No conference has taken quite the leap on the basketball court like the Southeastern Conference has over the past few years. With new, high-profile head coaches manning the ship for the league, along with the recent influx of talent, the conference hasn’t seen this much promise in decades. Kentucky is Kentucky, but Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, and the rest of the schools are starting to make things interesting on the hardwood.

In the coming days, we will look at the top incoming freshmen for each program with the SEC confines. We will not highlight the most touted 2015 class member, but the guy that will mean the most to the squad’s success and also have the opportunity to leave the largest fingerprint on the program at hand.

LSU

LSU head coach Johnny Jones has things rolling on the recruiting trail. With a team filled with talented prospects, it has been easy for the staff to lure other top guys to Baton Rouge.

We said that we wouldn’t necessarily highlight the top ranked player in the class, but, frankly, this is an easy one. Throughout his time during in the states, Ben Simmons has been nothing short of phenomenal. The 6-foot-8 forward cemented himself as one of the top prospects in the country and he is already on NBA teams’ radars.

How and where will Simmons impact the game? Everywhere. He has the ability to play inside and out; he scores the basketball; he rebounds with the best of them; he passes and makes plays for his teammates; he prides himself on the defensive end of the floor. Simply put, he does it all.

Simmons had an outstanding few games for the Tigers when they took a trip to Australia in August. He averaged 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in five games. Add Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson to the equation and LSU will have a solid freshman class that will make some noise in the SEC, as well as on the national radar.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

New head coach Ben Howland did a great job of picking up the pieces on Rick Ray’s 2015 recruiting class, as well as adding on to it. Howland was able to retain Quinndary Weatherspoon and Joseph Strugg, and then he added Malik Newman and Aric Holman late in the process.

Like LSU, Mississippi State’s impact guy is an easy one. Malik Newman is a game-changer for a program like Mississippi State. The 6-foot-3 scoring combo guard will have the ball in his hands from Day 1 and will be the focal point for the Bulldog offense. Newman will put up points in a hurry, and he and senior guard Craig Sword have a chance to be one of the most productive backcourts in the country.

Newman will probably only be on campus for a year, as he is one of the most NBA-ready prospects the 2015 class has to offer. Bulldogs fans will have to enjoy things while they can with the entertaining guard running the show, because he definitely won’t be there long.

OLE MISS

Ole Miss was able to raid the Memphis area for a couple of talented prospects that will be big contributors for the Rebels this season. South Haven (MS) wing Terence Davis and Memphis (TN) Southwind wing Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey will have a chance to play right away for Andy Kennedy, and J.T. Escobar will be a nice shooter off the bench for the team.

While he won’t be on campus till December, Fitzpatrick-Dorsey will be the guy to watch. He is currently at Elev8 Academy (FL) for a semester to tie up some loose ends on the academic side of things before he officially suits up for the Rebels. Nevertheless, he will be a nice addition for Kennedy.

Fitzpatrick-Dorsey is a guy that will be able to come in and play on both ends of the floor. His length and defense will be a big plus for Ole Miss, along with his shooting ability. He will provide another scoring punch from a variety of places on the floor, but watch for him to fill things up from behind the arc.