Wednesday and Thursday games, Friday odds..

Overall: 46-8 (85%)
Vs. Spread: 16-9 (64%)

Wednesday

Arkansas (94) vs. Missouri (91): Well, I was wrong both about who would win and a low-scoring game. Missouri forced their tempo but the Razorbacks kept up, shooting 57.6% as a team. Both Charles Thomas and - guess who - Patrick Beverly had big games, scoring 21 and 19 points on a collective 15-of-28 effort. Beverly has only failed to score in double digits once this season.
Stat of the Game: Missouri’s 8-of-23 shooting from behind the arc

Alabama (63) @ Texas A&M (76): Despite Hendrix scoring his fifth consecutive double-double in five games for 19 points and 12 rebounds, along with Alonzo Gee chipping in 19 of his own on 9-of-17 shooting, the Tide couldn’t stop A&M’s offense nor their rebounding although they did win the turnover battle 18-13.
Stat of the Game: A&M’s 52.8% mark from the floor

Georgia (5 vs. Deleware State (47): The Bulldogs relied heavily on junior Billy Humphrey, and he came through scoring 18 points on a team-high 10 shots taken. Freshman Troy Brewer also had his first double-figure outing of his Georgia career, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. Sundiata Gaines proved his worth with 8 turnovers to 1 turnover. This game was a little closer than I would have expected considering Georgia’s quick start, but DSU managed to shoot 12 times more than the home team by only turning the ball over eight times and outrebounding them by two.
Stat of the Game: DSU’s 4-of-21 (19%) shooting from three

South Carolina (92) vs. Campbell (52): Complete domination as it should be with Campbell against an SEC team at home, although the Fighting Camels managed to outrebound the Gamecocks by two. Both Downey and Raley-Ross scored 20 points for USC in the blowout and freshman Sam Muldrow III had a nice five blocks.
Stat of the Game: Campbell’s 21 turnovers to USC’s 11

LSU (69) vs. Nicholls State (43): Although this was a blowout, the Tigers struggled early. Marcus Thornton scored 24 for his fourth 20+ point showing in six games and LSU outrebounded NSU a commanding 38-25. And even against a team like Nicholls State, LSU still lost the turnover battle 21-19, showing their lack of control on offense.
Stat of the Game: LSU’s 52.1% field goal percentage

Thursday

Vanderbilt (91) vs. South Alabama (8 : The Commodores finally pulled away in the second overtime in this thriller, as Shan Foster had his biggest night of the young season with 26 points, although he shot the ball 21 times - more than twice the attempts of any other player. Ogilvy shot 7-of-10 and had eight rebounds, while freshman Jermaine Beal dished out 7 assists to only 3 turnovers. The game’s result was not surprising, as Vanderbilt is suddenly being hyped and is slightly overrated and USA is excellently coached.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s 81.8% mark from the charity stripe

Friday Odds

Tennessee vs. LA Lafayette
Spread: Tennessee by 27.5
Pick: LA Lafayette - Although Tennessee will win with no question, LA Lafayette finds ways to stay competitive in away game situations.

Also picking: Florida over Vermont at home.

Tuesday games, Wednesday odds…

Overall: 42-7 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 15-9 (63%)

Ole Miss (102) vs. Troy (76): The Rebels are playing some potent offense, as they’ve scored no less than 94 points except once, when they scored “only” 81 on South Alabama. The Rebels took an amazing 93 shots compared to Troy’s still-substantial 79, and freshman Chris Warren has scored in double figures in every one of those - including 23 points tonight on 8-of-14 shooting along with 10 assists for his first career double-double. The Rebels also had an amazing three players with double-doubles, as Dwayne Curtis scored 17 points and 10 rebounds while Kenny Williams scored 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Ole Miss’ 58-40 rebound advantage

Kentucky (62) vs. Stony Brook (52): This score is about as shocking as the Gardner-Webb loss. The Wildcats won by only 10 over a team that is 0-6 on the year thus far and has a loss to freakin’ Maryland-Eastern Shore, for god’s sakes. What the hell is going on? Well, for one - Kentucky’s guards are thin with injuries abound, and the ones that are on the roster aren’t hitting their shots. The Wildcat guards shot a combined 7-of-27 for 26% from the floor and 1-of-10 from three. The only reason Kentucky pulled out this win was the combined effort of Stevenson and Patterson, who each had a double-double with 18 points 10 rebounds and 19 points 12 rebounds respectively. Those two won’t be enough for this entire team come SEC play…these kitties better start acting like the Wildcats they are or this could be a very long season.
Stat of the Game: Kentucky’s 23 turnovers

Florida (102) vs. Stetson (51): The Gators continuet to be red-hot from the field on a well-balanced attack. This time no player scored more than 15, and only one other in double digits, and every player scored at least 3. Calathes didn’t have the best game after impressing thus far, as he turned the ball over 7 times.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 54% field goal percentage, and 42.9% from three

Tennessee (93) vs. N.C. A&T (59): Apparently the Volunteers decided to let Lofton shoot his way back into his groove. It seemed to work decently, as Lofton hit 8 of an obscene 21 shots attempted, all but one of those from three. Not great, still - and not All-America worthy - but decent. Tyler Smith looks to be a reliable source down low, as he shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor for 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first double-double as a Vol.
Stat of the Game: N.C. A&T’s 2-of-18 shooting for 11.1% from three

Wednesday Odds

Arkansas vs. Missouri
Spread: Arkansas by 4.5
Pick: Missouri - I actually think Missouri will win this game. The Razorbacks are just too susceptible to turning the ball over and the Tigers’ pressing style is too good at forcing them. Look for this to be a low-scoring event.

Alabama @ Texas A&M
Spread: Texas A&M by 13
Pick: Texas A&M - This game is going to get ugly. As talented as he is, Hendrix won’t be enough to keep this one even remotely close.

Also picking: Georgia over Deleware State at home, South Carolina over Campbell at home, and LSU over Nicholls State at home.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Three Poll

Completed today. Click here for the breakdown of individual votes.

1. Memphis (NC)
2. UCLA (NC)
3. North Carolina (NC)
4. Kansas (NC)
5. Georgetown (NC)
6. Duke (+4)
7. Washington State (+1)
8. Texas (+5)
9. Texas A&M (+7)
10. Louisville (-4)
11. Butler (+6)
12. Tennessee (-5)
13. Michigan State (+1)
14. Marquette (-2)
15. Indiana (-6)
16. Oregon (-5)
17. Pittsburgh (+3)
18. Clemson (+6)
19. Gonzaga (-4)
20. BYU (NR)
21. Xavier (NR)
22. Miami-FL (NR)
23. Southern Illinois (-5)
24. Villanova (+1)
25. USC (NR)

Other Receiving Votes, most to least: Ohio State, Syracuse, N.C. State, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Stanford, Arizona, Davidson, Connecticut, West Virginia, St Mary’s, Virginia, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Arkansas, George Mason, Miami-OH

New: (20) BYU, (21) Xavier, (22) Miami-FL, (25) USC
Dropped Out: (19) Kansas State, (21) Davidson, (22) Virginia, (23) Syracuse

Tenessee fell after a big loss to Texas, Southern Illinois fell seemingly a bit too much after a loss to USC in the Anaheim Classic championship game, and Oregon/Indiana both dropped after losses to unranked opponents (I’ve been saying all year that the Hoosiers were overrated). Texas A&M shot up the charts after their pounding of a young Ohio State team.

Tuesday odds…

Overall: 38-7 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 15-8 (65%)

Ole Miss vs. Troy
Spread: Ole Miss by 22
Pick: Troy - Ole Miss will win, and it shouldn’t be close for long, but Troy is a hot-shooting team and should stay within 22 points.

Also picking: Kentucky over Stony Brook at home, Florida over Stetson at home, and Tennessee over N.C. A&T at home.

Week Three in SEC stats…

Overall: 38-7 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 15-8 (65%)

At this point, the numbers can begin to be looked at with a tiny bit of relevancy. Although still quite inaccurate as some teams have played noone whatsoever, such a Florida who lost bigtime to their only challenging opponent, some teams such as Mississippi State have played two games against Top 25 opponents. These stats do not reflect the difference in the strength of schedules. Also remember these do not include today’s games. With that said…

Offensive

1. Ole Miss (3.25, NC)
2. Florida (3.62, NC)
3. Vanderbilt (5.38, +4)
4. Tennessee (5.62, +1)
5. South Carolina (5.75, -1)
6. Alabama (6.25, NC)
7. Kentucky (6.75, +2)
8. Arkansas (7.38, +2)
9. Georgia (7.50, -6)
10. Auburn (8.38, +2)
10. Miss. State (8.38, -2)
12. LSU (9.25, -1)

Defensive

1. Arkansas (3.86, NC)
2. Kentucky (4.29, +4)
3. Miss. State (5.43, NC)
4. Auburn (6.00, +7)
5. South Carolina (6.14, -3)
6. Florida (6.29, -1)
6. Georgia (6.29, +3)
8. Ole Miss (6.43, NC)
9. Alabama (7.00, -2)
10. LSU (8.00, NC)
11. Tennessee (8.57, -7)
11. Vanderbilt (8.57, +1)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (4.13, +2)
2. Florida (4.79, NC)
3. South Carolina (5.68, -2)
4. Kentucky (5.84, +7)
5. Arkansas (6.37, +3)
5. Tennessee (6.37, -1)
7. Alabama (6.63, -1)
8. Vanderbilt (6.84, +2)
9. Georgia (7.11, -4)
10. Miss. State (7.32, -3)
11. Auburn (7.47, -2)
12. LSU (8.74, NC)

Interesting to see just how poorly LSU is playing right now, against weaker competition. Tennessee dropped drastically, especially defensively, after allowing Texas to rape them, and Mississippi State dropped overall after two losses in a row. Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Arkansas are all playing pretty efficiently.

Categories Led

Tennessee: 4 (+1)
Kentucky: 4 (+3)
Ole Miss: 3 (+1)
Alabama: 2 (-2)
Arkansas: 2 (NC)
Florida: 1 (+1)
LSU: 1 (+1)
Vanderbilt: 1 (-1)
Georgia: 1 (NC)
Miss. State: 0 (-2)
Auburn: 0 (NC)
South Carolina: 0 (NC)

Saturday games…

Overall: 38-7 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 15-8 (65%)

Georgia (49) @ Wisconsin (6 : As predicted, the Bulldogs were overwhelmed from a talent standpoint. They were outrebounded, outshot, and easily outscored. Junior Terrence Woodbury, who has been pretty reliable early for Georgia, was the team’s only bright spot on the night, scoring 14 points on a 5-of-10 shooting performance. Impressive Badger senior Michael Flowers recorded the team’s only double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Georgia’s 3-of-20 (15%) performance from three

Ole Miss (94) vs. LA Monroe (70): This game was actually competitive until early in the second half, when the Rebels decided to start shooting. Ole Miss forced an incredible 31 turnovers and shot pretty well from the floor (49.4%) although they were outrebounded as a team. Sophomores David Huertas and Eneil Polynice each recorded 17 points, and freshman Chris Warren dished out 9 asissts to only 3 turnovers.
Stat of the Game: Ole Miss’ 77 shots taken to LA Monroe’s 48

Arkansas (89) vs. Deleware State (67): Although the Hornets shot very well: 53.1% from the field and 45% from three, they could not match up against the Razorbacks on the boards. Senior Darian Townes had the most impressive game of the season thus far with 18 points of 7-of-9 shooting, and sophomore Stefan Welsh had seven assists to no turnovers.
Stat of the Game: Arkansas’ 24 assists to 10 turnover ratio (2.4:1)

Tennessee (7 vs. Texas (97): In a shocking upset, the Longhorns upset the Vols bigtime. Bruce Pearl’s lack of defense really hurt Tennessee in this game, as Texas was allowed to shoot the lights out and dominated the game because of it, despite Tennessee attempting 12 more shots. Ironically, Lofton finally found his shot in the loss, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-8 from three to score a team-high and season-high 18 points. Texas wasn’t particularly deep, as four players scored over 20 points and no other player scored more than four.
Stat of the Game: Texas’ 63.6% field goal percentage, and 50% from three

Kentucky (83) vs. Texas Southern (35): Absolute domination for 500, Alex. Not much stats-wise other than the Wildcats owned this game from the beginning. Patrick Patterson continues to make an argument for SEC Frashman of the Year honors with his 21 points and 7 rebounds, while senior joe Crawford continues to light it up with 32 points on the game on 12-of-17 shooting.
Stat of the Game: Kentucky’s 61.1% shooting vs. TSU’s 20.8%

Vanderbilt (95) vs. Bradley (86): One would expect a high-scoring outing from these two shooting teams, and that’s what was delivered. The Commodores forced a few more turnovers and shot a little better to squeak out the win on the shoulders of Shan Foster and A.J. Ogtilvy, who scored 22 and 23 points respectively, as Foster also grabbed 7 rebounds. Ogilvy will have to improve his rebounding if he expects to compete in the SEC, as he only claimed 3 rebounds against a rather small Bradley team.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s 31 free throws attempted (and they made 90.3%) versus Bradley’s 9 free throws attempted.

No SEC games on Monday…more updates to come.

Friday games, Saturday odds…

Overall: 33-6 (85%)
Vs. Spread: 14-8 (64%)

Florida (51) vs. Florida State (65): In a shocker, the Seminoles dominated the Gators physically - outrebounding them 37-22 - as Donovan’s squad relied too heavily on their touch behind the arc. The Gators shot 23 times from three, and hit only four. They were obviously also shaken, as the team shot only 50% from the charity stripe. Returning junior Walter Hodge led another well-balanced offensive attack with 11 points for the Gators and freshman Chandler Parsons scored 10. The Seminoles’ senior Jason Rich had a huge game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the game’s only double-double.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 17.4% percentage from three

Tennessee (74) vs. West Virginia (72): Despite leading the game with 19 points, All-American Chris Lofton is still missing his shots. He shot 15 times and hit only 5, and shot 30% from behind the arc. Wayne Chism shot a pretty decent 7-of-13 for 17 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. This hot-shooting team shot only 31.8% from three and got outrebounded 31-38. The Vols showed some guts, though, in being able to pull out the close victory.
Stat of the Game: West Virginia’s 19 turnovers

Vanderbilt (77) vs. Utah State (56): Five Commodores scored in double figures, surprisingly led by sophomore Jermaine Beal’s 14 points, 6 assists, and no turnovers along with Shan Foster’s 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Senior Stephen DuCharme was the only impressive Aggie, recording 20 points and 6 rebounds. AJ Ogilvy came back down to Earth a bit scoring only 10 points and claiming five rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s 59 shots attempted versus USU’s 49

Saturday Odds

Georgia @ Wisconsin
Spread: Wisconsin by 13
Pick: Wisconsin - Georgia is drastically undermanned after losing their two star players, and Wisconsin has too much talent to win by less than 13 at home to Felton’s squad.

I’m also picking Ole Miss over LA Monroe at home, Arkansas over Deleware State at home, Tennessee over Texas in the Legends Classic, Kentucky over Texas Southern at home, and Vanderbilt over Bradley in the South Padre Island Invitational.

Friday odds…

Overall: 31-5 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 13-6 (68%)

Florida vs. Florida State
Spread: Florida by 9.5
Pick: Florida - FSU should be more competitive than they are thus far, and the Gators are playing at a very high level at this point.

Tennessee @ West Virginia
Spread: Tennessee by 4.5
Pick: Tennessee - If the Vols win this one, it will be by more than 4.5. If Lofton can’t keep his stroke, this will be a difficult one. Great test for the Volunteers.

Vanderbilt vs. Utah State
Spread: Vanderbilt by 10
Pick: Vanderbilt - Look for this to be a 20+ point blowout.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Two Poll

Keep in mind, this was as of games on Monday. Click here to see how each of the now fifteen bloggers voted, including myself.

1. Memphis (NC, 6 votes)
2. UCLA (+1, 3 votes)
3. North Carolina (-1, 3 votes)
4. Kansas (NC)
5. Georgetown (NC)
6. Louisville (+1)
7. Tennessee (-1)
8. Washington State (NC)
9. Indiana (+1)
10. Duke (+1)
11. Oregon (-2)
12. Marquette (NC)
13. Texas (+1)
14. Michigan State (-1)
15. Gonzaga (NC)
16. Texas A&M (+2)
17. Butler (+5)
18. Southern Illinois (+6)
19. Kansas State (+
20. Pittsburgh (+6)
21. Davidson (-1)
22. Syracuse (+6)
23. Virginia (+7)
24. Clemson (+
25. Villanova (+6)

Others receiving votes, most to least: Arkansas, Stanford, Connecticut, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, VCU, Wisconsin, USC, Xavier, Mississippi State, N.C. State

New: (19) Kansas State, (20) Pittsburgh, (22) Syracuse, (23) Virginia, (24) Clemson, (25) Villanova
Dropped Out: (16) Stanford, (17) Arkansas, (19) Arizona, (21) VCU, (23) N.C. State, (25) Mississippi State

Kansas State shot up the charts on the shoulders of freshman Michael Beasley’s stellar performance, as did Clemson as they defeated formerly ranked Mississippi State. Stanford and Arkansas both dropped heavily due to losses to unranked opponents.

Turkey Day game…

Overall: 31-5 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 13-6 (68%)

Mississippi State (6 vs. UC Irvine (53): Although Irvine pulled within around five a few times, the Bulldogs led this one throughout. Barry Stewart impressed, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc to score 18 points and grabbed six rebounds (since when can this guy rebound?). Gordon contributed his standard of 15 points, and Rhodes recorded his season-first double-double with 11 points and rebounds each. The Bulldogs blocked five shots, although Varnado only swatted two, and shot decently well.
Stat of the Game: MSU’s 41 rebounds to UCI’s 25

Odds haven’t been released for any games tomorrow.

Wednesday games, Turkey Day odds…

Overall: 30-5 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 12-6 (67%)

LSU (84) vs. Arizona State (87): I was right about the close part, but ASU pulled out a squeaker in overtime. Star freshman Anthony Randolph rebounded from his poor performance against Oklahoma State to score 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and seven rebounds, including a last-second long-range shot to send the game to overtime. He was benched for a while, however, due to poor shot selection. Marcus Thornton notched a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. LSU’s season relies heavily on these two, and when so much depends on a freshman like Randolph, as good as he is, it’s never a good sign. The Tigers shot notably well from the charity stripe, hitting 87.5% of those shots.
Stat of the Game: LSU’s 20 turnovers

Kentucky (80) vs. Liberty (54): This game went as the Gardner-Webb game should have. The Flames were outplayed in every area, except in shots taken where they outshot 57-53. Both Joe Crawford and Patrick Patterson scored over 20 points (22 and 23 points, respectively) and Patterson also grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double in three games.
Stat of the Game: Liberty’s 33.3% field goal percentage

Thursday Odds

MSU vs. UC Irvine
Spread: Mississippi State by 11
Pick: Mississippi State - Irvine relies heavily on the play of their inside game, and Varnado should have fun swatting shots all day.

Shameless plug…

In agreement with a “working relationship” with CSTV, I refer any fans interested in watching the Vanderbilt vs. Utah State game this Friday to CSTV’s site where you can purchase the game for $9.95. Not a bad price, and the game won’t be on television otherwise.

Monday and Wednesday games…

Overall: 29-4 (88%)
Vs. Spread: 12-6 (67%)

I’m starting a new feature for each game called the “Stat of the Game”. This stat will be something that would otherwise go unnoticed and played a major role in the game’s outcome.

Monday

Alabama (83) vs. Belmont (85): No statistic jumps out and explains how Belmont beat the Tide on their home floor. Don’t get me wrong - the Bruins are a tough ball club - but SEC teams are expected to win games like this on their home floor. Belmont shot better from behind the arc, but only by a small margin (35.5% vs. 30.4%) and slightly better from the charity stripe. Hendrix was his typical dominating self, scoring 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds for his third-straight double-double in as many games, and Alonzo Gee fell one rebound short of a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Alabama’s defense cost them the game, as they allowed Belmont to shoot 48.5% from the floor.
Stat of the Game: Belmont’s 11 made three-pointers

Auburn (89) @ Charleston Southern (59): Five Tigers scored in double figures in the blowout, as their hot shooting gave the the easy win. They did, however, get outrebounded 38-34 and out-shot 65-63. Rasheem Barrett was the star of the game, scoring 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
Stat of the Game: Auburn’s 16 steals vs. CSU’s 4

LSU (77) vs. Oklahoma State (83): The stats were strangely similar as both teams shot very well, but OSU got five more off. LSU has little depth, and it is obvious in the stats as four players scored in double figures but noone else contributed more than a combined 11. Thornton’s stats have been impressive thus far, as he scored 20 on this contest at a 42.9% clip.
Stat of the Game: LSU’s 26 turnovers

No odds for tomorrow’s games, but I’m picking…LSU over Arizona State in a close one and Kentucky at home in a blowout over Liberty (once upon a time this would be a no-brainer…).

Week Two in SEC stats…

If you’re curious as to how I’ve calculated these, refer to my previous post on the subject. Week Two is slightly more accurate, but there is still an enormous amount of basketball to be played. Still more of an interesting side note than anything. Also keep in mind the strength of schedules do not play into these, they are pure stats and nothing esle. With that said, here’s the results as the first number in parenthesis is the result and the next is the change in placing from the previous week…

Offensive

1. Ole Miss (4.00, +1)
2. Florida (4.12, +6)
3. Georgia (4.38, -2)
4. South Carolina (4.62, NC)
5. Tennessee (5.38, NC)
6. Alabama (5.50, NC)
7. Vanderbilt (6.62, -3)
8. Miss. State (6.75, -2)
9. Kentucky (8.50, NC)
10. Arkansas (8.75, NC)
11. LSU (9.38, +1)
12. Auburn (9.50, -1)

Defensive

1. Arkansas (3.00, +1)
2. South Carolina (4.71, +4)
3. Miss. State (5.71, -2)
4. Tennessee (6.14, +4)
5. Florida (6.29, +4)
6. Kentucky (6.57, +1)
7. Alabama (6.71, -4)
8. Ole Miss (7.00, -4)
9. Georgia (7.14, -4)
10. LSU (7.29, +2)
11. Auburn (7.43, NC)
12. Vanderbilt (8.86, -2)

Overall

1. South Carolina (4. 37, +3)
2. Florida (4.84, +
3. Ole Miss (4.95, -2)
4. Tennessee (5.68, +1)
5. Georgia (5.74, -3)
6. Alabama (6.16, NC)
7. Miss. State (6.42, -4)
8. Arkansas (6.74, NC)
9. Auburn (7.26, +2)
10. Vanderbilt (7.53, -3)
11. Kentucky (7.74, -3)
12. LSU (8.63, NC)

Florida was the obvious gainer this week, as they gained eight spots. It should be said, however, that these stats are being fluffed from waifer-like opponents. Mississippi State was the biggest loser, falling four spots as a result to a loss to Clemson. And for the record, LSU is just plain bad.

Categories Led

Alabama: 4 (+2)
Tennessee: 3 (+2)
Arkansas: 2 (+1)
Miss. State: 2 (-2)
Ole Miss: 2 (-1)
South Carolina: 2 (+1)
Vanderbilt: 2 (+2)
Georgia: 1 (-6)
Kentucky: 1 (NC)
Auburn: 0 (NC)
Florida: 0 (-1)
LSU: 0 (NC)

For the record, this is my favorite post weekly. Call me a stats junkie.

Saturday and Sunday games, predictions, and more…

Overall: 28-4 (88%)
Vs. Spread: 11-6 (65%)

Apologies for falling behind…beena  busy weekend. Here’s some recaps to get you started.

Saturday

Florida (8 vs. Rutgers (63): Balanced scoring is becoming the norm for Donovan, as five Gators scored in double digits on the game. They were led by Speights, who hit 9-of-15 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double, while sophomore Dan Werner also recorded a double-double with 10 points and rebounds each. The Gators continue to shoot well - 50% from the field and 42.3% from behind the arc - and outrebounded the Scarlet Knights 39-23, but allowed them to shoot 44.8% overall. That lack of defense could prove detrimental in more competitive (albeit apparently not by much) SEC play.

South Carolina (75) vs. USC (85): Do-it-all players Daneil Hackett and O.J. Mayo combined for 51 points and 14 rebounds on 17-of-29 shooting. Hackett recorded a triple-double, with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The Gamecocks managed to shoot 11 more times than the Trojans and outrebounded them by four, but only managed to shoot 37.7% from the field. Both teams shot outstandingly from the charity stripe, South Carolina shot 84.2% and USC shot 85.2%.

Mississippi State (86) vs. Tennessee-Martin (70): Ohio Valley Conference lead-scorer Lester Hudson scored a game-high 27 points but was held to 9-of-22 shooting, as the Skyhawks had two players record double-doubles. The Bulldogs were led by returning all-SEC freshman Ben Hansbrough’s 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three, and Varnado continues to impress despite blocking only (yes, only considering he blocked 6 shots the previous two games each) three shots with a career-high 16 rebounds. State apparently has found their stroke, shooting 55% from the field and 45.5% from three…as they almost shot as well from the field as they did from the free throw line (62.5%).

Sunday

Arkansas (70) vs. VCU (60): VCU loses two starters from a 28-win team, and should be a tough out this season. Beverly continues to consistently put up points, despite only 13 points on this game. Four Razorbacks scored in double figures, and the team outrebounded a three-reliant 36-23. The ‘Backs did, however, only shoot 16.7% from behind the arc but managed 50% from the field. Turnovers continue to be a problem, as Beverly led the game with 5 and the team had 17.

As a side-note, I continue to experience technical problems. Because of this, I have been unable to update the website. I’m also going to down-size due to a lack of time. I won’t be predicting scores anymore, but will of course continue to pick versus the spread.

Monday Odds

LSU @ Oklahoma State
Spread: Even
Pick: Oklahoma State - Despite losing to North Texas, OSU will be playing at home and LSU has been struggling mightily.

Overall: 25-4 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 8-6 (57%)

Okay, I’ll say it…the SEC looks bad so far. Tennessee doesn’t look anywhere near championship-caliber at this point (I tried to hold out hope), the preseason favorite for SEC Player of the Year is a combined 6-of-28 thus far, Arkansas loses to Providence (no offense, Friars), Auburn to Tulane, Mississippi State to Clemson (although they’re a tough team, should have won on your home floor), KENTUCKY TO GARDNER-WEBB!?!? Where does the madness end?

In other news, I’ll be mentioning only the games that have odds released for them from now on. Saves time. And now, on with the show.

Friday Games

Auburn (63) @ Alabama State (60): ASU has regressed every season thus far under coach Jackson, from 15 wins before his tenure to 12 and then 10 last year. The Hornets return 2 starters from that 10-win team….and gave the Tigers all they wanted and then some. Junior forward Korvotney Barber led the Tigers with 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds for the game’s only double-double, followed by little-known sophomore Matt Heramb who scored 17. Auburn, usually adept at handling the ball, turned the ball over 17 times but managed to outrebound their opponent 39-25. Those turnovers killed them, however, as they were forced to shoot 11 less times than the Hornets.

Ole Miss (10 vs. Lamar (70): Two things are becoming apparent for the Rebels. (1) They can shoot, and (2) They don’t play defense. Number two you’d expect from freshmen, number one is more surprising. Six Rebels were in double figures, led by Dwayne Curtis’ 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 10 rebounds. Senior Kenny Williams also pitched in a double-double, with 14 points and 15 rebounds. The team didn’t shoot terribly well from behind the arc, but hit 56% from the field. The two stats of the game were Lamar being held to eight less shots than their opponents, and Kennedy’s Ole Miss team outrebounding Lamar 46-24.

Arkansas (51) vs. Providence (67): Patrick Beverly was one of few bright spots for the Razorbacks, despite hitting 3-of-11 shots from the field, scoring 14 points. The ‘Backs were out-shot 55-42 shots, outrebounded 31-27, blocked only four shots (again), and the most surprising stat? Arkansas turned the ball over an amazing 32 times. I’ve said from the beginning Pelphrey’s style wouldn’t fit Arkansas’ stable at the moment and would create innummerable turnovers, and that’s been the case. Point guard Gary Ervin has 10 turnovers in the last two games alone, and the team has given up the ball 70 times in only 3 games played.

Tennessee (89) vs. Prarie View A&M (75): Let me begin by saying this: Prarie View won a total of eight games last year. The Vols’ biggest challenge was defense, as the Panthers shot a blazing 47.8% from three where Tennessee hit only 4-of-21 for 19%. First-team All-American remains cold, hitting only 3-of-13 from the field including 2-of-7 from behind the arc. Transfer Tyler Smith scored a team-high 15 points but only grabbed four rebounds.

Saturday Odds

Florida vs. Rutgers
Spread: Florida by 15.5
Pick: Florida - The Gators are one team that has actually played well thus far - despite playing noone of significance, but this should be a blowout.

South Carolina vs. USC
Spread: Even
Pick: USC - This should be a very challenging game for both teams, but USC has a little more talent and depth than the Gamecocks.

Mississippi State vs. Tennessee-Martin
Spread: Mississippi State by 27
Pick: Tennessee-Martin - This will be a blowout, but the Bulldogs look far too disorganized to pick this high of a spread.

Official Multi-Blogger Week One Poll

Eleven bloggers are now taking part in this poll. To reduce confusion, I will be releasing this as soon as I get it, and not posting my own poll. If you’d like to see how each blogger voted, including myself, click here. Keep in mind the poll is calculated by averages of votes, and this vote was taken around Sunday of last week.

1. Memphis (no change, 6 votes)
2. North Carolina (+1, 2 votes)
3. UCLA (-1, 2 votes)
4. Kansas (no change)
5. Georgetown (no change)
6. Tennessee (no change, 1 vote)
7. Louisville (no change)
8. Washington State (+1)
9. Oregon (+2)
10. Indiana (+2)
11. Duke (+3)
12. Marquette (-2)
13. Michigan State (-5)
14. Texas (-1)
15. Gonzaga (+1)
16. Stanford (+2)
17. Arkansas (no change)
18. Texas A&M (+1)
19. Arizona (+1)
20. Davidson (+2)
21. VCU (+3)
22. Butler (-1)
23. N.C. State (NR)
24. Southern Illinois (NR)
25. Mississippi State (-2)

Others receiving votes in order of highest average to lowest: Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Syracuse, Kentucky, Virginia, Villanova, Clemson, Ohio State, Connecticut, USC, Xavier, Notre Dame, Gardner-Webb, UAB.

New: (23) N.C. State, (24) Southern Illinois
Dropped Out: (15) Kentucky, (25) USC

Kentucky easily dropped the most after being blown out at home by Gardner-Webb, and Michigan State dropped five spots after losing to a NAIA team at home in exhibition play. Duke and VCU claimed the “biggest gainers” category after two big wins to start off the season.

Thursday games, Friday odds…

Overall: 22-3 (88%)
Vs. Spread: 8-5 (62%)

Arkansas (75) vs. College of Charleston (49): The ever-reliable Beverly scored a game-high 16 points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc and the Razorbacks outrebounded the Cougars by an onimous 51-23 margin. CoC was also held to 28.6% from the field and 16.7% from threem but did force 25 Arkansas turnovers (Gary Ervin had a 3:4 a/to ratio) and the ‘Backs only managed 4 blocks.

Mississippi State (82) vs. Clemson (84): Well, I said this game would be a 1-3 point victory for Clemson or a 7+ point win for the Bulldogs, and I was right. The close game favored the Tigers, who’s relentless defensive pressure forced 19 State turnovers. Clemson was led by star forward James Mays’ 14-point, 11-rebound performance, while junior forward K.C. Rivers and freshman Terrence Oglesby hit every wide-open three handed to them to notch 17 points each. All-American Jamont Gordon hasn’t disappointed, scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds for his eleventh career double-double, while sophomore blocking machine Jarvis Varnado has now swatted 6 blocks in both of State’s two games, along with claiming 12 rebounds.

Odds

Arkansas vs. Providence
Spread: Arkansas by 6.5
Pick: Arkansas - Providence is a poor-man’s Arkansas in a lot of ways. A relatively physical team who forces their own tempo on the game. Providence just doesn’t have the strength or talent to make this too close of a game.

Thanks for the kind words - they are greatly appreciatedm as is your readership!

Wednesday games and Thursday odds…

Overall: 21-2 (91%)
Vs. Spread: 8-4 (67%)

Florida (105) vs. North Carolina Central (51) - Forward Chandler Parsons scored a Gator-high 22 points and fell just one rebound shy of a double-double, while Speights and Calathes both continue to impress scoring 19 and 16 respectively. The stat of the game was rebounds: Donovan’s crew had 40 versus NC Central’s 18, allowing for the Gators to attempt 25 more shots. Florida’s shooting from the floor remains hot, as they shot 56.2% on the game, although their touch behind the arc faded a bit (36.4%).

Georgia (83) vs. Grambling State (70) - Sundiata Gaines flirted with a triple-double in the win over GSU, scoring 27 points on an impressive 11-of-18 from the floor, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists (to no turnovers). Rashaad Singleton came back to Earth from his 7-block performance against Jacksonville State with only two yesterday. The Bulldogs did, however, allow Grambling State to outshoot them - 50.9% vs. 47.0% from the floor and 52.6% vs. 35.7% from behind the arc. Shooting doesn’t matter if you can attempt 13 more shots, though.

LSU (7 vs. McNeese State (74) - With as little experience as McNeese State returns, this score was mind-bloggling. Definetely not a good sign for the Tigers. Junior Marcus Thornton put in his second 20+ effort in a row (24 points) and Tasmin Mitchell rebounded from his poor performance against Southeastern Louisiana with a 16 point, 14 rebound effort versus McNeese State. Chris Johnson also swatted six shots. All of that aside, LSU - a team riddled with a lack of long-range shooters last season - looks to have the same problem, shooting a collective 3-of-18 from three good for only 16.7%. Three-balls become even more important when you allow your opponent to attempt 8 more shots than you.

Tennessee (101) vs. Arkansas-Monticello (44) - Strangely close to my prediction, the Vols were led by another scoring balanced attack seemingly bent on proving the Lofton-reliance notion wrong. Speaking of the consensus First-Team All-American, Lofton had another abysmal night scoring 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting from the floor including 1-of-5 from three. Seriously…when he is going to find his touch? As a result, Tennessee shot poorly as a team from behind the arc, 30.4%, but shot very well inside it: 60.0%.

Thursday Odds

Mississippi State vs. Clemson
Spread: Mississippi State by 4
Pick: Mississippi State - One of two things will happen with this one. Either Clemson will win by no more than three, or State will win by 7+. With that said, I’ll take the Bulldogs on their home floor.

MSU/Clemson matchup should be a dandy. More to come.

Thursday odds…

Will try to get them posted. If I don’t get a chance, I’ll be sure to get them up for Friday and Saturday games. Having some technical difficulties…

Monday and Tuesday games…

Overall: 17-2 (89%)
Vs. Spread: 8-4 (67%)

Monday

LSU (72) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (62): Marcus Thornton, a transfer from Kilgore College, lit up the Lions for 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from long range. The #12 recruit coming into this year, Anthony Randolph went for 19 points, 13 rebounds, and an impressive 6 blocks. The team’s three-point shooting could have been better (37.5%) but wasn’t abysmal, which is an improvement on last season. The narrow 10-point can be credited to the Tigers’ being outrebounded 36-26. How many SEC schools have been outrebounded by lesser competition thus far?

South Carolina (103) vs. The Citadel (42): The score really should tell it all. Six Gamecocks scored in double figures, and Devan Downey - who has impressed thus far - recorded the only double-double of the game with 11 points and 11 assists. Compare that to only two turnovers, and that’s one impressive stat. USC attempted 71 shots and made 52.1% of them, including 50% of their attempted threes. The Citadel was outmatched, as I suspected, from the beginning.

Tuesday

Vanderbilt (77) @ Toledo (70): This game went pretty much exactly as I expected. Toledo was competitive, but couldn’t match up against the SEC’s talent when it came to crunch time. Two Commodores went for 20+ points: Shan Foster with 21 along with 8 rebounds, and A.J. Ogilvy (who is constantly trying to prove me wrong) with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting but only 4 rebounds. Vandy shot an impressive 58.3% from the field, but was outrebounded by one.

Ole Miss (81) vs. South Alabama (7 : I knew this set up to be a great game. Ronnie Arrow and Andy Kennedy are both excellent floor coaches, and naturally the game came down to three points. One of only two returning Rebels, Eniel Polynice recorded 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting including a crazy-good 7-of-12 from behind the arc. The Jaguars’ returning standout Demetric Bennett also pulled down 28 points and hit 6-of-12 from three.

Alabama (90) @ Mercer (83): Mercer was competitive, but simply couldn’t pull down the rebounds against Hendrix and Jemison to finish the job. Hendrix - one of the most underrated big men in the country - notched 28 points and 14 rebounds, while taking 15 shots from the floor and hitting 11 of them. The Tide outrebounded Mercer badly, 44-28, and overcame five Mercer squad members scoring in double digits.

Auburn (74) vs. Kennesaw State (62): This game was surprisingly close. Kennesaw State’s Ronell Wooten hit 9-of-16 shots to score 23 while the Tigers brought a more balanced scoring attack: six Tigers scored in double digits, none more than twelve and none less than ten. Auburn shot well, hitting 58% of their shots.

No odds were released for Wednesday’s SEC matchups.

Tuesday odds…

Overall: 12-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-4 (56%)

Vanderbilt @ Toledo
Spread: Vanderbilt by 4
Pick: Vanderbilt - Although this should be a competitive game, Toledo should fall short of Vanderbilt’s talent-level later in the game.

Ole Miss vs. South Alabama
Spread: Ole Miss by 9.5
Pick: South Alabama - I figure this game should be very close to the given spread, but USA will be coached by Ronnie Brown and will be competitive.

Alabama @ Mercer
Spread: Off the table.

Auburn vs. Kennesaw State
Spread: Off the table.

I’m disappointed Alabama @ Mercer isn’t available…should be an interesting game.

Week One Top 25+10

This is my ballot in the Multi-Blogger Week One Top 25. Bolded teams have moved up, italicized teams have fallen…

1. Tennessee
2. UCLA
3. Memphis
4. Kansas
5. North Carolina
6. Georgetown
7. Louisville
8. Duke
9. Oregon
10. Michigan State
11. Pittsburgh
12. Marquette
13. Texas
14. N.C. State
15. Washington State
16. Mississippi State
17. Butler
18. Stanford
19. Clemson
20. Connecticut
21. Arkansas
22. Davidson
23. Southern Illinois
24. Texas A&M
25. Notre Dame
———————
26. Gonzaga
27. Oklahoma State
28. Villanova
29. Indiana
30. VCU
31. Virginia
32. Syracuse
33. Kentucky
34. Xavier
35. West Virginia

Comments are welcome.

Monday odds…

Overall: 12-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-4 (56%)

LSU vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Spread: Off the table.

South Carolina vs. The Citadel
Spread: South Carolina by 22
Pick: South Carolina - The Citadel is among the worst D-1A programs in the nation, and South Carolina has enough firepower to overcome a 22-point handicap.

Week Two predictions…

Overall: 12-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-4 (56%)

Alabama

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Alabama (71) @ Mercer (75)

I’m taking the upset here, with a now-scary-looking Mercer team at home. I’d have taken the Tide if they were at home, but Mercer’s James Florence (who scored 30 on USC) is too dynamic for any of the Bama guards to stop him. Hendrix will have a big game, but I’m suspecting it won’t be enough to stop Mercer at home.

Arkansas

Thursday, Nov. 15: Arkansas (75) vs. College of Charleston (50)

Although CoC has some hot freshman - Andrew Goudelock scored 27 points in his debut - they have very little experience and won’t compete heavily on the road with Arkansas’ shut-down defense.

Auburn

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Auburn (73) vs. Kennesaw State (56)

Auburn will get things a little better organaized and look decent in this game. Look for Quantez Robertson to approach a points/assists double-double.

Friday, Nov. 16: Auburn (65) @ Alabama State (54)

This game could get ugly. Auburn should win with relative ease, but the shooting won’t be great.

Florida

Wednesday, Nov. 14: Florida (87) vs. North Carolina Central (59)

UNC-Central will get handled from the beginning and the Gators’ shooting will continue to be red-hot.

Saturday, Nov. 17: Florida (7 vs. Rutgers (56)

Rutgers won’t look as out-matched, but will lose with ease.

Georgia

Wednesday, Nov. 14: Georgia (81) vs. Grambling State (65)

The Tigers return four starters and are an offensive-oriented team capable of competing for the SWAC crown this season. Look for GSU to compete early but fall too far back in the last half to overcome.

LSU

Monday, Nov. 12: LSU (75) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (54)

LSU will turn the ball over 20+ times, but still win easily with SELA returning very little experience.

Wednesday, Nov. 14: LSU (77) vs. McNeese State (61)

The Cowboys will actually make this a competitive game for the majority of the contest but will eventually get out-hustled by the Tigers.

Mississippi State

Thursday, Nov. 15: Miss. State (6 vs. Clemson (60)

Both the Tigers and Bulldogs rely heavily on their defense. Clemson returns an impressive amount of experience, but their consistently-poor free-throw shooting will fail them late as State pulls away.

Saturday, Nov. 17: Miss. State (80) vs. Tennessee-Martin (57)

UT-Martin will be feeding their only returning starter Gerald Robnson every given opportunity, which could mean double-figure blocking for State’s human fly-swatter Jarvis Varnado.

Ole Miss

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Ole Miss (83) vs. South Alabama (74)

Although I’ll go on record as saying Ronnie Arrow is one of the most underrated coaches in the nation, Kennedy isn’t bad himself. This overlooked battle of coaching ability should end the Rebels’ way, although I don’t see USA getting blown out.

Friday, Nov. 16: Ole Miss (87) vs. Lamar (65)

Although the rebuilding process is coming along for the Cardinals, Kennedy’s SEC talent will out-match Lamar.

South Carolina

Monday, Nov. 12: South Carolina (85) vs. The Citadel (49)

The Citadel returns two starters from a 7-win team. This one won’t be close.

Saturday, Nov. 17: South Carolina (77) vs. USC (83)

This will be one of the most exciting games to watch all week. Mayo won’t have a problem playing away from home, but the Gamecocks won’t have an answer for him defensively and it will cost them the game late.

Tennessee

Wednesday, Nov. 14: Tennessee (106) vs. Arkansas-Monticello (46)

Ouch. Lofton will regain his stroke.

Friday, Nov. 16: Tennessee (110) vs. Prairie View A&M (57)

And why is Tennessee in this tournament again?

Vanderbilt

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Vanderbilt (74) @ Toledo (62)

Toledo was competitive last year, winning 22 games, but doesn’t return enough talent or experience to defeat the Commodores. With that said, the game shouldn’t get too out of hand.

Week One in SEC stats…

Overall: 12-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-4 (56%) 

Each week I’ll be posting the offensive, defensive, and overall rankings for each SEC school. I calculate this by collecting all statistical offensive and defensive categories for each ranking and finding the team’s average. The lower the number, the higher the team ranks - and thus, the better. This week will be out of eleven teams, as LSU has yet to play. All statistics are collected here if you’re interested in individual rankings, and Sunday games will not count for the day of the post because it takes the site about a day to update. With that said, here are Week One’s results - keeping in mind most of these take into account only one game and thus will likely change dramatically.

Offensive

1. Georgia (2.50)
2. Ole Miss (3.00)
3. Vanderbilt (5.12)
4. South Carolina (5.3
5. Tennessee (5.62)
6. Miss. State (6.00)
6. Alabama (6.00)
8. Florida (6.8
9. Kentucky (7.12)
10. Arkansas (7.75)
11. Auburn (9.75)

Defensive

1. Miss. State (4.71)
2. Arkansas (4.86)
3. Alabama (5.29)
4. Ole Miss (5.57)
5. Georgia (5.71)
6. South Carolina (6.00)
7. Kentucky (6.14)
8. Tennessee (6.29)
9. Florida (6.71)
10. Vanderbilt (7.57)
11. Auburn (8.14)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (3.89)
2. Georgia (4.37)
3. Miss. State (5.26)
4. South Carolina (5.53)
5. Tennessee (5.79)
6. Alabama (6.26)
7. Vanderbilt (6.32)
8. Kentucky (6.74)
8. Arkansas (6.74)
10. Florida (6.95)
11. Auburn (9.16)

Disclaimer: Defensive and Overall numbers are artificially high - LSU was ranked #1 in some categories despite not having played a game, which lowered everyone else’s ranking. However, the rankings were lowered evenly and thus the rankings listed are correct.

Keep in mind, these numbers are from very few games and do not weight the quality of opponent - they simply calculate the statistical knowledge available of each team. Although these numbers are little more than a fun perspective of the sport as of now, they will be all-too telling later on in the season (a lot like the RPI). Interesting to notice how poorly Auburn played in the loss to Tulane, especially offensively. Tennessee isn’t impressive so far…although I suspect their numbers will improve. Georgia dominated nearly every category, which is impressive considering their significant pre-season losses.

Teams which are at least average offensively or defensively and excellent in the other are typically the most consistently competitive ones. With that said, look out for Georgia and Ole Miss - both are young and will be too inconsistent to challenge in a big way in the conference but will be able to win every game they play this season. South Carolina could be surprisingly competitive, Mississippi State should compete heavily for the SEC crown, and Alabama might not be too hard-off without Steele and Davidson.

Here are the numbers of statistical categories each team led this week, including ties…

Georgia: 7
Miss. State: 4
Ole Miss: 3
Alabama: 2
Arkansas: 1
South Carolina: 1
Kentucky: 1
Florida: 1
Tennessee: 1

On a side note, Kansas State’s top-ranked freshman pulled down an impressive double-double in his Big 12 debut, scoring 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting and a Big 12-record 24 rebounds. Good Jesus. That’s all I got to say.

In his ever-heralded debut, Ogilvy is trying to prove he’s a bit more competitive than I think he is. He shot 6-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe to notch 19 points, claimed 9 rebounds, blocked two shots but turned the ball over three times. Forunately for Ogilvy, Austin Peay is a very short team with little presence in the paint…although this was an impressive debut, I find it difficult to believe the Aussie will continue this in SEC play.

And for the record, I ask: How long will it take Lofton to find his shot? He shot 1-of-8 from the field against Temple, including 0-of-5 from long-range. Not very good for a guy who’s known to be the best pure-shooter in the nation. Although he scored 10 points, eight of them came from a perfect 8-of-8 performance from the free throw line. Tennessee, as talent-laden as they are, won’t be invincible in the SEC if Lofton has trouble with consistency.

Florida proved me wrong tonight, covering the 21.5 point spread easily in their 93-65 victory over Tennessee Tech. Florida’s balanced scoring was exceptional (remind you of the last two years, maybe?) with five players between 13 and 16 points. There were no double-doubles, although so-far-impressive freshman Nick Calathes dished out eight assists against only three turnovers. The Gators’ shooting was also excellent, as they shot 56.9% overall, notched a crazy 52.9% from three, and hit 81.8% of their free throws. The only worrysome figure was rebounding, in which they fell behind Tech 29-26.

More to come…

Sunday odds…

Overall: 11-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-3 (62%)

Florida vs. Tennessee Tech
Spread: Florida by 21.5
Pick: Tennessee Tech - All-OVC forward Amadi McKenzie will keep Tech competitive and keep this game from getting too out of hand.

My Week One vote for the blogger’s poll will be posted soon, as well as the final bloggers’ choices.

Saturday games…

Overall: 11-1 (92%)
Vs. Spread: 5-3 (62%)

Mississippi State (75) vs. Louisiana Tech (45): My pick for SEC Player of the Year, Jamont Gordon, scored 21 points on a 50% effort from the floor (7-of-14). Gordon also posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (3:2) and five rebounds. The only double-double for the Bulldogs was strangely enough shot-guard-elect Barry Stewart who scored 13 points on 5-0f-10 shooting and an impressive 11 rebounds. Varnado continued his blocking ways, swatting six shots and moving into ninth all-time at State in that category. MSU looks to continue it’s excellent defense, holding LA Tech to 27.4%. Being outrebounded 47-43 is a worrysome stat, though.

Ole Miss (97) vs. Mississippi Valley State (63): Five Rebels scored in double-figures, and freshman forward Trevor Gaskins showed his offensive skills, scoring 21 points on a 7-of-11 mark from the field. The Rebels shot impressively, 60.3% from the field and 50.0% from three. They also outrebounded the Delta Devils 39-20 and dished out 22 assists to only 12 turnovers. Very nice outing.

Vanderbilt (81) vs. Austin Peay (67): I missed the freakin’ spread by a half point. Shan Foster, Alex Gordon, and newcomer Andrew Ogilvy dominated the game scoring 21, 19, and 18 points respectively on a collective 20-of-32 effort from the field. Ogilvy also claimed nine boards, but the Commodores got outrebounded as a team 31-29. Vandy turned the ball over a scary 21 times, but hit the three-ball at a blazing 52.2% clip. Seems as if the Commodores will be a very top-heavy group.

Saturday odds…

Overall: 8-1 (89%)
Vs. Spread: 4-2 (67%)

Mississippi State vs. Louisiana Tech
Spread: Mississippi State by 19.5
Pick: Mississippi State - Tech returns one starter - who averaged 4.8ppg - from a 10-win team. The Bulldogs - the ones from LA Tech that is - are severely undersized, which plays into the hands (literally) of State. Look for State to block 10+ shots and win this game going away.

Ole Miss vs. Mississippi Valley State
Spread: Off the table.

Vanderbilt vs. Austin Peay
Spread: Vanderbilt by 13.5
Pick: Austin Peay - AP loses noone from a 21-win team, led by returning OVC-Player of the Year Drake Reed. Stallings may pull out a win, but it will have to be inside. If Ogivly isn’t ready to carry this team on his back, the Commodores could easily lose this game.

More to come…

Friday SEC games over…

Overall: 8-1 (89%)
Vs. Spread: 4-2 (67%)

Alabama (84) vs. Troy (72): I was right about “Hendrix covering the spread” as he scored over 20 points - 22 to be exact - but the Tide was a turnover machine tonight, turning the ball over 25 times compared to Troy’s 15. The Trojans also out-rebounded a typically-physical Alabama team a ridiculous 57-34. Despite shooting 50.7% from the floor while holding Troy to 32.5%, Alabama simply couldn’t hold on to the ball long enough to take enough shots. Ah, the costs of playing a guard-heavy lineup. With an arsenal from three like Gottfried has accumulated, 20% from long-range isn’t going to cut it. If the Tide can’t find some rebounding and their touch from behind the arc, they could be in for a long season.

Arkansas (67) vs. Wofford (45): Interesting that despite Pelphrey’s supposed “high-tempo” style, the Razorbacks took only 54 shots, hitting them at a 48.1% rate. The SEC’s returning Freshman of the Year Patrick Beverly led all scorers with 15 but only shot 5-of-12 from the field and 2-of-7 from long range. As a whole, Arkansas shot an abysmal 3-of-18 from behind the arc, good for only 16.7%. The impressive stat, however, was 11 - the number of blocks the team notched, led by senior center Darian Townes’s five.

Auburn (62) @ Tulane (77): Although the available stats on this game are few and far between, I was able to see both Barber and Robertson fouled out of the game, which would lend a tremendous advantage to the Green Wave. Tulane’s scoring was commendably balanced with no player scoring more than 12 points and seven with more than eight. Also noticeable was the Tiger’s horrendous effort from the free throw line…13-of-27, or 48.1%. Wow.

Florida (75) vs. North Dakota State (65): The previous commenter was correct, NDSU gave the Gators a run for their money. Both teams played well, but the Gators’ shooting touch lifted them to the ten-point advantage. Florida shot 53.4% (31-of-5 from the floor and an impressive 60% (6-of-10) from behind the arc. All-American Nick Calathes had a big debut, scoring 21 points on a 8-of-15 effort from the floor. One of few returning players, Hodge pitched in 15 of his own.

Georgia (107) vs. Jacksonville State (65): Two Bulldogs recorded double-doubles in the relatively surprising blowout of Jacksonville State. Rashaad Singleton led Georgia with an 8-of-11 performance from the floor to score 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and was only three blocks shy of a triple-double. Seven blocks against a Division 1-A opponent is impressive, folks. Jeremy Jacob also scored 13 points and notched 10 rebounds. Freshman Zac Swansey was impressive in his debut, dishing out 10 assists against only three turnovers. Although Felton’s Dawgs scored 107 points, the team only shot 25% from behind the arc. Despite that, the team hit 54.4% of their shots from the floor. Not too bad, seems as if the team is meshing together very well despite the losses of Brown and Mercer.

South Carolina (92) vs. South Carolina State (67): Devan Downey exploded for the Gamecocks, scoring 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting and dishing out 7 assists. Odom’s team shot an excellent 55.6% from three, but got out-rebounded 41-36. As long as you can outscore your opponent, no need to rebound. Also of note was a horrible 50% mark from the charity stripe and an excellent 21 assists as a team.

Tennessee (80) vs. Temple (63): Not many would call scoring 80 points on the low side, but I expected this game to be much more high-tempo than it was. First-team All-American Chris Lofton had a terrible night, shooting 1-of-8 overall and 0-5 from the arc. He did, however, his 8-of-8 free throws to score 10 points. As a whole, the Vols only managed 27.3% from three - and this is a team that can shoot it. Guess it’s not bad to perform so poorly in your area of strength and still put up 80 points. Jujuan Smith led the Volunteers with 15 points and five steals.

So there ya have it. Not a bad showing for me, if I do say so myself. Let’s see if I can keep it up…

Friday odds…

Overall: 1-1
Vs. Spread: 1-0

And finally we begin the bulk of the conference’s non-conference slate. Some relatively decent matchups, with Auburn @ Tulane the most intruiging in my mind. Can Auburn find the points? Here are my predictions on tomorrow’s games versus the spread. 

Alabama vs. Troy
Spread: Alabama by 20
Pick: Alabama - Hendrix will cover the spread on his own.

Arkansas vs. Wofford
Spread: Arkansas by 24.5
Pick: Wofford - Wofford has the players to compete with Arkansas for most of the game as long as they can keep their touch from the arc. The Razorbacks would dominate an inside-oriented game, however.

Auburn @ Tulane
Spread: Auburn by 1
Pick: Tulane - This is an enormously challenging pick, but I still believe Tulane pulls the game out. Auburn just lost too much due to suspension/injury.

Florida vs. North Dakota State
Spread: Off the table

Georgia vs. Jacksonville State
Spread: Georgia by 19.5
Pick: Jacksonville State - With Mercer or Brown, this would be a UGA pick easily. The rust should prevent the Dawgs from winning by 20+.

South Carolina vs. South Carolina State
Spread: Off the table

Tennessee vs. Temple
Spread: Tennessee by 15
Pick: Tennessee - This game will be an up-tempo style, which falls directly into the hands of the Volunteers. As long as the Vols don’t go cold, they should cover this spread with relative ease.

And now we watch.