SEC Schedules: Kentucky

vs. VMI
@ North Carolina
vs. Deleware State – FTLV Invitational (Lexington, Kentucky)
vs. Longwood – FTLV Invitational (Lexington, Kentucky)
vs. Kansas State – FTLV Invitational (Las Vegas, Nevada)
vs. West Virginia/Iowa – FTLV Invitational (Las Vegas, Nevada)
vs. Lamar
vs. Miami
vs. Mississippi Valley State
vs. Indiana
vs. Appalachian State (Louisville, Kentucky)
vs. Tennessee State
vs. Florida Atlantic
vs. Central Michigan
@ Louisville
———-
vs. Auburn
@ Alabama
@ Ole Miss
vs. Mississippi State
@ Arkansas
vs. LSU

Typically Kentuckian, this schedule features three of the most prominent teams in America – including a road trip to North Carolina who will be heavily favored to win the National Championship. The FTLV Invitational will provide a challenge before a home game against Indiana, which has fallen apart in the off-season. A road trip to Louisville will prep the Wildcats for the SEC season. Per the usual, Kentucky sports one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the SEC.

Gillespie’s matchups against the West are tough, with trips to Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss with home games against the West.

SEC Schedules: Georgia

vs. USC-Upstate
vs. Loyola-Chicago – NIT Season Tip-Off (West Lafayette, Indiana)
vs. TBA – NIT Season Tip-Off (West Lafayette, Indiana)
vs. Presbyterian
@ Western Kentucky
@ Illinois
vs. Virginia Tech
vs. Wofford
vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
vs. N.C. A&T
vs. Kennessaw State
vs. Missouri
@ Georgia Tech
———-
vs. Mississippi State
@ Alabama
vs. LSU
vs. Auburn
@ Ole Miss
@ Arkansas

Possibly an Auburn-esque case of over-scheduling, the Bulldogs will face a brutal schedule during the non-conference. After the Preseason NIT and a decent field, there is an almost-immediate three-game stretch where the ‘Dawgs will be lucky to win a single game. Missouri and a trip to Georgia Tech caps the non-conference slate, both teams of which should heavily overmatch UGA.

Fortunately, Felton faces a somewhat favorable schedule against the Western division, with home games against LSU and Auburn possible wins, and State at home a longshot. Also similar to Lebo, this should be Felton’s last season at Georgia.

SEC Schedules: Florida

vs. Toledo
vs. Bradley
vs. Southern Utah
vs. Syracuse – TBA (Kansas City, Missouri)
vs. TBA – TBA (Kansas City, Missouri)
vs. Missouri-Kansas City (Orlando, FL)
vs. Florida A&M
@ Florida State
vs. Florida-Gulf Coast
@ UCF
vs. Georgia Southern
vs. Winthrop (Sunrise, FL)
vs. Stetson
vs. N.C. State
vs. Longwood
———-
vs. Ole Miss
@ Auburn
vs. Arkansas
vs. Alabama
@ LSU
@ Mississippi State

In typical Billy Donovan fashion, the Gators leave the state of Florida only once before SEC play, and are up against only Bradley and (to a lesser extent) Syracuse as challenges. A trip to Florida State should be a win, but could be competitive if the Gators don’t show up.

Considering the expected weakness of the Western division, only a game against Alabama at home and a trip to Starkville to face the Bulldogs look interesting for the Gators.

SEC Schedules: Auburn

vs. Missouri State
vs. Mercer
vs. George Washington
vs. Bethune-Cookman
vs. Dayton – TBA (Hoffman Estates, Illinois)
vs. Northern Iowa – TBA (Hoffman Estates, Illinois)
@ Xavier
vs. Louisiana-Monroe
vs. Tuskegee
@ Virginia
vs. Alabama State
vs. Alabama A&M
vs. Southeastern Louisiana
vs. Tulane
vs. Texas-Panamerican
———-
@ South Carolina
vs. Florida
@ Kentucky
vs. Vanderbilt
@ Georgia
vs. Tennessee

Either Lebo has more confidence in his team than most of us do, or this is a bad schedule for an SEC bottom-dweller. Even the first game is difficult, followed closely by a challenging mid-season tournament and then a trip to powerful Xavier. A trip to ACC-member Virginia won’t be easy either, as both squads are in similar positions in their respective conferences most years.

The SEC schedule will also be a mountain to climb this year for the Tigers, as very few games look winnable. Both Florida and Tennessee are at home, and the weaker (in comparison to others in the East) squads – South Carolina and Georgia – are both on the road. I see no way Lebo doesn’t lose his job after this season.

SEC Schedules: Arkansas

vs. Southeastern Louisiana
vs. UC-Davis
@ Missouri State
@ South Alabama
vs. Florida A&M
vs. Texas Southern
vs. UNC-Central
Austin Peay – Jim Thorpe Classic (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Austin Peay/Stephen F. Austin – Jim Thorpe Classic (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Stephen F. Austin – Jim Thorpe Classic (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
vs. Northwestern State
vs. Oklahoma
vs. North Texas (North Little Rock, Arkansas)
vs. Texas
———-
@ Florida
vs. Tennessee
vs. Kentucky
@ South Carolina
vs. Georgia
@ Vanderbilt

Interesting choice by Pelphrey to go with two very challenging road games early in the non-conference slate, and although there are only three participants in the Razorbacks’ mid-season “tournament”, both Austin Peay and Stephen F. Austin won their conferences and could defeat a rebuilding Arkansas squad. A home game against Texas should be a blowout loss, but it also provides an opportunity to the ‘Backs to take down a national power. Very solid non-conference schedule.

Against the East, the Razorbacks are afforded no favors with trips to Vanderbilt and Florida which should both be losses. Home games against Tennessee and Kentucky will both also be tough wins to come by.

SEC Schedules: Alabama

Apologies for the absence, but we’re back to begin breaking down the SEC teams’ schedules. We’ll begin with Alabama. Keep in mind only the SEC games versus the opposing division are posted, because the games versus the same division don’t change.

vs. Faulkner
vs. Belhaven
vs. Mercer
vs. Florida A&M
vs. Oregon – Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawaii)
vs. North Carolina/Chaminade – Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawaii)
vs. TBA – Maui Invitational (Maui, Hawaii)
vs. Alabama A&M
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
vs. Texas A&M
vs. Tennessee State
vs. Chattanooga
vs. Yale
vs. Quincy
vs. Georgia Tech
@ Clemson
———-
vs. Kentucky
vs. Georgia
@ Vanderbilt
vs. South Carolina
@ Florida
@ Tennessee

The Crimson Tide are the overwhelming favorite to win the Western Division this season, but their SEC schedule will be brutal, with trips to possibly the top three teams from the East.

As for the non-conference slate, Gottfried layered the schedule with home games, so the Tide could be artificially inflated in the polls approaching SEC play. The Maui Invitational has a great field this season, and if the Tide can get past the Ducks, they’d be forgiven for falling to UNC. If Alabama could somehow take down the Tarheels, the excitement might be warrented. A trip to Clemson will serve as the most difficult game for the Tide outside of the mid-season tournament.