Plenty of excitement in SEC country

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I know there is a lot of excitement in SEC country with LSU and Alabama meeting on the gridiron on November 5th.

Well my friends, there should be excitement down there with college hoops getting under way. The SEC is loaded this season and there are five special teams in the hunt.

I think you will be hearing big things from Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi State and Alabama.

John Calipari doesn't rebuild in Lexington, he flat-out reloads. He already has Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb leading the returning talent. Then add the best group of diaper dandies in America, led by Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague, and you can see why Big Blue Nation is smiling once again.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings has top 10 talent with several veterans back. John Jenkins is a legit All-Solid Gold candidate. Jeffrey Taylor has great athleticism. Brad Tinsley has great leadership skills in the backcourt. Festus Ezeli will be a force up front once he returns from a six-game suspension at the start of the season.

Down in Gainesville, Billy Donovan will have the players to run, run, run in transition. Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker are back at guard, and Donovan welcomes diaper dandy Brad Beal and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario. The key for the Gators could be Patric Young up front. He could establish himself as a PTP'er, baby!

If Renardo Sidney could live up to the hype from when he first arrived at Starkville, watch out for the Bulldogs. Dee Bost is a true PTP'er in the backcourt. Arnett Moultrie, an All-Marco Polo from UTEP, could be a positive force as well.

Crimson Tide fans should realize there is more to life than just Nick Saban's squad. Anthony Grant has done a solid job and JyMichal Green is a legit candidate for SEC Player of the Year. Grant has done a good job recruiting and his team should be lock city for the big dance.

Don't lose track of Arkansas or Georgia either. Mike Anderson has inherited some new talent and the fans will enjoy the rebirth of 40 minutes of hell, a style they love. Mark Fox has a solid squad though the Bulldogs are picked in the lower echelon of the conference. That shows how good this league really is.

Things should really heat up in SEC country as these clubs can flat-out play.

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Dick Vitale

College Basketball analyst

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Dick Vitale, college basketball's top analyst and ambassador, joined ESPN during the 1979-80 season. His thorough knowledge of the game is brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate style. Vitale also contributes columns to ESPN.com.