Tennessee is fresh off a surprisingly successful season

Once again, the SEC is loaded with talent and will undoubtedly have several teams representing the conference come NCAA Tournament time. But even with a complete turnover in their starting lineup, the reigning NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats appear primed to be the league's top team once again.

Kentucky rode the success of several supremely-talented freshmen en route to cutting down the nets in New Orleans last April, and even with the likes of Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist gone, John Calipari has a new class of highly-touted freshmen ready to show what they are worth. While the Wildcats continue to go young, the Florida Gators will try to find success with a veteran bunch, as several key contributors from last year's Elite Eight squad, including star senior guard Kenny Boynton, return to Gainesville. Coming from the Big 12, Missouri will likely join the elite in the SEC immediately, and at No. 15 in the preseason AP Poll, it rounds out the league's ranked teams for now (UK No. 3, Florida No. 10).

Arkansas wasn't very impressive last season without its top forward Marshall Powell, but with him returning from injury coupled with All-SEC First Team selection B.J. Young, the Razorbacks could be knocking on the leaders' doors all season long. Tennessee is fresh off a surprisingly successful season a year ago and returns a solid core of players. Alabama lost a lot of talent in the offseason but may have the conference's best non-Kentucky freshman in Devonta Pollard.

Ole Miss quietly had a very nice season a year ago, and it retains one of the deepest and most experienced lineups in the league. Texas A&M is coming off a poor performance in its last season in the Big 12 and the opportunity of a fresh start in the SEC is there with a nice mix of returning veterans and quality recruits. Georgia also took a step backward in 2011-12 and will hope guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will step up their performances to lead the Bulldogs back to the Big Dance. Vanderbilt was outstanding a year ago, but with the loss of all five starters, it appears to be a rebuilding year in Nashville.

It's difficult to imagine LSU improving upon its 18-win season with the loss its head coach as well of two of its top performers from last year. Although Auburn has won just nine total conference games over the past two seasons, it has seen positive growth in each of passing year of Tony Barbee's reign as head coach.

South Carolina has hope that it can eventually turn things around with new head coach Frank Martin, but it simply does not possess the type of talent to do so this season. Mississippi State was fantastic in stretches last year, but the loss of nearly 90 percent of its scoring production from 2011-12 will have crippling effects on the Bulldogs this season.

The Wildcats were the nation's top team wire-to-wire last season, finishing an incredible 38-2 campaign off with the program's eighth national championship. If UK wishes to repeat, it will need to do so with an entirely new lineup as all five starters from the championship squad, including NBA Lottery picks Anthony Davis (14.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg) and Michael Kidd- Gilchrist (11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg), have moved on. As proven last season as well as throughout his coaching career, John Calipari has shown no reservations giving big minutes to freshmen, and he will have the luxury of coaching one of the nation's top recruiting classes once again this season. It will be no easy task filling Davis's shoes at center, but Nerlens Noel will get the opportunity after being named the USA Today National Player of the Year during his senior season at Tilton High School (12.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.9 bpg). Archie Goodwin (6-4, 198) was a McDonald's All-America selection, as was Alex Poythress (6-7, 239). Willie Cauley-Stein (7-0, 244) rounds out the rookie class and will surely bring great depth to the frontcourt. The Wildcats also welcome former Wright State guard Julius Mays (14.1 ppg), who was one of the Horizon League's best players last season. Six players return from the championship squad, the most experienced being sophomore Kyle Wiltjer (5.0 ppg).