Wirth Value: Week Eight

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (57.86, NC)
2. Ole Miss (48.60, NC)
3. Tennessee (43.24, NC)
4. Florida (40.99, NC)
5. Alabama (37.05, NC)
6. South Carolina (29.77, NC)
7. Arkansas (27.08, NC)
8. Miss. State (21.49, +1)
9. Kentucky (19.58, -1)
10. Georgia (18.35, NC)
11. Auburn (16.93, +1)
12. LSU (13.96, -1)

Defense

1. Arkansas (44.76, NC)
2. Miss. State (41.95, NC)
3. LSU (33.88, NC)
4. Florida (33.45, +1)
5. Kentucky (31.56, -1)
6. Georgia (28.07, NC)
7. Ole Miss (27.82, +3)
8. Auburn (27.09, +1)
9. South Carolina (22.80, -1)
10. Tennessee (22.59, -3)
11. Alabama (17.23, +1)
12. Vanderbilt (12.86, -1)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (121.03, NC)
2. Florida (104.33, NC)
3. Tennessee (101.43, NC)
4. Vanderbilt (96.60, NC)
5. Arkansas (94.28, NC)
6. Miss. State (81.32, NC)
7. Alabama (80.85, +1)
8. South Carolina (73.74, +1)
9. Georgia (54.22, +2)
10. LSU (53.79, -1)
11. Auburn (53.05, +1)
12. Kentucky (52.75, -2)

—We have a new last place. After losing to a 6-8 San Diego team at home, the Wildcats fall to dead last in the SEC in overall efficiency. This team could be one of the worst Kentucky squads in history. I’m curious to see how many games this team will be able to win in the conference. If their chemistry level doesn’t meet the talent level pretty soon, the answer will be not many.

—Georgia moved up a couple of slots not due to their close wins over weak opponents, but more due to poor performance by other SEC squads.

—All remained relatively stable in the top half of the conference, as teams are taking care of business. Two of note, however, were Ole Miss’ home win over a very talented Clemson squad and Mississippi State’s victory over the visiting Missouri Tigers.

—Anyone else getting the feeling that Andy Kennedy is one of the best coaches in the conference? I am. Not only that, but there’s something telling me that Ole Miss could challenge for the conference title this season. The scary part is, though, that if the team is this competitive after nearly completely revitalizing their roster, just how good will this team be in a year, two, or even three?!?

Sunday games, Monday odds…

Overall: 78-16 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 25-22 (53%)

Seems as if the Bulldogs can only play when I pick against them on the spread.

(8-5) Mississippi State [87] vs. (9-5) Missouri [75]: Playing without first-team all-SEC Charles Rhodes, the Bulldogs owned a game throughout which I believed solidly that they would lose. Seems to show that MSU’s tendency to force the ball inside to Rhodes isn’t working, and that a four-guard lineup may work best for State’s guards. Both teams chunked up a bunch of threes, and both missed a large portion of them, but rebounding and better shooting won the game for MSU. Returning all-SEC freshman Barry Stewart broke his previous career high with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 mark from the free throw line, Gordon pitched in 20, and redshirt freshman Phil Turner recorded his first-ever double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: MSU’s +10 rebound advantage

(8-3) Georgia [68] vs. (1-16) Presbyterian [58]: Yes, the Blue Hose (what the hell is that, by the way?) are that bad. With that said, this is yet another example of an SEC team allowing a far inferior team to play a game much closer than it should have been. The Bulldogs allowed Presbyterian to shoot 41.5% from the field but outrebounded them to pull off the win. Surprisingly, four Bulldogs scored in double figures but none more than 12. Humphrey scored the 12 on 4-of-11 shooting, and freshman forward Jeremy Price hit 5-of-6 shots for 10 points and seven rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Georgia’s 23 free throws attempted versus PC’s 7

Monday Odds

(5-6) Kentucky vs. (3-8, 0-2) Florida International
Spread: Kentucky by 20
Pick: Florida International – Although FIU is a horrible team, the Wildcats are struggling and this is a gigantic spread.

(12-0) Vanderbilt vs. (5-8, 1-1) Iona
Spread: Vanderbilt by 20.5
Pick: Vanderbilt – The Commodores are hot

Saturday games, Sunday odds…

Overall: 77-15 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 25-21 (54%)

 An impressive 6-1 mark against the spread tonight, missing only the Vanderbilt spread (shoulda known better than to pick with a 24.5er). I had gone 0-fer-about 7 up until that point. About time.

(12-0) #17 Vanderbilt [92] vs. (5-8) Tennessee-Martin [85]: This game was much closer than expected, mostly due to the nation’s third-ranked scorer, SkyHawk junior Lester Hudson, who brought down 36 points on 13 made field goals (yes, 13) out of 26 attempted (yes, 26). Hudson put up 42.6% of the team’s shots, along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. A.J. Ogilvy led the Commodores with 21 points and 9 rebounds, whereas Foster and Gordon combined for 31 points.
Stat of the Game: Commodores’ only 10 turnovers

(5-6) Kentucky [72] vs. (7-8) San Diego [81]: Barring a remarkable comeback in the SEC, the Wildcats are now focusing merely on making the NIT…the NCAA’s are pretty much over with yet another embarassing home loss to a far inferior team. Patterson and Bradley each scored 20 points and were both a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe, but only five other ‘Cats scored and only one of those as many as 10 points. The team simply relied too heavily on Bradley, and has no depth in their guards but are strangely guard-heavy. Chemistry is completely lacking, and it’s painfully clear. Something smells in Lexington, and I believe it’s the smell of the Kentucky basketball team melting down.
Stat of the Game: San Diego’s 9-of-16 shooting (56.2%) from behind the arc

(8-2) Auburn [79] vs. (4-7, 0-1) Towson [59]: One of those boring games with no storyline outside of sheer domination. Towson has no player score more than 13 points, and only two more than 10, and Prowell notched 25 along with 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Robertson had an enormous game, dishing out 11 assists without a single turnover. Barrett, who has failed to score in double figures only once this season, recorded 19 points but only on 9-of-21 shooting.
Stat of the Game: Auburn’s 20 assists to Towson’s 9

(7-5) LSU [65] vs. (8-4) Washington [73]: I correctly picked the upset, as a lack of balance plagued the Tigers throughout this game. Despite four LSU players scored in double figures, only one other even managed to get his name on the scoreboard – freshman Garett Green with 4. Junior center Chris Johnson rebounded (literally and figuratively) from two poor outings to score 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 9 rebounds. Anthony Randolph’s poor performance seriously hurt the Tigers, as he shot only 2-of-11, though he did claim 9 boards.
Stat of the Game: Four LSU players scoring 94% of the Tiger’s points

(12-1) #13 Tennessee [82] @ (9-4) #20 Gonzaga [72]: Great win for the Volunteers, despite another mediocre/poor performance from preseason National Player of the Year contender Chris Lofton. Lofton shot only 4-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-12 from behind the arc. Impressively, six Tennessee players scored in double figures, led by Jujuan Smith’s 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Tyler Smith recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and rebounds apiece.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 67 shots attempted versus Gonzaga’s 56

(10-3) Alabama [93] vs. (4-6) George Washington [57]: Another dominating performance for the SEC today, as once again Gee and Hendrix led the Tide to the win. Hendrix recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds, including 8-of-13 shooting from the charity stripe…but Gee was the most impressive tonight. Gee scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 3-of-4 from behind the arc and brought down 13 boards, leading the game in both categories. Torrance had one of his best games, giving 10 assists to only 1 turnover.
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s +18 rebound advantage

(12-2) Florida [86] vs. (6-6) Temple [69]: Owl junior guard Dionte Christmas is the only thing keeping this from a 30+ point blowout, as he scored 32 on 11-of-17 shooting. The Gators’ scoring was once again balanced and deep, as five Florida players scored in double digits. Speights posted 20 on 7-of-10 shooting, and Calathes shot relatively poorly (5-of-13) but grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 8 assists with a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 31-of-51 shooting (60.8%)

(10-3) Arkansas [85] vs. (6-7) Louisiana-Monroe [60]: Three Razorbacks scored 17 in this blowout, as Arkansas outdid everything in the win except for one surprising stat…they were outrebounded by LA-Monroe 33-30. The impressive trio of Beverly/Weems/Townes combined for 51 points on a combined 22-of-32 shooting. Townes also grabbed eight rebounds, and Thomas hit a perfect 8-of-8 free throws.
Stat of the Game: LAMU’s miserable 6:24 (1:4) assist-to-turnover ratio

Sunday Games

(7-5) #159 Mississippi State vs. (9-4) #97 Missouri
Spread: MSU by 2.5
Pick: Missouri – I’m going with the Tigers in the win, as they only lost to a talented Michigan State team on the road by three.

Also picking: Georgia over Presbyterian at home (not such a tough pick on this one)

Friday games, Saturday odds…

Overall: 70-14 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 19-20 (49%)

(7-5) South Carolina [67] vs. 4-8 UC-Irvine [65]: The Anteaters of UC-Irvine, who earlier in the season fell at a 6-8 San Diego team by three, lost only by two to the Gamecocks of the SEC. USC couldn’t handle senior big-men Sanders and Fells, who each scored 20 points on a combined 16-of-28 shooting performance. Downey had a tough outing despite his 17 points, shooting only 5-of-14 from the floor and turning the ball over 5 times, but sophomore forward Dominic Archie came through in the clutch with 18 points and seven rebounds but most importantly: 7-of-9 shooting from the charity stripe. Again the better free-throw shooting team won the close game, as USC shot 82.4% and UCI shot only 62.5%.
Stat of the Game: USC’s two lowest-percentage shooters (Downey @ 36% and Fredrick @ 44%) attempting the most shots (14 and 9, respectively)

12-0 Ole Miss [78] vs. 8-4 Southern Miss [58]: This was simply a case of a team turning it on when it had to. This game was competitive throughout, as the Rebels only led at halftime by six, and Kennedy whipped his boys into shape late into the second half and Ole Miss scorched by the Golden Eagles. This was an impressive win, and soldifies the Rebels as a major player in the SEC West. Four Rebels scored in double figures, led by Warren and Polynice, who scored 17 and 16 points apiece.
Stat of the Game: Ole Miss’ 45.0% shooting from behind the arc

Saturday Games

(11-0) #17 Vanderbilt vs. 5-7 Tennessee-Martin
Spread: Vanderbilt by 24.5
Pick: Vanderbilt – This is a tough pick because of the enormous spread, but the Commodores could cover it if they play to their potential.

(5-5) Kentucky vs. 6-8 San Diego
Spread: Kentucky by 12
Pick: San Diego – Although the Wildcats should win this game, the Toreros have only lost one game by more than eleven, including a 10-point loss at USC.

(7-2) Auburn vs. (4-6, 0-1) Towson
Spread: Auburn by 12.5
Pick: Auburn – Townson is a really, really bad team.

(7-4) LSU vs. (7-4) Washington
Spread: LSU by 4.5
Pick: Washington – I’m picking the Huskies in the upset with the win…LSU simply doesn’t have the chemistry to pull off a solid win.

(11-1) #13 Tennessee @ (9-3) #20 Gonzaga
Spread: Even
Pick: Tennessee – The Vols have been very competitive outside their embarassment to Texas.

(9-3) Alabama vs. (4-5) George Washington
Spread: Alabama by 9.5
Pick: Alabama – GWU lost 59-71 at Binghamton

(11-2) Florida vs. (6-5) Temple
Spread: Florida by 7
Pick: Florida – Temple’s best win is 7-5 Drexel

Also picking: (9-3) Arkansas over (6-6) LA-Monroe at home.

Friday odds…

Overall: 68-14 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 19-19 (50%)

Don’t believe we ever received a final ballot for Week Seven in the Multi-Blogger Poll…Gabby has been gone for Christmas.

6-5 South Carolina vs. 4-7 UC-Irvine
Spread: USC by 10.5
Pick: South Carolina – Irvine has lost by an avergae margin of 13.7 points on the road to Utah, Sam Houston State, and Texas A&M.

Also picking: 11-0 Ole Miss over 8-4 Southern Miss at home.

Sunday games…

Overall: 68-14 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 19-19 (50%)

9-3 Alabama (83) vs. 7-4 Iowa State (68): Wesley Johnson, and his 20 points, simply wasn’t enough to compete with the Tide. No other Cyclone scored in double figures, while four Tide players did so, including three with 18 or more. Alonzo Gee grabbed his second double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Richard Hendrix shot 8-of-13 for 18 points and 7 rebounds. Riley and Pickett combined for 31 points, and Alabama outrebounded their opponents 31-24. The team also shared the ball amazingly well, dishing out 31 assists.
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s 11-of-17 (64.7%) shooting from behind the arc

Wirth Value: Week Seven

This is the second edition of my personal ranking system taking into account both statistics and the kenpom.com RPI rankings. This provides a very detailed, accurate description of each team’s performance in real-time situations.

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (57.89, +1)
2. Ole Miss (51.42, -1)
3. Tennessee (42.75, +1)
4. Florida (40.27, -1)
5. Alabama (34.20, +3)
6. South Carolina (29.35, NC)
7. Arkansas (24.44, +2)
8. Kentucky (22.68, +2)
9. Miss. State (21.07, +3)
10. Georgia (18.43, -5)
11. LSU (17.41, -4)
12. Auburn (15.08, -1)

Defense

1. Arkansas (42.52, NC)
2. Miss. State (40.23, +3)
3. LSU (37.49, +4)
4. Kentucky (37.41, +2)
5. Florida (34.97, -1)
6. Georgia (27.05, -4)
7. Tennessee (24.27, +2)
8. South Carolina (23.70, -1)
9. Auburn (22.49, +2)
10. Ole Miss (21.62, -2)
11. Vanderbilt (17.15, +1)
12. Alabama (16.18, -2)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (115.97, NC)
2. Florida (103.99, NC) 
3. Tennessee (103.51, NC)
4. Vanderbilt (102.91, +1)
5. Arkansas (89.57, -1)
6. Miss.State (79.82, +5)
7. South Carolina (76.08, NC)
8. Alabama (69.81, +1)
9. LSU (64.05, -1)
10. Kentucky (62.46, NC)
11. Georgia (53.75, -5)
12. Auburn (44.48, NC)

—Mississippi State improved their stock by a dramatic five places after playing two road games at lesser opponents, as the team shot well over 50% in the two games and seems to be finding their offense.

—Georgia fell as much as MSU rose by losing two out of three, with losses to ETSU and Tulane, and then an ugly road win at Hawaii.

—Ole Miss continues to dominate the statistic categories with their undefeated record and increasing RPI with wins over Clemson, DePaul, Winthrop, and South Alabama.

—Kentucky’s lack of execution and poor efficiency is increasingly apparent.

—Vanderbilt’s potent offense won’t always be able to complement fully their lacking defense. The lack of a strong defense could bite them in SEC play.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday games…

Overall: 68-14 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 19-19 (50%)

Okay, so I’ve been raped by the spread here lately. Also, apologies for lagging behind – the Christmas holidays have brought a friend’s wedding, a trip to Los Angeles, and a ton of shopping. After the holdays pass, things will return to normal.

Thursday Games

10-0 Ole Miss (69) vs. 2-6 DePaul (63): The Rebels remain undefeated with a narrow victory over the Demons, carried by Dwayne Curtis’ 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting along with seven rebounds and 7-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe. Kenny Williams grabbed his third double-double of the season with his 10 points and impressive 16 rebounds. Overall, the Rebels just barely shot with more accuracy to pull the game out at home, along with a great 82.4% mark from the free throw line as a team.
Stat of the Game: The Rebels’ 70 shots attempted versus DePaul’s 57

6-2 Georgia (58) vs. 5-5 East Tennessee State (76): And the Bulldogs’ lack of a solid, reliable inside game has finally caught up to them. No player scored more than 10 points, with the lone Bulldog scoring in double figures being freshman Jeremy Price, despite shooting just 3-of-7 from the field. Conversely, three Buccaneers scored at least 14. Of note, Georgia put up 28 threes and hit only 8 of them, good for only 28.6%. And that – my friends – is why Dennis Felton will lose his job this season. When you’re not hitting threes…don’t shoot them.
Stat of the Game: Georgia’s Center Dave Bliss shooting 100% but only taking 3 shots

Friday Games

10-0 Ole Miss (84) vs. 4-5 La Salle (77): This game was won purely and solely by coaching. The teams were competitive in nearly every way, but the Rebels simply executed better down the stretch. Proving their depth and balance, Ole Miss ‘ two most outstanding players differed than the day before, as Polynice put up 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting and freshman Chris Warren scored in double digits for the eleventh time in eleven games with 19 points. Curtis and Huertas each scored 14.
Stat of the Game: Rebels’ putting up 12 more shots than the Explorers

7-5 Mississippi State (95) @ 2-7 Texas A&M Corpus Christi (70): The Bulldogs are seemingly finding their touch that they were expected to have before their 5-5 start, shooting a combined 54.5% in the last two games. Charles Rhodes fell one point shy of his career tie by scoring 26 points and registered his second-straight double-double (and fourth of the season) with 10 rebounds. Sophomore Barry Stewart regained his touch, shooting 6-of-8 from the field for 19 points. Freshman Phil Turner also shot well, shooting 4-of-5 and 3-of-3 from behind the arc for 13 points.
Stat of the Game: Mississippi State’s +16 rebound advantage

6-3 Georgia (69) vs. 7-4 Tulane (70): In an incredibly low-scoring event, the Bulldogs’ rebounding fell a point shy to the Green Wave’s impressive shooting. Despite being offered 13 more free throws, Georgia couldn’t take the advantage to the bank in the closing moments. Jeremy Price was by far the most outstanding Bulldog of the outing, scoring 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting and six rebounds, while Billy Humphrey managed 14 as the Georgia guards continue to struggle.
Stat of the Game: Tulane’s 56.2% field goal percentage

Saturday Games

8-3 Alabama (81) vs. 7-4 Missouri State (73): Richard Hendrix absolutely dominated the Bears single-handedly in this game between two decent teams, as Hendrix scored a a season-high 30 points on 13-of-15 shooting along with nine rebounds. Gee, Hendrix’s co-team leader, recorded 18 on 6-of-11 shooting, and Riley/Torrance combined for 23 points. Conversely, no Bear scored more than 13 points. That speaks to both the top-heavyness of Alabama and the balance of Missouri State.
Stat of the Game: Hendrix/Gee/Riley combined for 34 attempts, remainder of team combining for 18

9-3 Arkansas (67) vs. 5-5 Appalachian State (74): More embarassment for the SEC. The Razorbacks’ talent level, and four players scoring more than 10 points, wasn’t enough to overcome a previously 4-5 Appy State team. The Mountaineers shot an absolutely blazing 66.6% from the field despite attempting 18 less shots, and most surprisingly heavily outrebounded the ‘Backs. Charles Thomas led the Razorbacks with 15 points off of 6-of-10 shooting, but no other Razorback would shoot better than 40% from the field.
Stat of the Game: ASU’s 31-22 rebound advantage

7-2 Auburn (67) vs. Alabama A&M 3-6 (56): Believe it or not, this game was surprisingly close for Auburn fans, considering the A&M Bulldogs have yet to defeat a Division 1-A team. A&M shot terribly, but managed to attempt 12 more shots (a sign of Lebo’s extremely poor coaching) and outrebounded the Tigers by two. Barber carried the team, scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and Barrett managed 12. A very bad sign would be Quantez Robertson, Auburn’s undersized point guard, leading the team with 9 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: AAM’s 8:15 assist-to-turnover ratio

7-3 Georgia (67) vs. 3-7 Hawaii (59): The Georgia guards are trying to turn it around, as Sundiata Gaines led the Bulldogs with 15 points. Price and Swansey each scored 12, and Woodbury notched 11. The teams were surprisingly evenly-matched throughout the game, but Felton finally managed to get the big men to rebound and the guards to score. Of note, Georgia posted a miserable 7:20 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Stat of the Game: UGA’s 45.1% field goal percentage

5-5 Kentucky (69) vs. 4-8 Tennessee Tech (47): The Wildcats broke a four-game losing streak and improved to .500 by soundly defeating the Golden Eagles with hot shooting and dominating the rebounding column. Patrick Patterson scored in double figures for the eighth-straight game, leading the ‘Cats with 24 points and 15 rebounds (yes, this kid is a freshman) on 11-of-14 shooting. Ramel Bradley did what he does best – shoot free throws – hitting 7-of-8 from the stripe. Only one Golden Eagle scored as many as 12 points.
Stat of the Game: Kentucky’s 53.1% field goal shooting against TTSU’s 26.4%

7-4 LSU (67) vs. 6-5 Oregon State (61): The Beavers physically dominated the Tigers, but couldn’t follow up in free throws, hitting only 50% of them, but outrebounding them by 10. Guess who led the Tigers in scoring? Thornton. Despite shooting only 6-of-17 from the field, Thornton brought down 20 points. Anthony Randolph, the impressive freshman, fell just a rebound shy of a double-double with 14 points.
Stat of the Game: LSU’s 77.3% from free throw percentage vs. OSU’s 50%

11-0 Ole Miss (85) vs. 10-1 Clemson (82): The Rebels sure are playing well. The Tigers of Clemson went into the game undefeated, and Ole Miss won by three to remain undefeated. Good free throw shooting is a trademark of teams that close out games, and the Rebels shot an impressive 81.8% from the charity stripe versus Clemson’s 68.4%. Both Curtis and Warren chipped in 19 points – Warren shooting significantly better – and both Polynice and Huertas scored 14 points. The Rebels managed to overcome Clemson’s impressive 42.9% shooting from behind the arc, as well.
Stat of the Game: Polynice and Curtis combining for 17 rebounds

11-2 Florida (49) @ 8-3 Ohio State (62): The Gators finally met a team that could shut them down, and the Buckeyes did so in great fashion. The Gators were held to only 33.3% shooting, including 17.4% from behind the arc, were outrebounded, and were held to an assist-to-turnover ratio of less than 1. Calathes was obviously targetted, as he shot 1-of-9, and the team as a whole shot only 53.8% from the charity stripe.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 4-of-23 mark from behind the arc

6-5 South Carolina (85) vs. 4-6 Charleston (82): Another game that shouldn’t have been as close as it was. Both teams played an almost identical game, shooting the exact same percentage from the field and nearly the same amount of rebounds. Per the usual, the close game came down to free throw shooting, as USC shot 85.7% and UC shot 55.6%. Five USC players scored in double figures, with Frederick shooting 8-of-15 for 21 points to lead the Gamecocks. Downey scored 18 on 7-of-17 shooting and and 7 assists to only 2 turnovers.
Stat of the Game: USC’s 30% free throw shooting advantage

11-0 Vanderbilt (83) vs. 3-7 Tennessee State (74): The Commodores dominated this game except for their 21 turnovers compared to only 14 assists, which provided the Tigers with 10 more chances at the goal. Shan Foster again led Vanderbilt shooting 7-of-10 from the field and led the team with 12 rebounds, along with 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Foster would probably be my pick for the SEC Player of the Year.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s +12 rebound advantage

11-1 Tennessee (82) @ 8-3 Xavier (75): This was the Volunteers’ most quality win of the year thus far, and they did so by forcing turnovers and stepping into passing lanes without regard to rebounding. An interesting concept, to say the least. Lofton’s first-team All-SEC hopes are pretty much gone at this point, much less all-America or National Player of the Year, as he again shot poorly…this time 3-of-12 and 1-of-5 from behind the arc…for only nine points. The newly-available J.P. Prince had his breakout game of the year, scoring 11 more points than any other team member (23) on 9-of-14 shooting. The Vols were, however, outrebounded 37-25.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 63 shot attempts vs. Xavier’s 50

Wednesday games, Thursday odds…

Overall: 68-14 (83%)
Vs. Spread: 19-17 (53%)

Thursday Games

South Carolina (84) vs. Baylor (92): Well…I lost every spread today. This one was the least embarassing, though, as Baylor has been rockin’ so far this season. Two Bears scored more than 20 points, while no Gamecocks managed to do the same. Raley-Ross and Downey each has 18 points on a collective 12-of-25 shooting performance and Downey approached his second double-double of the season with nine assists – but also five turnovers. This game was simply a case of hot shooting by Baylor.
Stat of the Game: Baylor’s 11-of-21 mark (52.4%) from behind the arc

LSU (49) @ Wichita State (69): This was easily the Tigers’ worst loss so far this season. The Shockers’ best victory thus far was Illinois-Chicago with a loss to a terrible Monmouth team mixed in, and Miles dropped the game by twenty. Absolutely no Tigers could find their stroke from the field today, as the best scorer was Thornton with 12 points despite a 3-of-13 mark from the floor, although he did lead the game with 11 rebounds. If the Shockers wouldn’t have hit only 2-of-19 (10.5%) of their three-pointers, this could have been a 30+ point blowout.
Stat of the Game: WSU’s 44-28 rebound advantage

Mississippi State (85) @ Loyola Marymount (54): Of course the Bulldogs wipe the floor with a team after I finally decide to stop picking with them against the spread. Gordon could easily have topped 30-35 points on the game had the backups not seen so much playing time, though he still managed to come within 2 points of his career high of 27 points. Gordon rebounded from a 1-of-14 performance against South Alabama by hitting 9-of-14 from the floor on the night, including a career-best 5-of-7 from behind the arc. Rhodes notched his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Varnado fell just one block shy of the all-time MSU single-game blocked shot record he set just two games ago with 9.
Stat of the Game: Hansbrough/Gordon with a combined 14:5 assist-turnover ratio

Florida (89) vs. Charleston Southern (64): Calathes again led the Gators with 18 points and also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds (keeping in mind this is a freshman), and three other squad members scored 12 points or more. Walter Hodge had an especially impressive gave, dishing out 6 assists and not turning the ball over, along with five steals. That’s a solid roleplayer. I’ll go ahead and say this…this team is going to win another national championship with these players.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s +14 turnover margin

Tennessee (86) vs. UNC-Asheville (73): In my opinion, Tennessee can now officially be ruled out as a national title contender. Why, you ask? The team is loaded with talent, yes, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Bruce Pearl simply can’t coach defense. UNC-Asheville is a decent squad but the Bulldogs managed to score 73 points on the Volunteers, as the Vols rank eighth in the conference in scoring defense. Defense wins championships – ever heard it? It’s true. Lofton tried, and almost failed, to carry the team on his back by shooting 17 times – and only hitting 7 of those – and only 4-of-12 from behind the arc. He did, however, shoot a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe to tie his season high with 24 points.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 29 three-pointers attempted

Auburn (68) vs. Mercer (59): The Tigers’ slight rebound and turnover margins afforded them this victory, as the Tigers managed to attempt 11 more shots than the Bears. Barrett put up an obscene 21 attempts and only hit 8 of them, but still managed 17 points. Robertson actually recorded a negative assist-to-turnover ratio at 1:3, but recorded eight rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Mercer’s 8:19 assist-to-turnover ratio

Alabama (75) vs. Texas Pan-America (65): Four Tide squad members scored in double digits and the Broncs were outrebounded 34-21 and Alabama still only managed a 10-point victory over TPAU. Alabama certainly could have helped their cause by shooting better than 58.3% from free throw. And…surprise! Hendrix proved to be the most reliable Tide member, scoring a game-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbing 8 rebounds and gee attempted an identical 12 shots. That’s about how it should be at this point.
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s +13 rebound margin

Arkansas (90) vs. Northwestern State (59): This was about the blowout it should have been. This was another one of those typical dominated-in-every-way type games, as the Razorbacks shot better, took more shots, and outrebounded the Demons. Sonny Weems had the biggest game of his season with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting as Townes recorded 17 and Beverly scored 16.
Stat of the Game: NWSU’s 11:23 assist-to-turnover ratio

Thursday Odds

Ole Miss vs. DePaul
Spread: Ole Miss by 8
Pick: Ole Miss – DePaul is 2-5 despite a close outing against Vanderbilt, and the Rebels should win by 10+.

Georgia vs. East Tennessee State
Spread: Georgia by 9
Pick: Georgia – ETSU is playing talented teams closely, but the Dawgs are also hot right now.

Monday and Tuesday games, Wednesday odds…

Overall: 62-12 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 19-14 (54%)

Monday Games 

Alabama (80) vs. Wofford (73): Alonzo Gee could very well have won the game for the Tide in this very close matchup against a team who recently lost to Elon. Yes, Elon. Gee scored 20+ points for the second game in a row with his 21 on 6-of-17 shooting and also grabbed nine rebounds. The ulta-reliable Hendrix pulled down 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Free throw shooting almost cost Alabama the game, as they shot 50% (12-of-24) while the Terriers shot 90.5% (19-of-21).
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s guards taking 71% of their attempts from the floor

Tuesday Games

Kentucky (69) @ Houston (83): This was a game of a complete imbalance for Kentucky, as the newly-returned sophomore Jodie Meeks and Joe Crawford combined for 49 of the Wildcats’ 69 points (71%) and 32 of their 50 shots attempted (64%). No other member of the squad could manage more than six points. Transversely, six of the Cougars scored eight or more points. Meeks had a good game, scoring 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and five rebounds, while Crawford shot 9-of-18 overall and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe to score 28. Kentucky and Mississippi State – two traditionally successful SEC teams – are slamming the panic button as State is now 5-5 on the season and the Wildcats are an obscene 4-5 with four-straight losses.

Wednesday Odds

South Carolina vs. Baylor
Spread: South Carolina by 3
Pick: South Carolina – Baylor is surprisingly competitive this season, but when I’m unsure my theory is to take the home team.

LSU @ Wichita State
Spread: LSU by 1
Pick: LSU – Wichita State has been pretty embarassingly weak this season, including a 50-59 home loss to a ridiculously bad Monmouth team.

Mississippi State @ Loyola Marymount
Spread: MSU by 16.5
Pick: Loyola Marymount – I’ve finally learned my lesson. State hasn’t been blowing anyone out this season, and this is a gigantic spread for an away victory, regardless of how bad of a team LMU is this season. With that said, the Dawgs should still be able to come away with a victory.

Also picking: Florida over Charleston Southern at home, Tennessee over UNC-Asheville at home, Auburn over Mercer at home, Alabama over Texas Pan-America at home, and Arkansas over Northwestern State at home.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Six Poll

Here is a breakdown of people’s votes.

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

Others Receiving Votes – most to least: Villanova, Dayton, USC, Ole Miss, Stanford, Wisconsin, St. Mary’s, Massachutsets, Florida, Louisville, Arizona State, Providence

New: (21) Rhode Island, (23) West Virginia
Dropped Out: (20) Louisville, (23) St. Mary’s

The biggest losers of this week have a good deal in common – both are 8-2 on the season, with both losses to unranked teams, and their last game being one of those losses. In addition, each team has defeated one ranked team. Miami (FL) raised their stock by four after defeating a thus-unimpressive Mississippi State team, and Arizona increased by five after putting away Illinois by six.

First edition of the Wirth Value…

After much concentration and focus, I’ve constructed the first edition of the Wirth Value. The values are in a traditional bigger-numbers-are-better format, and take into account weighted rankings in each statistical category, depending on their assumed relevancy, and each team’s RPI – per kenpom.com.

These rankings provide a very accurate picture of how each team is actually performing on the court against quality opponents, and will become more and more accurate as the season progresses. The Wirth Value takes into account both statistical performance in important categories as well as who you’ve forumlated those stats against.

And without further ado…

Offense

1. Ole Miss (55.19)
2. Vanderbilt (49.90)
3. Florida (41.04)
4. Tennessee (39.62)
5. Georgia (29.12)
6. South Carolina (27.59)
7. LSU (26.91)
8. Alabama (26.75)
9. Arkansas (26.74)
10. Kentucky (19.83)
11. Auburn (18.32)
12. Miss. State (11.89)

Defense

1. Arkansas (47.73)
2. Georgia (39.55)
3. LSU (35.30)
4. Florida (34.43)
5. Miss. State (33.68)
6. Kentucky (33.54)
7. South Carolina (27.45)
8. Ole Miss (25.64)
9. Tennessee (22.92)
10. Alabama (20.40)
11. Auburn (16.42)
12. Vanderbilt (15.41)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (122.73)
2. Florida (105.63)
3. Tennessee (97.46)
4. Arkansas (91.57)
5. Vanderbilt (89.59)
6. Georgia (86.71)
7. South Carolina (75.83)
8. LSU (73.48)
9. Alabama (67.97)
10. Kentucky (60.96)
11. Miss. State (54.34)
12. Auburn (42.76)

So, there you have it. Some interesting relevations…

—The efficiency of the Rebels is outstanding. Kennedy’s pure coaching talent may be unrivaled in the SEC – sure seems like in a few years Ole Miss could become a powerhouse in the conference. The West may not be out of their reach.

—Mississippi State’s offense is miserable. While they’re attempting to shift from a four-guard lineup to playing with two true big men, it’s simply not working. Granted the team’s playing pretty solid opponents (possibly the toughest OOC outside of Kentucky thus far), there’s simply no excuse for the team’s offense to be this poor considering the amount of talent on the roster.

—With Auburn as experienced as they are, their performance as a whole is pathetic. Lebo simply is a terrible coach and if I were a Tiger fan, I’d want him gone ASAP.

—The Razorbacks’ defense is suffocating. Interesting that most expected Pelphrey to come into the program and turn around the offense to a high-scoring, high-tempo machine – instead he’s tightened the defense into a pressure, slow-tempo system.

—Kentucky simply isn’t going to the NCAA’s without something major changing, and quickly.

Leave some notes, let me know what ya think of the new ranking system.

Saturday games…

Overall: 62-12 (84%)
Vs. Spread: 19-14 (54%)

Kentucky (76) vs. UAB (79): As the SEC slides further into disappointment, the Wildcats drop another home game to a far lesser opponent – this time, it’s UAB. Kentucky simply doesn’t have an inside game, and the guards aren’t able to keep up. Bradley had his second 20+ point game of the season, hitting 8-of-16 shots for 23 points and six rebounds. Patterson scored 18 and grabbed seven rebounds, shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Stevenson did not, however, get enough touches as he shot 2-of-3. The four-guard lineup just isn’t working for the Wildcats.
Stat of the Game: Kentucky’s -9 turnover margin

Florida (52) vs. Georgia Southern (49): Sophomore Dan Werner had his breakout game of the season, scoring 20 points and claiming 14 rebounds, as Nick Calathes got 14 touches but only made two to finally cool down a little after carrying the Gators on his shoulders the entire season. He did, however, hit all eleven free throws he attempted, but turned the ball over five times. The Gators also shot very poorly for once, and it almost cost them the game. Bad free throw shooting loses close games, and that very well could have lost the game for GSU.
Stat of the Game: Georgia Southern’s 38.5% free throw percentage

Arkansas (72) @ Oklahoma (83): The Razorbacks’ outstanding defense finally showed weakness, allowing the Sooners to show 50% from the field and 44% from three. Michael Washington led the ‘Backs with 16 points and recorded a game-high 12 rebounds, but five Sooners scored 11 points or more and Arkansas simply couldn’t keep up.
Stat of the Game: OU’s 80% free throw percentage versus UA’s 52.9%

Mississippi State (67) @ South Alabama (71): You can now officially begin calling the Bullies the most disappointing SEC team of the season thus far, after they fall to the Jaguars 5-5. This game was eerily similar to their last one – in both games MSU carried a small lead into halftime, led by around 5-10 throughout the second half, and eventually lost as a result of a late run spawned by one opposing team’s player. This time it was Demetric Bennett, who scored 39 points on the game – 11 of those in the final six minutes – and had 25 by halftime. Varnado continues to lead the SEC in blocks per game, swatting six on this contest, and grabbed 10 rebounds while Gordon continues to make poor judgements, shooting only 1-of-14 because of bad shot selection.
Stat of the Game: USA’s 58.8% (10-of-17) from behind the arc

#13 Tennessee (88) vs. Western Kentucky (82): Chris Lofton has officially lost his hold on favorite for SEC Player of the Year, as he continues to struggle to find his shot – shooting 4-of-14 – but managing 14 points. Jujuan Smith led the Vols in the win, scoring 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting and Brian Williams stepped up for Duke Crews in major style scoring his first double-double of the season with a commanding 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 21 assists

Auburn (71) @ Southern (63): This is no way, shape, or form should have been nearly as close as it was, as Southern is 1-7 with a loss to a Division II program. Rasheem Barrett had the game’s only double-double, and the first of his career, with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Robertson continues his excellent passing with 9 assists and no turnovers, and Dewayne Reed continues to struggle holding onto the ball with six turnovers.
Stat of the Game: Auburn’s +11 rebounding margin

LSU (82) vs. Northwestern State (58): The Tigers surged in a major way late in the second half to blow this game open, but the Demons managed to keep the game respectable for the most part. Thornton seems to be challenging for breakout player of the year in the SEC, as he again led the Tigers in scoring with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Anthony Randolph helps co-lead the team, despite struggling with his stroke, with eight rebounds.
Stat of the Game: LSU’s 30 free throws attempted versus NSU’s 7

Saturday odds…

Overall: 58-9 (87%)
Vs. Spread: 16-12 (57%)

Kentucky vs. UAB
Spread: Kentucky by 10.5
Pick: UAB – This was a tough choice, but Kentucky is playing sloppy ball at the moment and the Blazers managed to hold Florida State to within 8. The Wildcats should still win the game.

Florida vs. Georgia Southern
Spread: Florida by 12
Pick: Florida – This was another tough one, but the Gators are wildly efficient under Donovan. Don’t be surprised if GSU makes this a game, however.

Arkansas @ Oklahoma
Spread: Oklahoma by 2
Pick: Arkansas – I’m taking the Razorbacks in the win. Although the Sooners are vastly improved over last season, the ‘Backs are playing too well on defense to lose this game.

Mississippi State @ South Alabama
Spread: Miss. State by 1
Pick: Mississippi State – Am I doing this again? If the Bulldogs lose this one, their NCAA hopes could be put to rest very early on.

Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky
Spread: Tennessee by 10.5
Pick: Western Kentucky – This should be a very competitive game. The Hilltoppers are one of the most overlooked programs in the nation.

Also picking: Auburn over Southern on the road and LSU over Northwestern State at home

Be excited…

I’ve finally created a system of ranking the conference’s teams by their efficiency. These numbers and rankings are done strictly by mathematical formula based upon performance in statistical categories – weighted appropriately – while factoring in the RPI as well (per Kenpom).

It’s easier to conduct that what I was doing before, and projects a much more accurate outlook of each team’s performance in relation to their opponents.

But…

As usual, I will be releasing this on Sunday (tomorrow), and thus only factoring in previous Sundays into the equation. Until then, you must sit and wait.

More bad news for Crews…

Duke Crews, Tennessee sophomore forward who is coming off a recent suspension, found out by doctors that he has a heart condition that will sideline him indefnitely.

This kind of thing is a miracle and such an amazing feat to see. With players and coaches dying because of heart problems – some right on the game-floor – it’s great to see this being caught before something like that happens.

Crews is playing a relatively important role on the team so far, averaging 19.4 minutes per game, 8.0 points and 5.0 rebounds. Look for Tatum, Childress, or Williams to step up in his place – but this certainly hurts the Vols’ depth.

Thursday games…

Overall: 58-9 (87%)
Vs. Spread: 16-12 (57%)

Mississippi State (58) vs. #22 Miami-FL (64): When will I learn not to pick State against the spread? The Bulldogs had this one won until Miami junior Jack McClinton went off for 11-straight points in about two minutes, including three straight treys, to put it out of reach late. McClinton ended with 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three. Gordon and Stewart each pitched in 18 for MSU, although Gordon shot only 7-of-19 from the field. If I were the coach and my guard was shooting that poorly, he wouldn’t be on the floor.
Stat of the Game: Varnado’s MSU record-setting 10 blocks

Ole Miss (76) vs. Winthrop (71): Although this is not the Winthrop team of old, this was a solid win for a young Rebel team. Just how good this undefeated team is remains to be seen, but avoiding any losses this far into the season after nearly completely revamping your personnel is impressive. One of few experienced players on the roster, Dewayne Curtis went off for his second 20+ point scoring effort on the year with 22 on 10-of-12 shooting, and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year.
Stat of the Game: The Rebels’ +14 rebounding margin

Wednesday games, Thursday odds…

Overall: 57-8 (88%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%)

#19 Vanderbilt (91) @ Depaul (85): Well, the oddsmakers got it exactly right this time as the Commodores won by six in overtime. Ogilvy had yet another big night, scoring 19 points on 9-of-15 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds, while Foster scored huge again with 19 points. Senior Alan Metcalfe had the biggest game of his season, scoring 18 points but turning the ball over five times. Vandy’s sharp-shooting from behind the arc won them this one.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s 48% mark from three

Arkansas (67) vs. UTSA (42): The Razorbacks are proving to be more and more of a defensive team. Rebounding is the team’s overwhelming strength, but ball-handling is a major weakness. Gary Ervin led the Razorbacks in scoring with 16 points…and turnovers – with six. Patrick Beverly actually led all rebounders on the game with 13 rebounds, yet he scored only 10 on a mere 3-of-10 shooting. The team did not shoot well and turned the ball over 20 times, but managed to hit 85.7% of their free throws.
Stat of the Game: The Razorbacks’ +21 rebound advantage

Thursday Odds

Mississippi State (5-3, #158) vs. Miami-FL (7-0, #2)
Spread: Miss. State by 5.5
Pick: Mississippi State – This is a tough pick, but I’m going with the home team by 8-10 points.

Also picking: Ole Miss over Winthrop at home

Official Multi-Blogger Week Five Poll

Click here for a breakdown of each blog’s votes.

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

Others Receiving Votes – most to least: West Virginia, Villanova, USC, Stanford, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Dayton

New: (23) St. Mary’s, (24) Arizona
Dropped Out: (24) USC, (25) Villanova

Experiencing the biggest drop this year, Louisville dropped a massive 10 spots after losing at home to Dayton by five. Marquette climbed after defeating a Wisconsin team that’s still receiving Top 25 votes, and North Carolina takes over the top spot from Memphis after winning @ BYU, @ Ohio State, and @ Kentucky.

Wednesday odds…

Overall: 55-8 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%) 

Thanks to the help of you, the reader, I’ve found a site to use for odds until Yahoo! decides to start making their odds show up again. In the mean time, here is the only SEC matchup predicted for tonight.

Also, a quick change. From now on I’ll be listing both each team’s records but also their RPI – per kenpom.com. Keep in mind RPI means very little at this point, but it will become more relevant over time.

#19 Vanderbilt (9-0, #3) @ Depaul (2-3, #222)
Spread: Vanderbilt by 6
Pick: Vanderbilt – This will be the Commodores’ toughest road game until SEC play, but they’re playing very well right now.

Wednesday picks…

Odds still aren’t working, but I’m picking…

Vanderbilt over DePaul in Illinois in a surpsingly close one and Arkansas over UTSA in a blowout at home.

Anyone know where I can find some reliable Vegas odds other than Yahoo! Sports?

Week Five in SEC stats…

Offensive

1. Ole Miss (3.29, NC)
2. Florida (3.86, NC)
3. Tennessee (5.29, NC)
3. Vanderbilt (5.29, +1)
5. Alabama (6.00, +1)
6. Georgia (6.14, +2)
7. South Carolina (6.29, -2)
8. LSU (7.29, -2)
9. Arkansas (7.86, NC)
10. Miss. State (8.14, +2)
11. Kentucky (9.00, NC)
12. Auburn (9.43, -2)

Defensive

1. Miss. State (4.14, +1)
2. Arkansas (4.29, NC)
3. Kentucky (4.86, -2)
4. Georgia (5.29, +2)
5. Florida (5.43, -1)
6. LSU (6.00, -1)
7. Ole Miss (6.57, NC)
8. South Carolina (7.00, +1)
9. Alabama (8.14, +2)
9. Auburn (8.14, -2)
11. Tennessee (8.43, -1)
12. Vanderbilt (9.57, NC)

Overall

1. Florida (4.21, +1)
2. Ole Miss (4.26, -1)
3. Tennessee (5.84, NC)
4. Georgia (6.05, +2)
5. South Carolina (6.32, -1)
6. Arkansas (6.53, +2)
7. Miss. State (6.79, +3)
8. Alabama (6.95, +4)
9. LSU (7.00, -3)
10. Vanderbilt (7.16, -1)
11. Kentucky (7.63, -6)
12. Auburn (9.00, -1)

A big shakeup in the rankings this week, as some big blowouts – both for and against SEC teams – occured. Mississippi State improved their standing dramatically after beginning the “cupcake” portion of their schedule, Alabama improved drastically after a close loss to #7 Georgetown and a blowout of Nicholls State, and Kentucky fell tremendously after two-straight losses, one a blowout, to North Carolina and Indiana.

What’s most interesting, however, is Vanderbilt’s successful play despite abysmal stats. As good as the Commodores’ offense is, their defense is two times worse. Vandy can shoot the ball pretty well, but can’t rebound, can’t block, and lack many intangibles necessary for true sustained success. This is why I continue to hold on to my opinion that Vanderbilt is overrated. The team is pretty decent and deserves a Top 25 placing as of their performance thus far, but unless they pick it up quickly they will not remain there and will be eaten alive by teams with a more well-rounded game under the basket like the SEC.

Saturday games…

Overall: 55-8 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%)

Alabama (91) vs. Nicholls State (53): Apparently Bama’s guards were playing well enough that Gottfried decided to let Hendrix get some rest, as the thus-far stellar post presence received only 17 minutes, scoring only five points and claiming six rebounds. Riley and Gee each dominated the game, scoring 22 and 20 points respectively on a combined 16-of-28 performance from the field. Gee also had 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the year. This game was domination from the beginning.
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s 40-22 rebounding advantage

Georgia (72) vs. Wake Forest (50): Although Wake has struggled at times this year, they only lost at #23 Vanderbilt by three. This game was a surprise game for the Bulldogs, as their rebounding and hot shooting carried them through, despite turning the ball over an insane 26 times. Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, with Sundiata Gaines again showing up big with 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists (but six turnovers).
Stat of the Game: Georgia’s 52.7% field goal percentage

Kentucky (51) @ Indiana (70): The Hoosiers outplayed the Wildcats in nearly every way: shooting, rebounding, turnovers, even free throw shooting – and without Eric Gordon. The ever-reliable Patterson scored a team-high 15 points and had five rebounds to go along with five turnovers, and Perry Stevenson notched 10 points and six rebounds. D.J. White scored 16 on Kentucky and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Stevenson and Patterson combining for only 14 field goal attempts

Mississippi State (84) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (59): The Bulldogs looked up to expectations for the first time this season as they blew out the same team that had the Tide beat in Tuscaloosa before losing by two in overtime and lost to LSU by ten. Although the Lions’ free throw shooting was exceptional (80%), that’s about the only thing they were allowed to do well as they shot an unbelievably poor 1-of-11 from behind the arc for 9.1%. Gordon has another massive game scoring 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting (yes, 18 attempts), seven rebounds, and shooting 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. Rhodes also contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.
Stat of the Game: 13 Bulldogs scoring at least one point

Ole Miss (76) @ Central Florida (67): Believe it or not, this was a pretty decent win for the Rebels, as UCF has been playing quality competition tough. The Rebels’ unstoppable defense didn’t slow down too much despite only scoring 76 points (yes, only, as they average 94.5 points per game). Chris Warren again scored reliably for Ole Miss but turned the ball over a remarkable NINE times without a single assist. Senior Kenny Williams scored 11 and had 8 rebounds, while two other Rebels scored in double figures.
Stat of the Game: Warren responsible for 60% of the Rebels’ turnovers for the game

Vanderbilt (90) vs. Lipscomb (67): This was the blowout most expected of this game as Vanderbilt continues to move its way into the consciousness of the general basketball public. Ogilvy had his biggest game yet, scoring 26 points on an impressive 9-of-12 shooting performance, as he was also 8-of-12 from the free throw line and claimed 10 rebounds. Foster continues to make his argument for SEC Player of the Year, as he scored 21 on 7-of-10 shooting.
Stat of the Game: The Commodores’ 11-of-22 shooting from three

Thursday games…

Overall: 55-8 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%)

Thursday Games

South Carolina (68) vs. Providence (67): I was right about a close game, wrong about the winner. Devan Downey continues to carry the Gamecocks on his shoulders, as he scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, although he only shot 1-of-6 from behind the arc. Downey has scored in double figures every game so far this year. The stats were relatively comparable, although South Carolina was allowed 11 more free throw attempts.
Stat of the Game: USC’s 78.3% free throw shooting

LSU (67) vs. #25 Villanova (68): In the second-straight 68-67 game in the SEC vs. Big East Invitational, the Big East finished 3-1 against the SEC in an insanely unfair matching process. The Tigers played surprisingly well against the Wildcats, which makes me question just how good the Wildcats are. LSU is playing that badly. Marcus Thornton, as he continues his breakout season, scored his second double-double on the night with 15 points and 13 rebounds, as he has scored less than 18 points only once this season. LSU shot better, but allowed Villanova 10 more shots.
Stat of the Game: Villanova’s +10 rebound advantage

I think there’s something wrong with the site for the odds, as soon as it is up and working I’ll be posting the odds.

Wednesday games, Thursday odds…

Overall: 55-8 (87%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%)

Wednesday Games

Alabama (60) vs. #7 Georgetown (70): This was a surprisingly competitive game, with the Hoyas simply making their plays in the end when it counted and the Tide turning the ball over or missing a free throw every time momentum was in their favor. Despite being outrebounding tremendously 43-28, the Tide actually got nine more shots off in part due to only turning the ball over eight times total. Hendrix led the Tide in scoring – what’s new? – with 17 points and nine rebounds, and Riley shot an impressive 4-of-7 from three for 15 points. Unfortunately for the SEC, Gottfried simply doesn’t have the experienced depth to compete with the higher ranked teams.
Stat of the Game: Three Georgetown players with eight or more rebounds

Florida (91) vs. Florida A&M (52): The Gators’ comical schedule continues forward, as they dominated this game as they were fully expected to. One of the most underlooked freshmen in the country, Nick Calathes scored 20 points and fell 1 assist and 2 rebounds shy of Florida’s second-ever triple-double. Speights, the Gator co-star, scored his third double-double of the year with 10 points and rebounds apiece, and unreliable but potential-filled freshman Adam Allen had a career-high 19 points on a 7-of-10 shooting performance.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 62.7% shooting percentage

#23 Vanderbilt (83) vs. Wake Forest (80): I’m beginning to believe the Commodores are a legitimate Top 25 team. Although Wake Forest isn’t a world-beater, they’re not a pushover either. And I’ll go ahead and admit it….I was wrong about Ogilvy. He’s good. Still not a top NBA prospect as he was picked to be, but he’s very talented offensively. His problem is physicality – he hasn’t learned to rebound or block efficiently enough to play at that high of a level yet, but I do not doubt he will eventually. He scored 23 points on the game in only 26 minutes of play, but claimed a disappointed five rebounds. Shan Foster continues his bid for SEC Player of the Year, scoring 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting and seven rebounds.
Stat of the Game: The Commodores’ 85.2% free throw percentage

Auburn (59) vs. West Virginia (88): The score pretty much says it all. The Mountaineers jumped out to a 26-4 lead and never looked back. The Tigers couldn’t defend, were rattled by the pressure defense into panicked and ill-advised shots, and turned the ball over 20 times. Auburn’s depth is inexcusable, and Lebo’s job is looking even more unsettled as only seven Tigers saw any playing time. Dewayne Reed is looking like the only truly competing scorer of the bunch, as he has only failed to score in double figures once this season. He notched 19 points on the night, but took an insane 19 shots and only hit seven, and turned the ball over five times.
Stat of the Game: West Virginia’s +14 turnover margin

Thursday Odds

None released, but I’m taking: Providence over South Carolina in a close one in Pennsylvania and #25 Villanova over LSU in a complete blowout, also in Pennsylvania.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Four Poll

Here’s the breakdown of who voted where. I missed this week’s vote due to a bad case of extreme busy-ness.

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

Others Receiving Votes, most to least: Arizona, St. Mary’s, Stanford, Southern Illinois, Davidson, West Virginia, Wisconsin, UAB, Kansas State

New: (23) Vanderbilt
Dropped Out: (23) Southern Illinois

Texas saw a huge, and deserved, increase in ranking after absolutely owning Tennessee and then downing UCLA at their place. Texas is a very potent team offensively.

Monday and Tuesday games, Wednesday odds…

Overall: 51-8 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 16-11 (59%)

The spread isn’t treating me well lately…

Monday Games

Arkansas (70) vs. Missouri State (51): The Razorbacks’ scoring was as balanced of an outing as any SEC team has showed so far this year with every player but one scoring, eight scoring six or more, but none scoring more than 12. Sophomore Michael Washington had his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds each, although there were trouble spots for Arkansas. The ‘Backs turned the ball over 21 times and shot only 18.8% from three.
Stat of the Game: Arkansas’ 42-25 rebound advantage

Florida (88) vs. Jacksonville (72): The Gators’ lack of defense is becoming increasingly clear, as the only other team to allow Jacksonville to score 72 points in a loss so far is UAB, and the Dolphins shot 49% from the field. The Gators also were this time not led by their balanced attack this time, as freshman phenom Nick Calathes scored 24 points but shot 17 times and had nine assists, while Speights and Parsons combined for 33 points and the three shot a total of 38 of the team’s 60 attempts.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 20 assists

Georgia (81) vs. Augusta State (74): Keep in mind, Augusta State is not one of 336+ division 1-A teams. This score provided a stark reminder of how immature the remaining Bulldog squad is, as both Brown and Mercer have been released from the team. Augusta State was allowed to shoot 46.2% from three on 26 attempts, and attempted a total of 12 more shots than Georgia. Sundiata Gaines tried to carry the team on his back, scoring 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting while Woodbury fell one rebound shy of a double-double with his 11 points.
Stat of the Game: Georgia’s 22 free throws attempted versus ASU’s 11

Tuesday Game

Tennessee (76) vs. UT-Chattanooga (70): Lofton is pretty much out of the SEC Player of the Year honors at this point without a major rebound, much less the National title of the same name. Lofton, despite scoring 16 points, shot a miserable 4-of-13 from the field – only three of those not from behind the arc – and turned the ball over four times. He did lead the Vols in points, however, and four others scored over double digits. Despite being outshot and outrebounded – both heavily – the Vols managed to attempt ten more shots to compensate, if only barely.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 37 threes attempted

Wednesday Odds

None released, but I’m taking: Georgetown over Alabama at UA, Florida over Florida A&M at home, Vanderbilt over Wake Forest at home, and West Virginia over Auburn at AU.

Week Four in SEC stats…

And we move on…

Offensive

1. Ole Miss (2.86, NC)
2. Florida (4.29, NC)
3. Tennessee (4.86, +1)
4. Vanderbilt (5.43, -1)
5. South Carolina (5.71, NC)
6. Alabama (7.14, NC)
6. LSU (7.14, +6)
8. Georgia (7.43, +1)
9. Arkansas (7.71, -1)
10. Auburn (8.00, NC)
11. Kentucky (8.29, -4)
12. Miss. State (8.57, -2)

Defensive

1. Kentucky (4.29, +1)
2. Miss. State (5.14, +1)
2. Arkansas (5.14, -1)
4. Florida (5.57, +2)
5. LSU (6.14, +5)
6. Georgia (6.29, NC)
7. Auburn (6.43, -3)
7. Ole Miss (6.43, +1)
9. South Carolina (7.00, -4)
10. Tennessee (8.29, +1)
11. Alabama (8.43, -2)
12. Vanderbilt (8.86, -1)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (3.95, NC)
2. Florida (4.53, NC)
3. Tennessee (5.63, +2)
4. South Carolina (6.11, -1)
5. Kentucky (6.63, -1)
6. Georgia (6.95, +3)
6. LSU (6.95, +6)
8. Arkansas (7.00, -3)
9. Vanderbilt (7.11, -1)
10. Miss. State (7.47, NC)
11. Auburn (7.63, NC)
12. Alabama (7.74, -5)

I won’t be doing the who-led-the-most-categories thing anymore – but will take requests to bring it back. Interesting to see how much LSU jumped after playing a couple of cupcakes – keep it in mind, this team is still VERY bad – and how far Alabama has fallen after struggling with far weaker teams at home.

Friday and Saturday games, Monday odds…

Overall: 48-8 (86%)
Vs. Spread: 16-10 (62%)

Friday Games

Tennessee (98) vs. LA Lafayette (70): Another spread missed by half a point. It’s painful. Anyways… The most surprising stat of this game is Lofton’s five shots taken. On top of that, he hit only 2 of them and was 1-of-3 from behind the arc for seven points. Tyler Smith had his biggest game as a Vol, scoring 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting and most surprising, a game-high 8 assists. Duke Crews is back, and he grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and recorded 10 points.
Stat of the Game: Tennessee’s 53.8% field goal percentage

Florida (86) vs. Vermont (61): It’s official…Nick Calathes is the most overlooked freshman in the nation. Having scored less than 11 points only twice, he scored 21 points against Vermont on 6-of-8 shooting and hit 8-of-11 shots from the charity stripe. Six other Gators scored five or more points, continuing the Gators’ balanced scoring attack.
Stat of the Game: Florida’s 41-22 rebound advantage

LSU (88) vs. Southern (45): The Tigers thoroughly owned Southern, outshooting, outrebounding, and out-everything else them. Three Tigers scored more than 20 points, with freshman Anthony Randolph scoring his third 20+ point performance of the year and his second double-double with 11 rebounds. Junior Marcus Thornton is proving to be one of the most impressive players in the SEC thus far, scoring 22 points on the game and averaging 19.86 points per game this year.
Stat of the Game: No Southern player scoring more than nine points

Saturday Games

Alabama (63) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (61): In overtime, the Tide managed to squeak past a team that returns 1 player from a 16-win team. At home. Riley had a huge game with 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from behind the arc, and Hendrix continues to try and carry Alabama on his shoulders, scoring 17 points and claiming 7 rebounds. Jemison and gee also each had eight rebounds.
Stat of the Game: Alabama’s 71 shots taken compared to SELA’s 49

Arkansas (62) vs. Oral Roberts (51): Gary Ervin finally had a decent game, leading the Razorbacks with 16 points and only turning the ball over 1 time. The game’s difference was Arkansas’ shooting, as they shot 44.9% from the field as compared to ORU’s 37.5%. Darian Townes had a good game, scoring 14 points and blocking four shots.
Stat of the Game: 11 blocks for Arkansas

South Carolina (74) @ Clemson (85): Junior Zam Frederick’s eighth-straight double-digit effort and game-leading 28 points wasn’t enough for the Gamecocks, as only two others scored more than 10 points. Both team’s shot comparatively, along with taking 66 shots each, but the difference was the rebounding – where Clemson had a sizeable advantage.
Stat of the Game: Clemson’s 37-29 rebound advantage

Kentucky (77) vs. North Carolina (86): Apparently the Wildcats are set on playing just under the level of competition they face, as they played the top-ranked team in the nation to a close game. Joe Crawford, Patrick Patterson, and Ramel Bradley each scored 19 points or more, and Patterson also had nine rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough had a disappointing game, shooting only 2-of-8 from the field but still managing 14 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the year.
Stat of the Game: UNC’s 34 free throws attempted against Kentucky’s 22

Ole Miss (85) vs. New Mexico (77): Ole Miss almost tripped up against a 7-0 but untested New Mexico team, but managed to outshoot their way to the win. Dwayne Curtis recorded his second-straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and four Rebels scored in double digits.
Stat of the Game: Ole Miss’ 33 free throws attempted

Mississippi State (78) vs. Murray State (61): As this game was never in question, the Bulldogs managed to outplay Murray State in nearly every way. State shot 51.9% on the back of Rhodes’ 8-of-14 shooting for 22 points but shot only 26.7% from behind the arc. Gordon and Stewart combined for 29 points, and Varnado grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked three shots.
Stat of the Game: State’s 34-25 rebounding advantage

Vanderbilt (92) vs. Georgia Tech (79): I’m beginning to believe in the Commodores. Four Vandy players scored in double-digits in this relatively high-profile matchup, as Shan Foster led the game with 17 points. Vanderbilt outshot Tech and had an impressive 20 assists.
Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt’s 10-of-22 (45.5%) mark from three

Monday Odds

Arkansas vs. Missouri State
Spread: Arkansas by 12.5
Pick: Missouri State – This should be a difficult matchup for the Razorbacks.

Also picking: Florida over Jacksonville at home and Georgia over Augusta State at home.