by Alex Schwartz

The SEC is known as a football conference, but the conference leads the way in the hoops post-early signing period conference recruiting rankings. Frankly, it is not even close, as the SEC has grabbed this honor in a landslide.

Eight SEC teams are ranked in the Post-Early Signing Period Top 25 Classes and two others are listed as honorable mentions. The SEC boasts two of the top four classes in the nation. Seven of the top 17 players in the in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150, including four of the top six, have signed with SEC programs. The SEC has the second highest number of ranked commitments, behind just the Big East, which has four more teams.

Quite simply, the 2011 recruiting classes in the Southeastern Conference are loaded. Here is the full breakdown of the SEC's incoming recruiting classes.

SEC RECRUITING BREAKDOWN
Player rankings are based off NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150
HM= Honorable Mention; NR= Not Ranked

Number of Top 25 Classes:  8 (plus 2 HM)
Class With the Most Commits: Arkansas with 5
Class With the Most Ranked Commits: Arkansas with 5

Top Ranked Player: Michael Gilchrist, Kentucky
Best Unranked Player: DJ Gardner, Mississippi State
Top Ranked Point Guard: Marquis Teague, Kentucky
Top Ranked Shooting Guard: Brad Beal, Florida
Top Ranked Small Forward: Michael Gilchrist, Kentucky
Top Ranked Power Forward: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Top Ranked Center: Willy Kouassi, Auburn

Number of Top 10 Players: 4
Number of Top 25 Players: 7
Number of Top 50 Players: 13
Number of Top 100 Players: 23
Number of Top 150 Players: 25

Class Rankings
Rank. School (National Rank)

1. Kentucky (1st)
Michael Gilchrist, SF, 6'7, St. Patrick's (NJ), #1
Anthony Davis, PF, 6'9, Perspectives Charter (IL), #3
Marquis Teague, PG, 6'1, Pike (IN), #6
Kyle Wiltjer, PF, 6'9, Jesuit (OR), #17

2. Arkansas (4th)
BJ Young, PG, 6'2, McCluer North (MO), #13
Rashad Madden, PG, 6'5, East Poinsett County (AR), #40
Hunter Mickelson, PF, 6'10, Westside (AR), #42
Aaron Ross, SF, 6'7, Parkview (AR), #80
Devonte Abron, PF, 6'7, Seagoville (TX), #83

3. Alabama (16th)
Levi Randolph, SG, 6'5, Bob Jones (AL), #39
Nick Jacobs, PF, 6'8, South Atlanta (GA), #63
Rodney Cooper, SG, 6'5, Russell County (AL), #120
Moussa Gueye, C, 7'0, Lake Land College (IL)

4. Mississippi State (18th)
Rodney Hood, SF, 6'7, Meridian (MS), #32
Deville Smith, PG, 5'11 Callaway (MS), #54
DJ Gardner, SF, 6'6, Okolona (MS), NR

5. South Carolina (22nd)
Damien Leonard, SG, 6'4, JL Mann (SC), #58
Anthony Gill, PF, 6'8, Charlotte Christian (NC), #75

6. Vanderbilt (23rd)
Dai-Jon Parker, SG, 6'3, Milton (GA), #50
Kedren Johnson, PG, 6'4, Marshall County (TN), #100
Shelby Moats, PF, 6'8, Waconia (MN), NR

7. Tennessee (24th)
Chris Jones, PG, 5'8, Oak Ridge Military Academy (NC), #70
Kevin Ware, SG, 6'4, Rockdale County (GA), #86

8. Florida (25th)
Brad Beal, SG, 6'3, Chaminade (MO), #5

9. Auburn (HM)
Cedrick McAfee, SG, 6'2, Melrose (TN), #98
Willy Kouassi, C, 6'10, Central Park Christian (AL), #104
Bernard Morena, SF, 6'8, Central Park Christian (AL), NR

10. Georgia (HM)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, 6'5, Greenville (GA), #14
Henry Brooks, PF, 6'7, Miller Grove (GA), NR
John Florveus, C, 7'0, Hillsborough CC (FL)

11. LSU (NR)
Johnny O'Bryant, PF, 6'9, East Side (MS), #28
John Isaac, SG, 6'4, Pickering (LA), NR

12. Ole Miss (NR)
Ladarius White, SG, 6'5, McComb (MS), NR
Jarvis Summers, PG, 6'2, Provine (MS), NR
Aaron Jones, PF, 6'8, Gautier (MS), NR
Jamal Jones, SF, 6'8, Searcy (AR), NR

Note- photo is of Kentucky head coach John Calipari and is from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/