The SEC has long been known as a football conference and Kentucky, but this season, some of the top teams of the country reside in the conference. They may not be top to bottom as good as some of the other conferences, but there is a reasonable argument to be made that the top team in the nation as well as four to five more top 25 squads. Some of the best basketball in the nation is played down south, and it is a very fun conference to watch.
Thoughts
- Tennessee is currently ranked number one in the country, both by the AP Poll and myself, and it's not hard to see why. They are headlined by Player of the Year candidate Grant Williams, and they have an extremely underrated backcourt. However, I wanted to focus on Kyle Alexander, the starting center for the Vols. He isn't really a big time scorer so he isn't talked about as much as some of his teammates, but he is a very important piece to this team. He is a very good defender, pulling down 7.6 rebounds a game and blocking 1.9 shots a game, both of which lead the team. He really impacts the game on that end, and offensively, he plays his role, scoring 7.6 points a game, but he makes 69% (nice) of his shots. He's got to be one of the more underrated players in the country, and I wanted to give him some publicity here.
- I'm all in on Mississippi. The Rebels, who were predicted to finish dead last in the SEC in the preseason coaches poll, are currently sitting at 14-4 and 4-2 in the conference. The numbers aren't super bullish on them, KenPom has them at 37 nationally and Haslametrics has them at 38, but I'm much more bullish on this squad, and I would probably put them right around 20 nationally at the moment. The main reason why I love this team is their dynamic backcourt trio of Breein Tyree, Terence Davis, and Devontae Shuler. Those three lead the team in scoring, combining for 42.2 points a contest. They all shoot the ball well from deep, with all three making 37% or better of their attempts, and that is a large reason why the offense is one of the best in the country. They also have some very good role players, and while they are an average defensive team, their offense have been more than good enough to win games so far, and I see no reason as to why Ole Miss can't keep winning.
- Alabama is one of the most inconsistent teams in the nation, going from a win over Kentucky to a two game losing streak against LSU and Texas A&M. They also feature one of the streakiest players in the country in John Petty, who over his last five games has scored 9, 22, 5, 30, and 15 points. A large reason for the Crimson Tide's inconsistency has been their three point shooting. Petty is a shooter, through and through, and when he is on, the entire team can get hot. However, when he isn't, their can be less than optimal for spacing and the team can struggle on the offensive end, especially behind the arc. The Tide have made 10 threes 3 times during SEC play, each time, they had a player make 6 on his own. They are a solid team every night, competing with high level transition play thanks to the number of athletes on their roster, but to win games, especially come March, they'll need to get hot from three.
- Kentucky and Auburn played one of the better games of the season last weekend, with the Wildcats pulling out an 82-80 victory at Auburn. The Wildcats dominated the Tigers on the interior, with Kentucky finishing +7 on the boards, and the Cats' front court duo of PJ Washington and Reid Travis combining for 30 points. However, the play of the wings was what made the game so fun. Tyler Herro had a great game for Kentucky, finishing with 20 points in one of his best college performances, and his teammate Keldon Johnson also finished with 20. They combined for 5 threes, and they give valuable floor spacing to a Kentucky program that hasn't really had that recently. As for Auburn, Bryce Brown took over in the second half, scoring 26 of his 28 after the break, and was making some insane shots to keep his team in the game. He went 6-7 from three to help the Tigers back from an 8 point half time deficit, and if he can provide even half of that shot making ability every night, he'll be a first team All-SEC player.
Power Rankings
1. Tennessee
Record: 17-1, 6-0
2. Kentucky
Record: 15-3, 5-1
3. LSU
Record: 15-3, 5-0
4. Mississippi
Record: 14-4, 4-2
5. Auburn
Record: 13-5, 2-3
6. South Carolina
Record: 10-8, 5-1
7. Mississippi State
Record: 14-4, 2-3
8. Alabama
Record: 12-6, 3-3
9. Florida
Record: 11-7, 3-3
10. Arkansas
Record: 11-7, 2-4
11. Missouri
Record: 10-7, 1-4
12. Vanderbilt
Record: 9-9, 0-6
13. Georgia
Record: 9-9, 1-5
14. Texas A&M
Record: 7-10, 1-5
What To Watch
- I have a full preview of the SEC Big 12 Challenge coming out soon, so be sure to check back to get a breakdown of today's slate of SEC games.
- Auburn is on a two game losing streak heading into their trip to Starkville to play Mississippi State. State isn't playing their basketball either, losing three of their last five games, and they haven't looked the same in conference as they did during non-conference play. I think Auburn is in really good position in this one, even on the road. They are forcing the most turnovers in the country, and the Bulldogs turn the ball over a decent amount, coming in around the average. I think they can definitely exploit Lamar Peters and the rest of the Bulldog's backcourt. They also can exploit Mississippi State on the offensive glass, where they do a great job, and around the three point line, where they like to take and make a lot of shots. I think Auburn gets a big bounce back victory in Starkville.
- Conference leaders Tennessee travels to Columbia to take on upstart South Carolina. On paper, the Vols are by far the more talented team and should have no trouble taking down the Gamecocks. However, South Carolina is 5-1 in conference play with wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn, so they are not to be taken lightly, especially at home. South Carolina has been pushing the pace, especially on the offensive end, and while that has been successful for them thus far, they have also been committing a large number of turnovers, and Tennessee will certainly punish them for that. They also foul a lot, and the Vols are shooting 77.8% from the foul line, good enough for eighth in the nation, so Tennessee looks primed to stay undefeated in the SEC, but the Gamecocks are a tough team to beat, so don't expect it to be a blowout.
- Mississippi State has been slightly disappointing to start SEC play, and they'll look to turn things around when they take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Both teams sit with 3 losses in SEC play, and both can definitely use a nice win. The Tide are shooting the ball much better in conference play, and if they can stay hot, they should have a good chance of winning the game, especially at home. Mississippi State has had some troubles defending the arc, so if a guy like John Petty can make some shots for Alabama, I'll give them the edge. I think the Bulldogs have the ability to slow down Alabama and keep them out of transition, which would be huge, however, they haven't looked convincing recently, so I'll give Bama the edge.
- Mississippi is heading to Florida to take on the Gators, and it's two teams with differing momentums. The Rebels have lost two of their last three, both by double digits, while Florida is on a two game winning streak, albeit against some SEC bottom feeders. The Gators have been excellent defensively, ranking top 10 in the country, so they could match up well with a high scoring Rebel's offense. I think the biggest stat is Florida forcing turnovers on 24.7% of possessions, second best in the nation, and despite Ole Miss playing with three guards, they have struggled with turnovers. I think Andrew Nembhard could really bother his matchup with his size at the guard position, and I think the Gators pull it out.
Full SEC Schedule 1/26-1/31
1/26
Iowa State @ Mississippi
Alabama @ Baylor
Florida @ TCU
South Carolina @ Oklahoma State
Texas @ Georgia
Kansas State @ Texas A&M
West Virginia @ Tennessee
Vanderbilt @ Oklahoma
Kansas @ Kentucky
Arkansas @ Texas Tech
LSU @ Missouri
Auburn @ Mississippi State
1/29
Tennessee @ South Carolina
Georgia @ Arkansas
Mississippi State @ Alabama
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
1/30
Mississippi @ Florida
Missouri @ Auburn
LSU @ Texas A&M
3 Questions
1. Is LSU legit?
The Tigers have started off SEC play really hot, sitting at 5-0 in conference play, and are currently half a game back on Tennessee. The question all season hasn't been the talent, as Will Wade has a plethora of skilled players at his disposal, but more effort and finding the right lineup combinations. Wade inserted Marlon Taylor into the starting lineup, and it's paid dividends. We have also seen Naz Reid and Tremont Waters playing at their highest level all season, and it's looked great for LSU. You can look at it one of two ways. The first is that Will Wade has figured out the rotation, how to motivate his players, and get them to play consistently. The other view is that they are just on a hot streak, and the team, most notably Reid, will not give consistent effort throughout SEC play and fall off soon. I lean the former, and I think LSU will be quite good throughout the season.
2. Is South Carolina legit?
South Carolina was 5-7 entering SEC play, with losses to Stony Brook, Wofford, and Wyoming, and no wins in the KenPom top 150. So of course, they are off to a 5-1 start in the SEC with wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn, which makes perfect sense. Chris Silva has been outstanding in conference play, scoring 14 points a game thus far, highlighted by a 32 point outburst, along with 14 rebounds and 4 blocks, in their last game, the Auburn victory. They are certainly playing well now, but unlike LSU, I don't know if it'll last. They are not good offensively, coming in at eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency so far in SEC play, and they really can't shoot the three, making only 32.2% of deep shots. They have also been lucky to have teams not capitalizing from the free throw line, as South Carolina fouls a lot. I can see them dropping off soon, although Frank Martin has them playing with an intensity that make them so tough to play against.
3. What does the bubble look like (via @tjsdomer2 and @TheReal_gwarner via Twitter)
There were two different questions that I'm going to group in here. The first takes a look at the potential bids given the self-cannibalization of the conference. I don't think it is as bad as some other conferences thanks to how bad the bottom of the conference is, with a clear bottom five, and two of those teams really shouldn't be providing any sort of problems for anyone. As of now, I'd say this conference is looking at eight bids. Tennessee and Kentucky are pretty much locks, and I'd say LSU, Auburn, and Mississippi are looking very good. So Mississippi State, South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida are all around the bubble in my mind at the moment. Tom wanted to know which bubble team can make a Sweet Sixteen run, and of that group, I'd say Mississippi State. They have an experienced groups with some very talented guards, which is typically a formula for success in March. Since they are the best team there in my opinion, the other team I'd say is Florida. They have guys like Kevaughn Allen and Jalen Hudson who are very, very talented, but aren't playing up to that at the moment. They could very easily get hot and go on a run in March, especially given how good their defense is.
Thoughts
- Tennessee is currently ranked number one in the country, both by the AP Poll and myself, and it's not hard to see why. They are headlined by Player of the Year candidate Grant Williams, and they have an extremely underrated backcourt. However, I wanted to focus on Kyle Alexander, the starting center for the Vols. He isn't really a big time scorer so he isn't talked about as much as some of his teammates, but he is a very important piece to this team. He is a very good defender, pulling down 7.6 rebounds a game and blocking 1.9 shots a game, both of which lead the team. He really impacts the game on that end, and offensively, he plays his role, scoring 7.6 points a game, but he makes 69% (nice) of his shots. He's got to be one of the more underrated players in the country, and I wanted to give him some publicity here.
- I'm all in on Mississippi. The Rebels, who were predicted to finish dead last in the SEC in the preseason coaches poll, are currently sitting at 14-4 and 4-2 in the conference. The numbers aren't super bullish on them, KenPom has them at 37 nationally and Haslametrics has them at 38, but I'm much more bullish on this squad, and I would probably put them right around 20 nationally at the moment. The main reason why I love this team is their dynamic backcourt trio of Breein Tyree, Terence Davis, and Devontae Shuler. Those three lead the team in scoring, combining for 42.2 points a contest. They all shoot the ball well from deep, with all three making 37% or better of their attempts, and that is a large reason why the offense is one of the best in the country. They also have some very good role players, and while they are an average defensive team, their offense have been more than good enough to win games so far, and I see no reason as to why Ole Miss can't keep winning.
- Alabama is one of the most inconsistent teams in the nation, going from a win over Kentucky to a two game losing streak against LSU and Texas A&M. They also feature one of the streakiest players in the country in John Petty, who over his last five games has scored 9, 22, 5, 30, and 15 points. A large reason for the Crimson Tide's inconsistency has been their three point shooting. Petty is a shooter, through and through, and when he is on, the entire team can get hot. However, when he isn't, their can be less than optimal for spacing and the team can struggle on the offensive end, especially behind the arc. The Tide have made 10 threes 3 times during SEC play, each time, they had a player make 6 on his own. They are a solid team every night, competing with high level transition play thanks to the number of athletes on their roster, but to win games, especially come March, they'll need to get hot from three.
- Kentucky and Auburn played one of the better games of the season last weekend, with the Wildcats pulling out an 82-80 victory at Auburn. The Wildcats dominated the Tigers on the interior, with Kentucky finishing +7 on the boards, and the Cats' front court duo of PJ Washington and Reid Travis combining for 30 points. However, the play of the wings was what made the game so fun. Tyler Herro had a great game for Kentucky, finishing with 20 points in one of his best college performances, and his teammate Keldon Johnson also finished with 20. They combined for 5 threes, and they give valuable floor spacing to a Kentucky program that hasn't really had that recently. As for Auburn, Bryce Brown took over in the second half, scoring 26 of his 28 after the break, and was making some insane shots to keep his team in the game. He went 6-7 from three to help the Tigers back from an 8 point half time deficit, and if he can provide even half of that shot making ability every night, he'll be a first team All-SEC player.
Power Rankings
1. Tennessee
Record: 17-1, 6-0
2. Kentucky
Record: 15-3, 5-1
3. LSU
Record: 15-3, 5-0
4. Mississippi
Record: 14-4, 4-2
5. Auburn
Record: 13-5, 2-3
6. South Carolina
Record: 10-8, 5-1
7. Mississippi State
Record: 14-4, 2-3
8. Alabama
Record: 12-6, 3-3
9. Florida
Record: 11-7, 3-3
10. Arkansas
Record: 11-7, 2-4
11. Missouri
Record: 10-7, 1-4
12. Vanderbilt
Record: 9-9, 0-6
13. Georgia
Record: 9-9, 1-5
14. Texas A&M
Record: 7-10, 1-5
What To Watch
- I have a full preview of the SEC Big 12 Challenge coming out soon, so be sure to check back to get a breakdown of today's slate of SEC games.
- Auburn is on a two game losing streak heading into their trip to Starkville to play Mississippi State. State isn't playing their basketball either, losing three of their last five games, and they haven't looked the same in conference as they did during non-conference play. I think Auburn is in really good position in this one, even on the road. They are forcing the most turnovers in the country, and the Bulldogs turn the ball over a decent amount, coming in around the average. I think they can definitely exploit Lamar Peters and the rest of the Bulldog's backcourt. They also can exploit Mississippi State on the offensive glass, where they do a great job, and around the three point line, where they like to take and make a lot of shots. I think Auburn gets a big bounce back victory in Starkville.
- Conference leaders Tennessee travels to Columbia to take on upstart South Carolina. On paper, the Vols are by far the more talented team and should have no trouble taking down the Gamecocks. However, South Carolina is 5-1 in conference play with wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn, so they are not to be taken lightly, especially at home. South Carolina has been pushing the pace, especially on the offensive end, and while that has been successful for them thus far, they have also been committing a large number of turnovers, and Tennessee will certainly punish them for that. They also foul a lot, and the Vols are shooting 77.8% from the foul line, good enough for eighth in the nation, so Tennessee looks primed to stay undefeated in the SEC, but the Gamecocks are a tough team to beat, so don't expect it to be a blowout.
- Mississippi State has been slightly disappointing to start SEC play, and they'll look to turn things around when they take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Both teams sit with 3 losses in SEC play, and both can definitely use a nice win. The Tide are shooting the ball much better in conference play, and if they can stay hot, they should have a good chance of winning the game, especially at home. Mississippi State has had some troubles defending the arc, so if a guy like John Petty can make some shots for Alabama, I'll give them the edge. I think the Bulldogs have the ability to slow down Alabama and keep them out of transition, which would be huge, however, they haven't looked convincing recently, so I'll give Bama the edge.
- Mississippi is heading to Florida to take on the Gators, and it's two teams with differing momentums. The Rebels have lost two of their last three, both by double digits, while Florida is on a two game winning streak, albeit against some SEC bottom feeders. The Gators have been excellent defensively, ranking top 10 in the country, so they could match up well with a high scoring Rebel's offense. I think the biggest stat is Florida forcing turnovers on 24.7% of possessions, second best in the nation, and despite Ole Miss playing with three guards, they have struggled with turnovers. I think Andrew Nembhard could really bother his matchup with his size at the guard position, and I think the Gators pull it out.
Full SEC Schedule 1/26-1/31
1/26
Iowa State @ Mississippi
Alabama @ Baylor
Florida @ TCU
South Carolina @ Oklahoma State
Texas @ Georgia
Kansas State @ Texas A&M
West Virginia @ Tennessee
Vanderbilt @ Oklahoma
Kansas @ Kentucky
Arkansas @ Texas Tech
LSU @ Missouri
Auburn @ Mississippi State
1/29
Tennessee @ South Carolina
Georgia @ Arkansas
Mississippi State @ Alabama
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
1/30
Mississippi @ Florida
Missouri @ Auburn
LSU @ Texas A&M
3 Questions
1. Is LSU legit?
The Tigers have started off SEC play really hot, sitting at 5-0 in conference play, and are currently half a game back on Tennessee. The question all season hasn't been the talent, as Will Wade has a plethora of skilled players at his disposal, but more effort and finding the right lineup combinations. Wade inserted Marlon Taylor into the starting lineup, and it's paid dividends. We have also seen Naz Reid and Tremont Waters playing at their highest level all season, and it's looked great for LSU. You can look at it one of two ways. The first is that Will Wade has figured out the rotation, how to motivate his players, and get them to play consistently. The other view is that they are just on a hot streak, and the team, most notably Reid, will not give consistent effort throughout SEC play and fall off soon. I lean the former, and I think LSU will be quite good throughout the season.
2. Is South Carolina legit?
South Carolina was 5-7 entering SEC play, with losses to Stony Brook, Wofford, and Wyoming, and no wins in the KenPom top 150. So of course, they are off to a 5-1 start in the SEC with wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn, which makes perfect sense. Chris Silva has been outstanding in conference play, scoring 14 points a game thus far, highlighted by a 32 point outburst, along with 14 rebounds and 4 blocks, in their last game, the Auburn victory. They are certainly playing well now, but unlike LSU, I don't know if it'll last. They are not good offensively, coming in at eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency so far in SEC play, and they really can't shoot the three, making only 32.2% of deep shots. They have also been lucky to have teams not capitalizing from the free throw line, as South Carolina fouls a lot. I can see them dropping off soon, although Frank Martin has them playing with an intensity that make them so tough to play against.
3. What does the bubble look like (via @tjsdomer2 and @TheReal_gwarner via Twitter)
There were two different questions that I'm going to group in here. The first takes a look at the potential bids given the self-cannibalization of the conference. I don't think it is as bad as some other conferences thanks to how bad the bottom of the conference is, with a clear bottom five, and two of those teams really shouldn't be providing any sort of problems for anyone. As of now, I'd say this conference is looking at eight bids. Tennessee and Kentucky are pretty much locks, and I'd say LSU, Auburn, and Mississippi are looking very good. So Mississippi State, South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida are all around the bubble in my mind at the moment. Tom wanted to know which bubble team can make a Sweet Sixteen run, and of that group, I'd say Mississippi State. They have an experienced groups with some very talented guards, which is typically a formula for success in March. Since they are the best team there in my opinion, the other team I'd say is Florida. They have guys like Kevaughn Allen and Jalen Hudson who are very, very talented, but aren't playing up to that at the moment. They could very easily get hot and go on a run in March, especially given how good their defense is.
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