In the past few years, the Southeastern Conference has put an emphasis on basketball. Programs are making big hires (Bruce Pearl, Avery Johnson, Ben Howland) and reaping the benefits. 

As expected, the prospects heading into the SEC are improving from previous years.

The SEC isn’t just Kentucky anymore. Yes, the Wildcats are going to bring in several five-star prospects, but so are Alabama and Auburn – yes, you read that correctly. Multiple five-star prospects are choosing SEC schools, and that’s surprising considering it’s not Kentucky or Florida.

Kentucky currently has three five-star prospects in the stable. Elite prospect De'Aaron Fox committed to Wildcats on Thursday night. He's the best point guard to commit to UK since John Wall.

Combo forward Wenyen Gabriel and power forward Sacha Killeya-Jones make up the frontline squad. These two prospects are prime examples of what John Calipari has targeted since taking the reins in Lexington: length, upside, and potential.

The Wildcats have a chance to add two more guys in the early signing period. Many expect elite scorer Malik Monk could follow Fox during the early signing period. Another player to watch is Texas big man Jarrett Allen, who is coming off an official visit to Kentucky’s campus this weekend.

It’s safe to say Kentucky is ready to reload and will contend with Duke and Michigan State for the top recruiting class in 2016.

Ben Howland had to hit the ground running when he landed the Mississippi State job back in the spring. Not only did he have to fill some slots for the remaining 2015 class, but he also had to look ahead to 2016. The Bulldogs will lose five seniors and freshman Malik Newman is expected to head to the NBA Draft after his freshman campaign. I’m no math major, but that’s six available scholarships – at the least.

It’s safe to say Howland and his staff have done a fantastic job during their first year on the recruiting trail. The Bulldogs currently have a top three class nationally with five commitments. Mississippi State reeled in a major score on Wednesday when Oak Hill Academy forward Mario Kegler committed to the program. He’s a top 40 national recruit. 

The Bulldogs were able to fill it’s backcourt with commitments from point guard Lamar Peters, shooting guard Eli Wright, and combo guard Tyson Carter. They also just landed big man Schnider Herard to anchor the middle.

When Avery Johnson was named the head coach at Alabama in the spring, some people questioned his ability to recruit high school prospects. Well, it’s safe to say he has silenced those critics. Within six months on the job, Johnson has landed two top 60 recruits, along with one of the top Junior College prospects in the country. Terrance Ferguson, Braxton Key, and Ar’mond Davis make for a versatile, high-powered initial recruiting class in Tuscaloosa.

On the other side of the state, Auburn isn’t doing too bad on the recruiting trail, either. Bruce Pearl has a talented class that fits in perfectly with his style of play. Mustapha Heron brings toughness and scoring to the Plains, while Georgia natives Jared Harper and Anfernee McLemore are specialists.

Both Alabama and Auburn are in the market for big men. Alabama has its sights on Marques Bolden, whereas Auburn is in the mix with Abdul Ado, Bam Adebayo, and Udoka Azubuike. Will they land a big man in the early signing period? Probably not, but you better believe they will be ready in the spring.

Arkansas and LSU took to the junior college ranks to get the majority of their players in this class. Texas A&M has one of the most talented point guards in the country that no one talks about in J.J. Caldwell. Georgia has two top 150 players in the backcourt with Tyree Crump and Jordan Harris.

(Podcast recorded prior to Signing Day)

Garrett Tucker’s take: The SEC is quickly improving. Not only is the conference bringing in top coaches, but it is also attracting top players. With that being said, the league is going to take a step up in competition. Over the next few years, there are going to be multiple teams with the talent to challenge Kentucky for an SEC championship.

Biggest recruiting story: The biggest recruiting story since August has to be the Iron Bowl of the recruiting trail. Alabama and Auburn have responded when the other school gets a big commitment. It began in August when the Tigers landed a commitment from five-star Mustapha Heron during a weekend unofficial visit. The following day, Terrance Ferguson made his pledge to the Crimson Tide. The rest is history. When one school nabs a big commitment, the other rival responds within a few days. It doesn’t get much better than that, folks.

SEC TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS 

1. Kentucky
2. Mississippi State
3. Alabama
4. Texas A&M
5. Auburn
6. LSU
7. Georgia
8. Vanderbilt
9. Arkansas
10. Ole Miss
11. Florida
12. Tennessee
13. Missouri
14. South Carolina

SEC CLASS SUPERLATIVES