a big way a year ago, finishing with a 26-8 overall record, as well as a 14-4 mark in SEC play as one of the conference’s top teams. As you likely know as well, the Wildcats would be upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending a season in which many had labeled Kentucky as a national title contender.

Even despite that loss, the Wildcats enter 2022-23 with that same billing, in part due to a roster headlined by the reigning national and SEC player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe. Alongside Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler, Jacob Toppin, and Lance Ware also return, as does a potential SEC breakout candidate in Daimion Collins.

CJ Fredrick also returns after missing the 2021-22 season, while the Wildcats also added multiple impact players. Among those names is transfer Antonio Reeves, while Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, and Ugonna Onyenso are all likely to make an impact as freshmen.

Next. 5 SEC Basketball teams ranked in preseason AP Top 25. dark

As mentioned previously, Kentucky is a potential national title contender this season, and is a lock to be one of the SEC’s top teams this year. Assuming the Wildcats make it back to the NCAA Tournament once again as well, expect Kentucky to make a much deeper run in 2022-23 than their early exit a year ago.

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