Bruce Pearl’s team won a share of the SEC regular-season title last season, despite playing the entire season without two starters (Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy) and without its top defensive player (Anfernee McLemore) for the final seven games because of an injury.
Still, that team finished 26-8 overall and 13-5 in the SEC. The Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002-03 and won a first-round game.
Two starters (leading scorer Mustapha Heron and Desean Murray) transferred as did backup point guard Davion Mitchell. Heron’s departure stings, but Murray was going to see his minutes reduced with the emergence of Chuma Okeke and Mitchell mostly was used to spell Jared Harper and was a solid defender.