The best part of when conference play starts is finding out that you don’t know jack a week in. Here’s The Starting Five:
1. My favorite exercise has been trying to figure out who the hell Florida is. Back in November this team was averaging over 100 points per game and leading the likes of Duke by double-digits in the second half. Come December they were losing to Loyola-Chicago and were down to a 66 points per game average. Well now, the Gators are 2-0 after collecting an 83-66 road victory at shorthanded Texas A&M. So far in conference play, the Gators are averaging 82 points per game, while shooting over 49 percent from three-point range. The two-game output by forward Keith Stone (12.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG) is also a welcome sign for Mike White and company. As a Saturday afternoon trip to CoMo awaits, I’m not quite ready to get back on this train just yet, but I can easily be persuaded by a 3-0 start.
2. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DICKIE V!!!
Hoop experts can talk all they want how @SEC is so deep the bottomline u still MUST go thru Lexington & BBN to win SEC @wildcatnews @KSRadio @rex_rexchapman @johnclayiv @vaughtsviews
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 4, 2018
My favorite part of this tweet is how Dickie V tags all of the influential Kentucky basketball media making sure that they all know that he’s still pro-UK being the team to beat in the SEC. Richard, you don’t need to tag them. You’re on ESPN on a nightly basis screaming the same nonsense you’ve been saying since the network started, love you.
In terms of being the team to beat, Kentucky is going to have to show that they can win on the road since that’s clearly not going to be a simple task in 2018 for anyone in the conference. So far, the young Wildcats have been able to do just that. In their first true road game of the season, the Cats squeaked past an energetic LSU team 74-71. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to light it up, scoring a team-high 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, making it the third consecutive game that Gilgeous-Alexander has led UK in scoring. Fellow freshman P.J. Washington had 18 of his own.
Back to Dickie V’s point, yes you’re going to have to go through Lexington if you want to win the SEC. The Wildcats have won or shared the SEC regular-season title five of the last eight years. The last time the Cats didn’t win the title Florida went undefeated in the league, on their way to a Final Four. Basically, you have to go undefeated to win the SEC over Kentucky, at least that’s your safest bet. Like Kansas in the SEC, if you want to usurp the Cats throne you’re best served by sweeping them in the regular season. I know that the SEC isn’t a true round-robin like the Big 12, but you get my point, hopefully.
3. My sincerest apologies to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs, for the time being, shut me and anyone else who has been doubting them up with a 78-75 upset win against No. 22 Arkansas on Tuesday night. The Weatherspoon brothers, Nick and Quinndary, scored 22 points apiece to put the Bulldogs on the right side of the tracks as SEC play begins. You can forgive me if I was too critical of Ben Howland and his team after evaluating their 337th ranked non-conference strength of schedule and coinciding overall SOS rank of 330th. I’m sure I was wrong to be put off by their 65-50 loss at No. 19 Cincinnati. I’ll give credit when credit is due and in this case, it is. Good win for State. They’ll need plenty more of those at home if they’re going to stay at their current position.
4. Kyle Tucker, who covers Kentucky for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s SEC Country, brought up an interesting thought of whether 12-6 would be good enough to win the SEC. Here are the standings as we currently sit today heading into the second full weekend of SEC play:
No. 23 Tennessee, who was picked to finish 13th by the media had been the surprise of the season heading into conference play, but after losses to Arkansas on the road and home to Auburn, the Volunteers sit 0-2 in league play awaiting a visit from Kentucky Saturday night. I pointed out Monday morning how I thought Arkansas was a potential ‘darkhorse’ title contender and that wins at Bud Walton Arena would be hard to come by, only to find out that so would a win at ‘The Hump’ where Ben Howland’s youthful, yet 13-1, Mississippi State team picked up their first signature win of the season.
Alabama had a resounding 79-57 victory over a then Top 5 Texas A&M team—who’s probably the SEC’s best team when they have their full complement of players—only to come back three days later to lose at Vanderbilt by a point. Ole Miss started conference play well with a home win against 2017 Final Four participant South Carolina then followed that up with a loss at Georgia. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks fell to the travelling Tigers of Missouri in Cuonzo Martin’s return to the SEC. Oh, and Auburn is 13-1.
The talk coming into the season has been about how improved the league was going to be. I’m aware that ESPN college basketball analyst Chris Spatola isn’t a fan of the word ‘parity’, but you might be able to get away with using it to describe this year’s SEC. At the very least I think Spatola wouldn’t have a problem pointing out the depth of the league, particularly with eight teams sitting in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology. Dickie V is probably right about teams having to go through Lexington to win the SEC, but that’s not news. Kentucky will always have the most talent in the league, that’s not to say that an experienced team like Florida or A&M couldn’t sit on their throne come March. Either way, every night in this league is going to offer quality games and road games will come at a premier. I don’t know if 12-6 will be the low bar to winning a title, but I certainly wouldn’t count it out as a possibility.
5. Weekend Thoughts:
- I mentioned above how Tennessee has fallen into a 0-2 hole and now has to welcome Kentucky. From my understanding, UT allowed former head coach Bruce Pearl and Auburn to come into Thompson-Boling Arena and not only outwork them but push them around. Contrary to preseason projections, Tennessee isn’t the 13th best team in the SEC. But they’re not among the highest rated when it comes to talent. The Vols can ill-afford to allow any team to outhustle them if they expect to consistently compete in the SEC. Their ability to do that to opponents is what has allowed Rick Barnes’ team to find itself in the Top 25 the past few weeks. There’s not a better example of a time when they need to do so than this Saturday when the Wildcats come to town. Lose this one, and next week in Nashville to Vandy, and they might just be well on our way to a 13th place finish.
- A&M’s leading scorer D.J. Hogg (14.6 PPG) returns from his three-game suspension Saturday when the Aggies face LSU. A&M is in a 0-2 hole, in part because of Hogg’s selfishness. I expect him to play a major role in turning around the Aggies poor start.
- In his press conference on Tuesday night following the road loss to Vandy, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson praised his team’s resolve in their near comeback at Memorial Gym. Johnson noted that he knows that life on the road with a young, yet talented, basketball team will have its peaks and valleys. While most will be focused on Monday night’s national title game between the two, Saturday’s game on the hardwood in Athens should display its own drama.
- Kentucky-Tennessee will get all of the publicity, but I’m looking forward to what Arkansas has to offer on the road at Auburn. The Tigers have yet to garner the attention of the AP poll voters, receiving only four votes in the latest poll, but could be adorn with their praises with a 2-0 week against teams they ranked ahead of them in the Top 25.
WEEKEND SLATE
Saturday
Alabama (9-5, 1-1) at Georgia (10-3, 1-1) 11:00 AM CT SEC Network
Florida (10-4, 2-0) at Missouri (11-3, 1-0) 12:00 PM CT CBS
LSU (9-4, 0-1) at #11 Texas A&M (11-3, 0-2) 1:15 PM CT SEC Network
Mississippi State (13-1, 1-0) at Ole Miss (8-6, 1-1) 3:30 PM CT SEC Network
#22 Arkansas (11-3, 1-1) at Auburn (13-1, 1-0) 5:00 PM CT ESPNU
Vanderbilt (6-8, 1-1) at South Carolina (9-5, 0-2) 5:45 PM CT SEC Network
#17 Kentucky (12-2, 2-0) at #23 Tennessee (9-4, 0-2) 8:00 PM CT SEC Network
BONUS CONTENT:
ESPN college basketball analyst and former Selection Sunday bridesmaid Seth Greenberg officially kicked off meaningless tier talk season on Wednesday. Enjoy!
The @SEC could get 7 teams in the tourney! Tier 1 @KentuckyMBB like the development of the backcourt. Need more from front court. How will they handle road adversity turn around games ? @GatorsMBK excellent passing team that spreads you out. Need inside presence on o/d
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) January 3, 2018
The @SEC Tier 1 continued. @RazorbackMBB Senior guards win. Barford Macon Beard. @AuburnMBB The results speak for themselves.This team reminds me of @coachbrucepearl Tennessee teams. Active,undersized, play hard & with a chip. Heron, Harper,Brown are good but Murray is the key
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) January 3, 2018
The @SEC Tier 2. I expect at least 3 maybe 4 to be in the NCAA Tourney. @aggiembk Enough of the suspensions. Grow up Aggies. Hold each other accountable in the locker room. Second weekend or better talent @AlabamaMBB Young Tide lacks consistency. Need to compete every play
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) January 3, 2018
The @SEC Tier 2 continued. @UGABasketball This team is getting solid guard play. From Jackson and Hammonds is developing. Maten is leagues toughest match up. @Vol_Hoops love their toughness. Williams/Schofield are members of my all grown man team. Must rebound and defend
— Seth Greenberg (@SethOnHoops) January 3, 2018
Like I said at the top of the column, the best thing about conference playing starting is finding out that you don’t know jack, but here’s Seth Greenberg out here trying to make up tiers.
Check back on Monday morning for reaction from the weekend that was in SEC basketball. Also, follow me on Twitter @JulianCouncil for SEC hoops updates throughout the weekend.
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