The SEC historically has been dominated in basketball by the Blue Misters from Lexington, Kentucky. Whether the coach was Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, or Tubby Smith, you could just about count on death, taxes, and Kentucky winning the SEC. This has been the case, other than the occasional upstart to this point but this Kentucky team has more holes than the ozone layer. The pundits lamented the early defections of some key players and thought that the league would be  way down, but the teams that took losses seem to have adapted well and replenished their rosters nicely.  Here's a look at four SEC teams that could win the SEC this season:

Florida - The Gators are one of those teams that seem to do well when not much is expected and fall flat on their faces when people think they have a legitimate chance to make a Final Four fun. This Gator team is what Billy Donovan covets. They rebound, run, and play tenacious defense. The Gators are led by a quality point guard in Taurean Green. Green, the son of former NBA PG Sidney Green is a true playmaker at the point. Florida also has a trio of bangers down low in Al Horford, Joakim Noah (son of Yannick), and big Chris Richard who get the job done on both ends of the floor. Lee Humphrey is a junior who helps spread the floor and can flat out stroke it from deep. This Gator team's personality is reflected in the play of super sophomore Corey Brewer. This versatile 6'8" swingman may be the best defender in the SEC and he also pumps in 15 points a game. The Portland, Tennessee native is a frontrunner for SEC player of the year up to this point.

LSU - The Bayou Bengals suffered a big loss when Brandon Bass declared early entry into the NBA. However, Coach John Brady has Glen "Big Baby" Davis manning the middle for the Tigers. Davis, who could give fellow Tiger Shaquille O'Neal a run for his money at the training table, is a talented big body who has great touch and footwork for a guy his size. Darrel Mitchell is an undersized, but explosive guard who can score in bunches. The two X-factors for this unit will be freshman Tasmin Mitchell and guard Tack Minor. Tasmin Mitchell is a great prospect that falls in the long line of athletic and very skilled LSU frontcourt players. Minor is a powerful ball of an athlete (looks like a tailback) whose game reminds me of former Georgia Tech standout Will Bynum. Minor is suspended until Christmas and the Tigers seem to play to the level of the competition, so we really won't know how good LSU is until the SEC season.

Vanderbilt - Kevin Stallings has quietly built the nucleus of a very good program in Nashville. Vandy went to the Sweet 16 two years ago and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT last season. This team has loads of versatile scorers on the outside, led by clutch senior gunner Mario Moore, sophomore marksman Shan Foster, and junior Virginia transfer Derrick Byars. All three of these guys are capable of going off for 30+ on you any given night. If that isn't enough, sophomore backup PG Alex Gordon scored 30 last year as a freshman in a game against arch rival Tennessee. Backcourt points will not be an issue for the Commodores this year. The Dores weak point may be down low where they have senior Julian Terrell and junior Ted Skuchas. Terrell is playing as well as he ever has, averaging nearly a double double, but Skuchas is limited athletically and tends to struggle against quicker competition. Vandy has looked great offensively this season, but they have struggled mightily on the defensive end, which is uncharacteristic of a Kevin Stallings team. If they can get the defensive woes straightened out, they are as dangerous as any SEC team. Plus, remember, the SEC Tournament this year is at Nashville's Gaylord Center, about two miles from Memorial Gym.

Arkansas - Arkansas may be the most talented team in the SEC. It is now time for Stan Heath's highly rated recruiting classes to play up to their potential. Jonathan Modica is a sweet shooting guard that can hit the last two strings in the bottom of the net as good as anyone not named J.J. Redick. Eric Ferguson is a gutsy floor general. Also, Charles Thomas and Darrian Townes are two athletic forwards that can cause matchup problems for many teams. But, any discussion about Razorback basketball has to start with junior star Ronnie Brewer. Brewer, the son of former Razorback great Ron Brewer is the best player in the SEC this season. He can do it all on the court. If Brewer gets some consistent help from anyone else besides Modica, this Razorback team could make a lot of noise in the SEC.

Look, I'm not saying to write off the Wildcats this season. Randolph Morris will be back in time for the SEC season and all Tubby Smith teams are much better in March than they are in December. However, the four teams mentioned above are legitimate threats to Big Blue this season in the SEC.