First Week Not Kind To SEC Basketball

While Arkansas exploded in its first game, it got brought down to reality by 20th-ranked Louisville. Several other SEC teams have lost already as well.

 One of those teams is 18th-ranked Mississippi State.

 The biggest surprise for the conference, however, was a positive one. Rotnei Clarke blew past SEC and Arkansas records on his way to a 13-of-17 performance from downtown to post 51 points against Alcorn State.

 Here are Week One’s awards.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rotnei Clarke (33.5 ppg, 2.0 stl, 66.7% 3PT)

 COACH OF THE WEEK: Trent Johnson (3-0 with win over Western Kentucky)

 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Marshawn Powell (16.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 blk)

 

A breakdown of each team’s performance thus far follows.

 

Alabama (1-1)

The Tide joined the ranks of those who lost their home opener. Cornell, picked to win the Ivy League, came in and stunned Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

 A youth-dominated team can be both a positive and negative thing. Short-term, it’s going to make the losses add up. Long-term, the team will have some depth and experienced talent.

 Such is the case for Alabama. JaMychal Green led the way against Cornell, notching the game’s only double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

 In the Tide’s second game, freshman Tony Mitchell came off the bench and put up 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting in just 24 minutes.

 Poor defense and rebounding is the theme early on. ‘Bama’s opponents are shooting a collective 45.0 percent from the floor and outrebounding the Tide by 2.5 rebounds per game.

 That must improve if Anthony Grant’s team wants to turn this ship around.

 

ALABAMA GRADE: D

Arkansas (1-1)

Jaws across the nation dropped when Arkansas’ box score against Alcorn State was released.

 Arkansas won 130-68—but that wasn’t even the impressive part.

 Rotnei Clarke shattered the SEC record on his way to shooting 13-of-17 from long range and scoring 51 points.

 The ‘Backs knocked down 53.3 percent of their threes and won by over 60 points. Some thought they might be able to give Louisville a run for their money.

 They did, for a while.

 Unfortunately for John Pelphrey, the Cardinals fired at will in the second half and cruised to a 96-66 victory.

 Clarke also came back to earth but still led his team in scoring with 16 points, this time on 3-of-7 shooting from three.

 Even in its blowout of Alcorn State, Arkansas barely outrebounded its opponent and was outrebounded by 13 against Louisville. Rebounding seems to be the weak area that needs the most attentions for the Hogs.

 

ARKANSAS GRADE: B-

 

Auburn (1-1)

The Tigers have had a tough early-season schedule and came out with a decent home win over visiting Niagara in their first game.

 A trip to Missouri State produced a somewhat predictable 73-62 loss, but one that won’t scar the RPI too badly.

 DeWayne Reed is the team’s most reliable scorer early on, as he led all scorers against Niagara with 24, despite an 8-of-20 shooting performance. Ball hog anyone? He followed that performance with a respectable 12 points in the Missouri State loss.

 Auburn, always a small team, is battling rebounding issues early on. The team outrebounded Niagara by one and was outrebounded by six against Missouri State.

 While the team won’t suddenly grow a few inches anytime soon, spacing and foot placement can make all the difference on the glass.

 

AUBURN GRADE: B-

 

Florida (1-0)

Florida’s first game against Stetson went about as well as Billy Donovan could have hoped for.

 Scoring was balanced, defense was aggressive, rebounding was impressive.

 There were some warning signs, though.

 Florida managed to hit just 1-of-13 treys for 7.7 percent. On top of that, Nick Calathes’ departure left its mark, as the Gators dished out just 11 assists to 18 turnovers.

 Only time will tell if the team’s shooting and ball-handling will improve.

 Alex Tyus recorded his first double-double of the season in the team’s first game, scoring 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 13 rebounds.

 

FLORIDA GRADE: A-

 

Georgia (1-1)

As was expected, the Bulldogs are looking fairly awful early on.

 Mark Fox’s new squad managed to just squeak by New Orleans at home by a 67-59 score before falling to Wofford 60-57.

 Trey Thompkins is leading the Bulldogs in nearly every respect. He’s averaging 19.5 points and 14 points per game with double-doubles in each contest.

 Offensive inconsistency is burdening this team, with excessive three-point misses the most obvious case. So far, Georgia has shot 30 three-pointers and made just six of those.

 

GEORGIA GRADE: D

 

#4 Kentucky (2-0)

After a less than outstanding start to the season with a 75-59 home victory against Morehead State, the Wildcats escaped certain ridicule on a step-back jumper from freshman John Wall with 0.5 seconds remaining to defeat Miami (OH) 72-70 in Lexington.

 Eric Bledsoe, another big UK freshman, came out firing in Kentucky’s first game, notching 24 points and seven rebounds—though he turned the ball over as many times as he hit the boards.

 Wall scored 19 in his debut in the Blue’s second game, while Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins both pulled down double-doubles.

 Rebounding and scoring don’t seem to be a problem for the ‘Cats. Defense, however, does. Their opponents are shooting a combined 42.5 percent from the floor and 38.0 percent from behind the arc.

 To keep out of trouble, John Calipari needs to put a little defense with his offense.

 

KENTUCKY GRADE: B

 

LSU (3-0)

Storm Warren and Bo Spencer have coupled to become the most surprising duo in the league thus far.

 Spencer, who averaged 3.4 points per game last season, has put up 61 points in the team’s first three games on 20-of-51 shooting.

 Warren has similarly come from nowhere to put up three double-doubles in three games.

 The team isn’t playing just nobodies either. Western Kentucky is a solid squad this year and gave the Tigers everything they could handle up until the end.

 So far, LSU seems to have few weaknesses all around and may very well surprise some teams in the Western Division this season.

 

LSU GRADE: A+

 

Mississippi State (0-1)

The Bulldogs were the conference’s first big disappointment, coming into the season ranked 18th only to lose to Rider 88-74. While Rider is likely one of the favorites in the MAAC, this was a tough loss for MSU.

 Hard to keep the effort up when players are dropping like flies. MSU is down to eight scholarship players after injuries have swept through the once deep lineup.

 Against Rider, the Bulldogs simply couldn’t keep the Broncs from draining threes. Rider brought down 62.5 percent of those treys and 50.8 percent of their shots from the arc.

 All-American Jarvis Varnado did everything he could. He’s the only starter in the SEC not to have missed a shot (8-of-8) and scored 22 points, claimed 14 rebounds, and blocked seven shots in the loss.

 If poor defense becomes a trend for State, the Bulldogs could be in for a disappointing season.

 

MSU GRADE: F

 

Ole Miss (2-0)

The Rebels have been balanced both offensively and defensively early on and quietly winning by big margins.

Murphy Holloway is looking to be a big part of the puzzle for the Rebels underneath, as he recorded the team’s first double-double of the season against UALR with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Rebounding, as it was last season, will be a weakness for this squad. If Eniel Polynice and Holloway can continue to claim their share, this team could be competitive.

 

OLE MISS GRADE: A

 

South Carolina (2-0)

Call the Gamecocks the Rebels of the Eastern Division: quietly winning by large margins and getting the job done.

USC trumped Alabama A&M 88-50 and Georgia Southern 90-66. Nice wins, but lowly competition.

Devan Downey has been scoring well, especially in his first outing, where he put up 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, though he turned the ball over four times.

Turnovers seem to be an issue for Darrin Horn’s squad early on, as the team is averaging 20.5 per game—a sign that Downey needs to focus more on his team and less on scoring.

 

SOUTH CAROLINA GRADE: A

 

#10 Tennessee (2-0)

Watch out nation: Scotty Hopson has arrived.

After a disappointing freshman season, he’s exploded onto the SEC scene early on. He’s shooting 10-of-13 from behind the arc and averaging 20.5 points per game. Legit numbers.

As a team, the Vols are excelling. They broke a school scoring record in their second game, against UNC-Asheville, where they stomped their way to a 124-49 win. That’s right, a 75-point margin.

They shot nearly 60 percent in that game and handed out 34 assists.

Anyone doubting that Tennessee will compete for the SEC title yet?

 

TENNESSEE GRADE: A+

 

Vanderbilt (1-0)

Vanderbilt played absolutely no defense in their 95-73 victory over Lipscomb, and I suppose they didn’t have to.

Their scoring was dominated by Jeffery Taylor, who led the game with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and Jermaine Beal, who scored 17. Taylor also grabbed seven rebounds.

Perhaps to avoid injury, A.J. Ogilvy was held to just 19 minutes but still recorded 13 points and nine rebounds in that time.

If Ogilvy’s numbers increase against real opponents and the team’s defensive effort improves, Vanderbilt could be a dangerous team.

 

VANDERBILT GRADE: A-

Arkansas Suspensions Decimate Squad’s Depth

John Pelphrey is losing control of the Arkansas Razorback team.

We already received news that Stefan Welsh was suspended indefinitely.

Today comes news that several others are being suspended. As if Arkansas could afford any other losses.

The biggest surprise is that Courtney Fortson, who will play a major role when he finally gets back to the hardwood, has been suspended indefinitely as well. Fortson averaged 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds last year and is the team’s only point guard with floor experience.

Marcus Britt, who is set for a breakout season, will miss six games while Glenn Bryant will miss two. Walk-on Nick Mason is gone for the entire semester at least.

This leaves, to my count, three players with returning experience—and just eight overall—available on Friday when Arkansas opens against Alcorn State.

If this doesn’t get reigned in, and quickly, Pelphrey might find himself without a job sooner than he thought.

SEC Exhibition Basketball Comes To A Close

Only a few exhibition games remain for the Southeastern Conference, as most teams have played at least one.

Here’s a recap of those played since Nov. 2, my last update of them. The rest will come tonight and tomorrow, while the regular season begins at the end of this week.

I’m adding a new feature into all of my stories…a grade for each team’s performance. It will be entirely subjective (obviously) and will focus on how well the team should have done compared to how it actually performed. It’s A-F and will use pluses and minuses.

The game reviews will be in chronological order.

 

Alabama 81, Montevallo 53

Five Tide players scored in double-digits, led by JaMychal Green’s double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Green started out slow in the first half, bogged down by foul trouble, but came out swinging in the second. All of his 18 points came in the second half.

 Grant’s team excelled in both facets of the game. They shot 48.1 percent from the field and held Montevallo to 33.3 percent. Alabama also out-rebounded the Falcons 47-31.

 Alabama won’t be a three-point heavy team this season, but this game showed some sign of hope. While the squad only attempted 13 shots from behind the arc, they connected on 5 of them for 38.4 percent.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: JaMychal Green (18 pts, 11 rbs, 3 blks)

STAT OF THE GAME: Alabama’s +16 rebounding margin

 ALABAMA GRADE: A

 

Tennessee 97, Lincoln Memorial 58

Tennessee cooled off offensively a bit in their second exhibition game and went for (insert sarcasm here) just 97 points. The team excelled once again in most every way from the very beginning, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and holding Lincoln Memorial to just 33.3 percent shooting.

 The Vols shared the ball well with 20 assists, but turned it over 17 times. Good thing they forced 30 turnovers. Rebounding also wasn’t close.

 Scotty Hopson may be finally living up to his 2008-09 preseason hype, as he once again led the Vols offensively.

 In two games, Hopson scored 40 points on 15-of-19 shooting (78.9 percent for those of you counting at home) and was 6-of-8 (75.0 percent) from three.

 Chism had a disappointing showing, shooting just 4-of-12, though he grabbed eight rebounds. All-American Tyler Smith has been a bit understated in the team’s preseason, as he scored 11 points and claimed just two rebounds in 16 minutes.

 The team is looking for a point guard, and Maze didn’t exactly impress with four assists to three turnovers. Goins wasn’t much better with the same amount of turnovers and five assists.

 Ball-handling continues to be a problem for the Volunteers, but may be less so if Hopson can continue his rampage.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Scotty Hopson (20 pts, 2 rbs, 77.8% FG, 66.7% 3PT)

STAT OF THE GAME: Lincoln Memorial’s 30 turnovers

 TENNESSEE GRADE: A

 

Arkansas 102, LeMoyne-Owen 69

Arkansas somewhat rebounded from a less than impressive outing in its first exhibition game to explode offensively against LeMoyne-Owen. There were some startling numbers, but let’s look at the good first.

 The ‘Backs brought down 56.1 percent of their shots, held their opponents to 33.7 percent shooting, and recorded 19 assists to just 10 turnovers. The team also blocked 10 shots and stole the ball 16 times.

 The offense was balanced as well…five Razorbacks scored in double-digits.

 Rotnei Clarke led the charge, shooting 8-of-12 for 21 points. Freshman Marshawn Powell continues to look like a beast early on, as he matched Courtney Fortson with 18 points. Powell also grabbed 9 rebounds.

 All-SEC forward Michael Washington was his typical self, scoring 11 points and 7 rebounds in just 22 minutes.

 Now the scary part.

 Arkansas was outrebounded by LeMoyne-Owen—using the name here again for emphasis—52-40. A minus-12 rebounding margin against LeMoyne Owen. The team also shot just 33.3 percent from behind the arc, ending exhibition competition at 32.3 percent from long-range. Not a good sign.

 Finally, Pelphrey’s squad managed to hit just 66.7 percent of their free throws.

 The ‘Backs have the potential and the talent, but have some gaping holes to fix before becoming a truly competitive team.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Rotnei Clarke (21 pts, 2 rbs, 66.7% FG, 66.7% 3PT)

STATE OF THE GAME: Arkansas’ minus-12 rebounding margin

 ARKANSAS GRADE: B-

 

South Carolina 78, Kentucky Wesleyan 55

The Gamecocks weren’t exactly dominating in their first exhibition matchup, but it was a solid outing for the squad.

 The scoring was balanced, as five Gamecocks scored in double-digits and the team out-shot its opponent by about five percent. The big difference was from behind the arc, as USC shot 42.1 percent and held Kentucky Wesleyan to 26.1 percent.

 Sam Muldrow led the Gamecocks offensively, hitting five of his nine attempts and scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds. Dominique Archie also recorded double-figure points (11) and claimed eight rebounds. All-SEC Devan Downey had a poor showing—1-of-7 shooting for six points and three rebounds—though he did manage seven assists.

 All-in-all a decent performance from USC, though the 13:18 assist-to-turnover ratio needs to improve as does the 59.3 percent free-throw shooting.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Sam Muldrow (17 pts, 7 rbs, 55.5% FG, 100.0% 3PT)

STAT OF THE GAME: USC’s 42.1% effort from behind the arc

SOUTH CAROLINA GRADE: B

 

Auburn 87, Miles College 40

The Tigers had a surprisingly solid outing in their first exhibition game, smoking Miles College after a sluggish first half. Auburn outscored its opponent 51-17 in the second half.

 The three-point shooting was the standout benefit for the Tigers. The team shot 14-of-32 from long-range, good for 43.8 percent on the back of Tay Waller’s 5-of-7 effort from that distance. Waller scored a game-high 15 points, while two other Tigers scored in double digits.

 Auburn out-rebounded their opponents (THAT’S a new phrase) by the biggest margin of any SEC team thus far (what?) in exhibition play, 55-35. Losing Robertson, ball-handling was expected to be a weakness, but it didn’t show in this game, with 20 assists to 14 turnovers.

Free throw shooting was abysmal for the War Eagle, though: 42.9 percent. The team actually shot better from behind the three-point arc than it did at the charity stripe. Yikes.

Auburn might surprise a few people if it can continue to rebound well and keep up its precision from long-distance.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tay Waller (15 pts, 1 rbd, 62.5% FG, 71.4% 3PT)

STAT OF THE GAME: Auburn’s +20 rebound margin

AUBURN GRADE: A+

 

Kentucky 117, Clarion 52

Any John Wall dissenters suffered a setback when he went off in his first outing for 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting and nine assists against four turnovers.

 Whether he can be nearly as effective against real opponents is another issue for another day…Wall showed he has the potential to be a star.

 After struggling in its first exhibition game (in which it was without Wall), Kentucky left no doubt against Clarion. The Wildcats heavily out-shot, out-rebounded, and out-everythinged Clarion from tipoff.

 Kentucky shot 59.2 percent from the field while holding Clarion to 23.8 percent shooting. The team improved its performance from long-range significantly, to the tune of 8-of-16 (50.0 percent). The Blue won the rebounding battle 47-34.

 Six Wildcats scored in double-digits, and Wall wasn’t the only player with at least 20. DeMarcus Cousins recorded 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.

 Even Kentucky’s mediocre free-throw shooting improved to a very impressive 25-of-30 (83.3 percent) mark.

 Too bad not every team is Clarion, eh?

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: John Wall (27 pts, 4 rbs, 71.4% FG, 9 ast)

STAT OF THE GAME: Kentucky’s 2.25 assist-to-turnover ratio

KENTUCKY GRADE: A

 

Ole Miss 102, Auburn-Montgomery 62

The Rebels’ debut featured a slightly ironic turn of events. Most expect the Rebels to struggle with rebounding this season due to a lack of size and front court depth, but they out-rebounded their opponents by 16. What was assumed to be a strength—ball-handling—seemed to be a massive weakness. Ole Miss managed just six assists and turned the ball over 19 times.

 Warren, early on, looks to be a Ronald Steele twin. If you’ll remember, Steele was an outstanding pass-first point guard for Alabama before massive knee injuries. When he returned, he was a potent scoring threat but had lost his touch as a true point guard.

 Warren’s stats from the team’s exhibition outing says something similar. He scored 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting but dished out just two assists. Those two assists led his team though. Ouch.

 The final score also hides an ugly little fact: Ole Miss was trailing at the half, 38-35.

 The second-half blowout somewhat made up for the ugly start, though. The Rebels should continue the effort on the boards, but the ball movement must improve if they want to earn a post-season bid.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chris Warren (22 pts, 2 rbs, 57.1% FG, 50.0% 3PT)

STAT OF THE GAME: Ole Miss’ 0.32 assist-to-turnover ratio

OLE MISS GRADE: B-

 

Georgia 87, North Georgia 53

For the Eastern-Division Bulldogs to be facing such low expectations, Fox managed to impress in his first outing.

This game was another ho-hum beat-down of a lesser opponent. The catch here is, though, that Georgia will need a miracle to even reach .500 this season.

Travis Leslie, who showed flashes of greatness last season as a freshman, led the game with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and recorded five rebounds. Rebounding wasn’t an issue for the Bulldogs, as two players had at least eight boards.

Georgia only attempted 14 treys, and instead opted to get the ball to the paint. This was pretty effective—the team shot an eye-popping 60.7 percent from the field, compared to 35.7 percent from three.

Free throw shooting was also an issue. As a team, UGA shot 56.0 percent from there—worse than they did from the field.

Last year, Georgia took down Albany State by 37 points in exhibition play on its way to a 12-20 record.

With that said, this wasn’t a bad showing for UGA.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Travis Leslie (21 pts, 5 rbs, 69.2% FG, 2 stl)

STAT OF THE GAME: Georgia’s 30 offensive rebounds

GEORGIA GRADE: A

 

Mississippi State 90, Georgetown-KY 70

The Bulldogs seemed to have reason to worry after Georgetown (KY) led 19th-ranked Louisville at the half and lost to the Cardinals by just 12 points.

They were wrong.

State never trailed in the contest and only felt the heat early in the second half, when the Tigers pulled within 7. MSU ended both halves on huge runs and thoroughly outplayed its opponent.

Kodi Augustus, the big-man who sparked State’s run through the 2009 SEC Tournament, notched a double-double with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 11 rebounds. All-American Jarvis Varnado led the team with 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 effort and fell just shy of the squad’s second double-double with nine rebounds.

Point guard Dee Bost handed out eight assists and shot 5-of-10 for 14 points.

As a team, State pulled down a very impressive 56.6 percent of its shots, but managed just 26.3 percent of its three-pointers. This was no doubt in large part to Barry Stewart’s 0-of-7 effort. Long gone are the days when Stewart was a freshman who shot nearly 40 percent from behind the arc.

This is opposed to the team’s first exhibition game, where it shot 43.3 percent from that range. MSU seems to be a very versatile, deep squad.

Ball-handling was suspect against Georgetown, however. The team had 16 assists to 16 turnovers. Rebounding wasn’t better, as MSU managed to just tie its opponent with 33 boards.

An encouraging performance for the Bulldogs, overall.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kodi Augustus (16 pts, 11 rbs, 66.7% FG, 2 ast)

STAT OF THE GAME: MSU’s 26.3 percent effort from behind the arc

MISSISSIPPI STATE GRADE: A-

 

Florida 104, Webber International 53

Florida has opened some eyes in its preseason action, winning its two games by a total of 90 points. Perhaps this team won’t miss Nick Calathes quite as much as they should.

The new star in town is named Kenny Boynton, and he’s dominated both exhibition games. Boynton scored 25 in this one on 6-of-11 shooting, also grabbing three rebounds.

With Walker doing a fine job thus far of replacing Calathes’ ball-handling and Boynton stepping into the scorer’s outfit, this team might step into the three-ring circus known as the SEC Eastern Division and compete for the title.

As a team, the results were no less impressive. The Gators notched a 53.7 percent mark from the floor, outrebounded their opponents by 18, and shot 41.7 percent from behind the arc.

Turnovers were the only noticeable flaw for Florida, giving the ball up 21 times. They did, however, force 26 turnovers.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kenny Boynton (25 pts, 3 rbs, 62.5 percent 3PT, 54.5 percent FG)

STAT OF THE GAME: Three Gators with at least seven rebounds

FLORIDA GRADE: A+

 

Alabama 61, Augusta State 55

When the threes aren’t falling for the Crimson Tide – which will be often this year due to a thin backcourt – the defense isn’t there for the team to be able to win competitive ballgames.

This was the closest any SEC team came to losing an exhibition game, and for that very reason. ‘Bama managed just 29.4 percent from three and allowed Augusta State to shoot 38.9 percent from the field. Alabama lost the turnover battle 23-18 as well.

Two facts were encouraging for the Tide, though.

First, free-throw shooting was solid. The squad hit 90.9 percent of its shots from the charity stripe. With that kind of mark, close late-game situations will always be winnable.

Secondly, scoring was balanced. Seven players scored at least six points, but only one in double-digits. That honor went to JaMychal Green, who shot 5-of-7 to score 12 points and grab a team-high five rebounds. His defense is still lacking, though, as he didn’t register a single block or steal.

This serves as a pretty big wake-up call for Alabama. If the defense doesn’t improve, this team is going to have a long season.

 

PLAYER OF THE GAME: JaMychal Green (12 pts, 5 rbs, 71.4 percent FG, 100.0 percent FT)

STAT OF THE GAME: Alabama with more turnovers, less blocks/steals than opponent

ALABAMA GRADE: D+

SEC Basketball Sees First Exhibition Action

In their exhibition debuts, both Kentucky and Arkansas registered lackluster performances, while Mississippi State rebounded from a poor first-half showing with a second-half blowout. Florida and Tennessee wasted no time in their domination.

Let’s discuss the games in chronological order.

 

No. 10 Tennessee (117) vs. North Alabama (79)
Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 30, 2009

The Volunteers dominated North Alabama in every way and lent evidence to my prediction of their taking the SEC Eastern Division title. The squad shot 65.7 percent from the field, including a barn-burning 58.8 percent from behind the arc.

While six UT players registered double-digit efforts, sophomore Scotty Hopson finally showed a flash of his potential by nailing 8-of-10 of his shots from the floor, including 4-of-5 from three. The Vols put up a 1.23 assist-to-turnover margin, forced 28 turnovers, and won the rebounding battle 46-30.

In his debut as a Volunteer, freshman power forward Kenny Hall impressed the crowd by shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor, hitting all four of his free throws, and grabbing seven rebounds. He fouled out, however, which looks to be an issue he needs to work on.

While almost all of the game was positive for the Orange fans, one thing was not: defense. Allowing 79 points to UNA isn’t a positive sign, and Tennessee won’t be averaging 117 points a game. The Vols need to work on defense if they truly want to contend for a National Title.

Player of the Game: Scotty Hopson (20 pts, 80.0% FG, 80.0% 3PT, 4 ast, 2 stl)
Stat of the Game: +16 Tennessee rebounding margin

 

No. 18 Mississippi State (82) vs. Oklahoma City (54)
Starkville, Miss., Oct. 31, 2009

The Bulldogs of the SEC West struggled with consistency and offensive smoothness in this game’s first half, despite never trailing. MSU led just 38-33 at the half. State figured out OCU’s zone defense in the second, however, and dominated the rest of the game.

Four MSU players registered double-digit scoring, led by outstanding junior shooter Ravern Johnson’s 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including a 6-of-10 effort from behind the arc. All-everything senior Jarvis Varnado led the game with 11 rebounds on top of eight points and four blocks. The Bulldogs finished the game well ahead in every major category.

Renardo Sidney is still awaiting an NCAA decision on his eligibility, and big man John Riek was benched in hopes his exhibition game would count toward his nine-game suspension. Wendell Lewis continued his impressive preseason performance, grabbing eight rebounds in just 13 minutes. Shaunessy Smith had four assists without a turnover, but not much else.

As a team, this was a very nice performance against a solid lower-division team. If Johnson continues his streak of hot shooting as he did during last season’s non-conference schedule, this will be a very dangerous team.

Player of the Game: Ravern Johnson (23 pts, 5 rbs, 53.3% FG, 60.0% 3PT)
Stat of the Game: MSU +15 rebound margin after trailing at halftime

 

Arkansas (77) vs. Dillard (59)
Fayetteville, Ark., Nov. 2, 2009

The Razorbacks could have very well lost this game if it weren’t for Michael Washington’s tremendous 25-point, 10-rebound double-double effort. Even with him, the ‘Backs shot just 39.2 percent from the field and just 21.9 percent from three.

Ranked as the best shooting guard in the nation this offseason, Rotnei Clarke managed just 5-of-15 shooting and 4-of-13 from behind the arc. Courtney Fortson handed out nine assists to four turnovers.

Hyped freshman Marshawn Powell didn’t play, though power forward Glenn Bryant stood out amongst the remainder of the newcomers. He put up the ‘Backs’ second double-double with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Julysses Nobles and Jemal Farmer, the team’s other two participating freshmen, each grabbed six rebounds and combined for seven points.

This team is as expected thus far—talented but thin. Most will be willing to shake this performance off as preseason jitters and hope that Powell makes a big difference, but Clarke and Fortson (who combined for 7-of-25 shooting) need to improve their efforts if this team wants to make a run for the postseason.

Player of the Game: Michael Washington (25 pts, 10 rbs, 62.5% FG, 3 blks)
Stat of the Game: Arkansas without Washington: 32.7% FG

 

Florida (95) vs. Saint Leo (46)
Gainesville, Fla., Nov. 2, 2009

Florida came out about as hot as the Vols did, on both ends of the floor. The big story was incoming all-star freshman Kenny Boynton, who led the team with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three, and grabbed six rebounds. Not to be lost was Erving Walker’s nine assists and no turnovers, coupled with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Florida outshot Saint Leo by 30.3 percent and held them to 4.8 percent shooting from three.

Erik Murphy, the team’s other freshman, had a nice game as well: nine points on 3-of-4 shooting and six rebounds.

If Walker can keep up his impressive team-leading and Boynton remains this dominating, I might just be wrong about Florida. Granted, the competition was weak, but this could mean Florida might very well have a stake in the SEC East title after all.

Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (22 pts, 6 rbs, 50.0% FG, 55.5% 3PT, 3 stl)
Stat of the Game: Five Florida players with at least five rebounds

 

No. 4 Kentucky (74) vs. Campbellsville (38)
Lexington, Ky., Nov. 2, 2009

The Wildcats got off to a fast start, holding CU to just 11 points in the first half. There were large stretches in the second half, however, where UK was bogged down and was outscored. For a top-five team, this was a disappointing debut.

While the team shot well (50.0 percent) from the floor, my prediction as to its lack of outside shooting presence rang true (21.4 percent). This team is seriously going to miss Jodie Meeks.

Freshman Darnell Dodson was the star of the game, scoring 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting along with six rebounds.

Turnovers look to be a serious issue for the young team as well, as it handed the ball over 23 times, though it forced 25 CU turnovers.

John Wall is still serving a two-game suspension, while results from the other freshmen were mixed. Behind Dodson’s big game, DeMarcus Cousins pulled down a respectable 11 points and six rebounds and blocked four shots. Eric Bledsoe looks talented if he can limit the turnovers, as he managed nine points, four rebounds, four assists (to four turnovers), and four steals.

Jon Hood and Daniel Orton weren’t as impressive: They combined for seven points on 3-of-7 shooting.

Lots of great pieces to the puzzle, but no glue to make them stick. I hear there’s a brand of Wall Glue being released this month, so stay tuned.

Player of the Game: Darnell Dodson (19 pts, 6 rbs, 50.0% FG, 2 stl)
Stat of the Game: Kentucky’s 3-of-14 (21.4%) three-point shooting