SEC basketball: How the league’s teams look heading into conference play
SEC basketball conference play begins Tuesday night with Texas A&M at LSU, starting at 7, followed by Ole Miss at Alabama at 9. Both games are on the SEC Network.
Here’s a look at how the 14 league teams look at this point:
Tennessee: The undefeated Vols are 6-0 and ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 and No. 9 in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. Ex-Oregon guard Victor Bailey leads UT in scoring at 13.2 points per game. Veteran forward John Fulkerson is averaging 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. Freshman guard Jaden Springer is averaging 11.5 points per game. Rick Barnes’ club does not turn the ball over. Tennessee is 12th nationally in turnover percentage, and 14th in opponents’ turnover percentage.
[This might be Tennessee’s best men’s basketball team]
Florida: The Gators haven’t played a game since Keyontae Johnson collapsed during the team’s 83-71 loss to Florida State on Dec. 12. Johnson will sit out the rest of the season, but has returned to the team as a student coach. Pomeroy has the Gators ranked 22nd overall — 29th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 22nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. Losing Johnson hurts. The junior was averaging 16 points per game. The improved Tre Mann is averaging 15.8 points and 4.8 assists per game for Mike White’s club.
Ole Miss: Because of COVID issues, the Rebels didn’t begin play until Dec. 10. They are 5-1 with the lone loss coming 65-62 at Dayton on Dec. 19. Kermit Davis’ club ranks fifth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency at 88 points per 100 possessions. Kenpom has Ole Miss 33rd overall. Senior guard Devontae Shuler leads Ole Miss in scoring at 14.8 points and 3.8 assists per game. Shuler has made 40 percent (12-of-30) of his three-point shots.
Arkansas: Eric Musselman’s club is 8-0, but all eight games were at home. The Razorbacks’ best win to date was over North Texas, ranked 101 by Pomeroy, who has Arkansas at No. 36. Freshman guard Moses Moody leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game. The Little Rock native is also averaging 5.6 rebounds and has made 15 of 36 three-point attempts for 41.7 percent. By the way, Musselman missed the team’s last game, Dec. 22, because of COVID-19 protocols. He’s been cleared to coach at Auburn on Wednesday.
LSU: Will Wade’s Tigers are 5-1, with the lone defeat coming Nov. 28 to Travis Ford and Saint Louis, 85-81 at Saint Louis. Pomeroy has LSU ranked 37th overall, but No. 6 in adjusted offensive efficiency. LSU is fifth nationally in two-point field goal percentage at 62.9. Freshman Cameron Thomas leads the team in scoring at 22.8 points per game. He scored 29 points last time out against Nicholls. Sophomore forward Trendon Watford is at 19.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Missouri: Cuonzo Martin’s team has been the league’s early surprise. Ranked at No. 12 in the AP Top 25, the Tigers are 6-0 with wins over Illinois (81-78) and Oregon (83-75). Pomeroy puts Mizzou at No. 41. The Tigers rank 27th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 54th in defensive efficiency. Junior guard Xavier Pinson leads the way at 14.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. Senior center Jeremiah Tillmon is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game. The Tigers play host to Tennessee on Wednesday.
[How Jeremiah Tillmon kept the Tigers undefeated]
Kentucky: You know the story. The Wildcats are 1-6, their worst start since the 1926-27 team started 1-8. John Calipari’s club has lost six straight games, but ranks No. 51 overall by Pomeroy. UK is 315th nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 25.0. The Cats are 272nd in turnover percentage at 22.8. And UK is 253rd in free throw percentage at 66.2. Brandon Boston leads the team in scoring at 14.0 per game.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide is 5-3, with losses to Stanford (82-64) in the Maui Classic, Clemson (64-56) on a neutral floor and Western Kentucky (73-71) at home. Jaden Shackleford leads the team in scoring at 14 points per game. Herb Jones is averaging 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. Pomeroy has Nate Oats’ club ranked at No. 55. Bama plays fast. According to kenpom, the Tide’s average possession length is third-shortest in the nation.
South Carolina: Hard to know what to make of the Gamecocks, who have been limited to three games because of COVID-19 issues. In fact, South Carolina was scheduled to open SEC play Tuesday at UK. That, too, was postponed. Pomeroy has 1-2 USC at No. 64. Frank Martin’s club beat Tulsa, but lost to Liberty (78-62) and Houston (77-67). It hasn’t played since Dec. 5. Through three games, guard Jermaine Couisnard leads team in scoring at 13.3 points per game.
Auburn: Remember, the Tigers are playing under a self-imposed postseason ban. Bruce Pearl’s club is 6-2 and ranked 65th by Pomeroy. The Tigers lost to No. 1 Gonzaga 90-67 and to UCF 63-55. Justin Powell, the 6-foot-6 freshman from Prospect, is averaging 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. He’s made 19 of his 37 three-point shots for 51.4 percent. Powell played two seasons at Louisville Trinity before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida.
Texas A&M: Buzz Williams’ Aggies are 5-1, with a 73-55 loss to TCU being the lone setback. Pomeroy has A&M ranked 75th overall, and just 114th in offensive efficiency. The Aggies have a hard time holding onto the basketball. They are 313th in turnover percentage. Sophomore forward Emanuel Miller, out of Canada, leads the team with 18 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. That’s up from 6.4 points and 6.3 rebounds a year ago. Miller has scored 20-or-more points in three of A&M’s last five games.
Mississippi State: Kentucky’s first SEC opponent is 5-3 heading into Wednesday night’s game at Georgia. Ranked 81st by Pomeroy, the Bulldogs are 111th in defensive efficiency. Ben Howland’s team does hit the boards. MSU is fifth nationally in offensive rebound percentage at 40.8. Clemson (52-42), Liberty (84-73) and Dayton (85-82 in two overtimes) have beaten the Bulldogs. D.J. Stewart leads the team in scoring at 18.3 per game. Iverson Molinar is close behind at 17.6 after missing the team’s first three games because of a positive COVID-19 test. MSU is 4-1 with Molinar in the lineup.
Georgia: Tom Crean’s Bulldogs are a perfect 7-0, but not against the strongest competition. According to kenpom, Georgia’s best win was over No. 87 Northeastern, 76-58 in Athens last time out. In fact, all seven of Georgia’s games have been in Athens. Crean does have the Bulldogs going up and down the floor. Georgia is 25th in average possession length. It is 11th in offensive rebounding. Five Bulldogs are averaging in double figures, led by sophomore forward Toumani Camara at 14.8 points per game. Camara is from Belgium.
Vanderbilt: Second-year coach Jerry Stackhouse is having a rough go of it in Nashville. The Commodores are 4-2, but Pomeroy has Vandy ranked at No. 135. Richmond handled the ‘Dores 78-67 at Memorial Gym, and Davidson rolled 85-65 over visiting Vandy on Dec. 22. Scotty Pippen Jr. has been VU’s saving grace, averaging 23.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Pippen has scored 104 points in his four games, an average of 26.0. Forward Dylan Disu is averaging nine rebounds per game.
SEC basketball schedule this week
Tuesday, Dec. 29
- 7:00 - Texas A&M at LSU (SEC)
- 9:00 - Ole Miss at Alabama (SEC)
Wednesday, Dec. 30
- 7:00 - Mississippi State at Georgia (SEC)
- 7:00 - Arkansas at Auburn (ESPN2)
- 9:00 - Tennessee at Missouri (SEC)
- 9:00 - Florida at Vanderbilt (ESPN2)
Saturday, Jan. 2
- 12:00 - Missouri at Arkansas (CBS)
- 2:00 - LSU at Florida (CBS)
- 3:30 - Florida A&M at South Carolina (SEC)
- 6:00 - Alabama at Tennessee (ESPN2)
- 6:00 - Kentucky at Mississippi State (SEC)
- 6:00 - Wichita State at Ole Miss (ESPNU)
- 8:30 - Auburn at Texas A&M (SEC)
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 12:09 PM.
