Like everyone else in the college basketball world last season, I had a blast mocking the SEC. For prolonged stretches they didn’t have a single team in the Top 25 (whereas the West Coast Conference had a pair for most of the year) and on Selection Sunday only three teams from this “power conference” got the nod for some March Madness.

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I will also admit that after some sloppy, ugly, brutish performances in the non-conference portion of the schedule I didn’t waste as much time watching the teams from the SEC as I did on other more appealing programs elsewhere in the country. However, by the time the SEC Tournament rolled around one thing was certain in my mind: this conference was much, much better than pundits and prognosticators had suggested.

Part of the reason that SEC teams were so disrespected last year is because they played ugly basketball. But what I noticed was that there was a clear reason for that: these guys may have comprised the most athletic conference in the country. Were they overly skilled, particularly in the backcourt? Not a chance. But the players in this conference were stronger, more athletic and more physical than just about any collective group that I watched play all season.

Let me say something else: you know who else played ugly basketball last year – the Big Ten. And I can tell you right now that semi-crappy teams like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota wouldn’t have held up in the SEC last season. All three of those programs were granted NCAA Tournament berths. But they would have gotten bowled over by teams playing a similar style down South, but just doing it with more physical, athletic guys and without the name recognition for hoops.

This season I will be stunned if the SEC doesn’t get at least five NCAA Tournament berths. (I predict six for them.) And in Kentucky and Tennessee the conference boasts a pair of Final Four contenders. Teams in the SEC return 43 of 60 starters (the 71.7 percent is second only to the Big Ten’s 74.6 percent), eight of the top 15 scorers, 12 of 15 top rebounders and 13 of 15 leading assist men. Also, some of the best freshmen in the nation have settled down South as well as some fresh coaching blood.

This conference was a joke for a portion of last season. But they will be laughing their way to the cashier’s window all year in 2009-10. Here are my 2009-10 SEC Basketball Predictions to help you with your college basketball picks:

The Favorite: Kentucky
Hey, did you hear? Kentucky is good again. The offseason college basketball talk has been dominated by the revival of the Wildcats. Notorious sleaze John Calipari and his sick freshman recruiting class have taken the country by storm and they have already been essentially ordained as a Final Four team. Well, I’m not buying. Not yet, anyway. There is no doubt that the Wildcats will be very good. But I think that the Final Four talk is premature. The core of this team has been one of the most underachieving units in Kentucky history. Only so much of that can be blamed on former coach Billy Gillespie. I grant you that the incoming freshman class is loaded. John Wall looks as good as the Hype suggested he would, and that’s no small task. But they are still freshman. And count me among those that think that Patrick Patterson is overrated. Is he a beast? Yes. But when have you ever seen a face-up game out of him? Is he a go-to guy, or will he defer to the freshmen? This much I know: their schedule sets up perfectly for some early-season domination. And their key non-conference games – against Connecticut, Louisville and North Carolina – come against three teams that are all much, much, much weaker than they were last year. By mid-January you won’t be able to play the Cats for less than -18, and that will be a good time to start banking against them. Outside shooting is also a concern. And we saw what happened to Cal’s overrated Memphis squad last year in the tourney when it couldn’t knock down shots.

The Challenger: Mississippi State
Had the Bulldogs been able to get Renardo Sidney cleared (and even though the mess is still being dragged out, let me end the suspense for you – he isn’t going to play) then they too would have been legit Final Four contenders. Now they are just a very solid team with a familiar system and a bunch of guys that are used to playing together. It all starts in the center with shot-blocking extraordinaire Jarvis Varnado. He owns the post on both ends and everything is built out from there. Defensively, this team gets after it on the perimeter knowing that Varnado can erase any of its mistakes. Offensively, a trio of double-digit scorers combs the perimeter for open threes or driving lanes. The key to whether or not this team can take the next step is, in my mind, enigmatic 6-8 forward Kodi Augustus. The junior has a strong all-around game and his emergence at the end of last season is really what prompted their postseason runs. He is the name you want to check in the box scores as a sort of barometer. The leader is senior guard Barry Stewart, who really runs the show. This team has a lot of balance, talent and experience. They should handle the SEC West and they do host Kentucky on Feb. 16 in the only regular-season meeting.

The Dark Horse: Tennessee
Hey, remember the Vols? Two years ago this team had a cup of coffee as the No. 1 team in the country. They haven’t been able to sustain. But I think that they were humbled a bit last year as they stumbled through conference play. And what was a cocky, out of control group of underachievers last season that is now a talented, experienced group let by a strong core of upperclassmen. It starts with do-it-all forward Tyler Smith, who may be the best player in the conference. Three other skillful seniors – Wayne Chism, Bobby Maze, J.P. Prince – and sophomore Scotty Hopson give the Vols their starting five intact. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but Bruce Pearl has suggested that he will press and push the tempo even more this season. I don’t doubt the talent on this team. But I do doubt Pearl’s ability to get his team to execute and perform in the clutch against equally talented clubs. But we’ll deal with that later. Tennessee is a strong sleeper pick in the SEC and I think they may be a bit undervalued.

The X-Factor: South Carolina
Two years ago South Carolina caught my eye. Last year they won me money. This year, I’m not so sure. The Gamecocks have plenty of talent. They boast three three-year starters and are led by one of the best lead guards in the country, Devan Downey. But this team can be a bit one-note. If you stop dribble penetration and keep them off the offensive glass they don’t have many guys that can A) create their own shot and B) knock down threes. They have been building to this moment for several seasons. They have paid their dues and are tested. But they also haven’t played in the NCAA Tournament in either of the past two seasons so I wonder if they have hit their ceiling. Also, the value isn’t there like it was last season. So USC will compete. But I wonder how much they will win, on the court and the window.

The Surprise Team: Mississippi
Last year couldn’t have been a bigger train wreck for Ole Miss. This was a group that was primed to compete, and really might have made some noise in a “down” year for the conference. But by the 12th game of the 2008 season the Rebels had lost three starters for the season, including their point guard and top player Chris Warren. Andy Kennedy’s crew soldiered on. Now they are ready to lead. All-SEC point guard Warren returns, as do burgeoning swingmen Terrico White and Eniel Polynice. That group represents one of the top perimeter trios in the league, and there are a couple nice complimentary pieces behind them. The issue is going to be finding production in the frontcourt. They are light down low and I wouldn’t mind seeing them go with a four-guard attack. If they get production in the post they could go from nice story to real deal competitor quickly.

The ATS Machine: Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt reminds me quite a bit of Illinois. They have a great coach, run an efficient offense, and they have just kind of skated by with average talent lately. But I think that Vandy is really going to surprise people. I am a huge A.J. Ogilvy fan. I think he’s one of the top two or three best centers in the country and I believe he’ll have a big year. This team was much feistier than I thought last season. And with all five starters back, an All-American candidate in the post, and a hotshot freshman in John Jenkins that could give the ‘Dores the go-to perimeter guy that they haven’t had since Shan Foster (and that was a Sweet 16 team) I believe that Vandy will be one of the better bets in the nation, especially against more highly regarded opponents.

The Disappointment: Florida
It’s odd to think that this program is just a couple years removed from fielding what was discussed as being one of the top college basketball teams of all time. But after the odd defection of the SEC’s best player, Nick Calathes, Florida is scrambling a bit. All is not lost. This team is going to be huge on the frontline and may start four guys 6-8 or taller. And if freshman guard Kenny Boynton is the real deal than Florida will be in the mix. But they won 25 games last year and I doubt they come near that this year. Just more questions than answers out of this group and where I see a lot of teams taking a step up I think this crew will take two back.

The Rest:

Alabama – New coach Anthony Grant was an outstanding hire by the Crimson Tide and I think that he will get this program turned around. Just not this year. Grant has some talent and ‘Bama could be sneaky good, especially against mid-level opponents. Their one loss, Alonzo Gee, is a big one. But if some of the young complimentary pieces from last year can start to grow up there is something here. Forward JaMychal Green didn’t nearly live up the hype last season but did have a sound year. Two other double-digit scorers return in the backcourt and Grant has a pair of promising freshmen to work into the rotation. This really is an intriguing bunch.

Arkansas – What a goddamn mess. Since the start of last season I don’t know if there is another team in the country, except maybe USC, that has endured such a roller coaster ride. They were supposed to suck last year, but they started off 12-1 and beat Oklahoma and Texas. Then they did suck, getting rocked throughout SEC play. Since then there have been transfers, injuries, suspensions, rape allegations and all manner of off-court problems. This team is toxic.

Auburn – I really liken Ole Miss this year to Auburn last year. In my mind there is absolutely no doubt that this group was NCAA Tournament-quality last March and that they would have rocked some of the low-level Big Ten reps. And while they do bring back two of the top three scorers and a pair of other contributors I don’t see how this group won’t take a step back. They run a nice system and have guys that can handle the ball on the perimeter. But I think that most of their damage will be done out of conference.

LSU – The Tigers were the best team in the SEC last year. But they lost as much talent and security as any group in the Southeast. They have just nine scholarship players and virtually nothing in the post. It’s going to be sad to watch stud forward Tasmin Mitchell toil in obscurity and futility with this rag tag lot this season. Don’t expect much here.

Georgia – Mark Fox has some work to do. He has just four upperclassmen this year and one of them is a walk-on. UGA graduated its best player and a pair of contributing guards. But they can build around Trey Thompkins and Dustin Ware, who are both sophomores. There are going to be plenty of growing pains for a group that is at the bottom of the SEC barrel.

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Robert Ferringo is a professional handicapper and he has gained nearly +300 Units over the past three college basketball seasons. You can purchase his college basketball picks here.