Fans of SEC basketball should be excited. The conference has seen a number of positive signs during this offseason.
I know that fans of Big Blue Nation would question that statement after seven Wildcats declared for the NBA draft. Don't worry, Kentucky will simply reload because new Hall of Famer John Calipari has an outstanding class coming in, and he is not finished recruiting.
Why is the SEC outlook brighter? Let's start with recent coaching moves.
Tennessee brought in Rick Barnes to take over for Donnie Tyndall. All Barnes did was win more than 400 games in his 17 seasons at Texas. He led the Longhorns to the Big Dance in 16 of his 17 seasons in Austin. It is a big-name hire for the Vols, and Barnes will be re-energized by this new challenge.
Mississippi State hired Ben Howland as its new coach. Howland has done a great job building programs in the past, at Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh. His résumé speaks for itself, as he led UCLA to three Final Fours. He is an outstanding teacher and motivator who will make a difference in Starkville.
Alabama named Avery Johnson as its head coach. He knows the game and did a super job as an NBA analyst for ESPN. Johnson was a great player at Southern, and with the Spurs in the NBA, and as a coach he led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Johnson once won 67 games as Dallas' coach.
Florida improved its staff by bringing in former Alabama coach Anthony Grant as a lieutenant for Billy Donovan.
Remember, Auburn will get better and better in Year 2 with Bruce Pearl at the helm. He is recruiting his own talent, and he showed something when the Tigers made the SEC tourney semifinals.
Then there is LSU's great recruiting class. Yes, the Tigers lost Jarrell Martin and Jordan Mickey, but they're adding newcomers Ben Simmons, Antonio Blakeney and late signee Brandon Sampson, who decommitted from St. John's.
Things are looking a lot brighter for the SEC in the future.