2008 SEC Postseason Awards

You can find the official coaches’ awards here. Here are the choices for the awards, including a look back the preseason choices.

Coach of the Year: Kevin Stallings, Vanderbilt 

Stallings’ Commodore team was predicted to finish among the bottom of the Eastern Division after losing the SEC Player of the Year. Instead, the Commodores raced through the non-conference schedule without a loss including wins over South Alabama (#39), Massachutsetts (#41), and Georgia Tech (#74). After losing 4 of their next 5 games, the ‘Dores stormed back to win 8 of their next 9 to finish 3rd in the division and end the regular season with a national ranking of 18th. Shan Foster and freshman phenom AJ Ogilvy carried this team on the back of another excellent reloading year for Kevin Stallings.

Preseason selection: Billy Gillespie, Kentucky

Player of the Year: Shan Foster, Vanderbilt

Foster brings the second consecutive SEC Player of the Year award to Vanderbilt, as he has proven to be the most lethal scorer in the conference. Leading the SEC with 20.6 points per game, Foster is also the league’s most efficient guard, hitting 52.5% of his shots from the floor. He also leads the conference in 3-point shooting, a 47.2% mark from that range, by a huge margin - second place is 42.5%. Foster has scored less than 10 points just once and 20 points or more 18 times, while notching enormous numbers against talented opposition: 6-12 (20pts) at Kentucky, 8-10 (20pts) vs. Kentucky, 9-13 (32pts) vs. Tennessee, 8-12 (22pts) at Arkansas, and a cake-topping 42 points on 16-of-25 shooting (including 9-of-15 from behind the arc) versus Mississippi State - the nation’s second-best defense. Foster is an easy pick, as his reliability and leadership will be sorely missed next year for the Commodores.

Preseason selection: Jamont Gordon, Mississippi State

Freshman of the Year: Nick Calathes, Florida

This year’s SEC freshmen were a talented bunch, making this decision excessively difficult. However, leadership is an attribute we appreciate very much, as well as performance against the most talented opponents, and on those basis it seems evident that Calathes is most deserving of this award. The freshman led his young team in scoring by a big margin (15.9ppg) and ranked third among league freshman in that category, along with shooting 43.5% from the floor. The story here, though, is his ability to lead his team on the floor, as he easily leads the entire league in assists per game with 6.10 (2nd is 5.20) and ranks 3rd in assist-to-turnover ratio. This is outstandingly impressive, as it normally takes years for players to learn how to effectively handle and share the ball. Calathes’ leadership was impressive from the beginning, and rarely faltered in conference play.

Sixth Man of the Year: Michael Holmes, South Carolina

Holmes has proven to be a reliable source off the bench of some much-needed inside presence for the Gamecocks, especially as of late. Holmes has recorded at least 10 points in 6 of his last 7 games, including 18 points at Auburn and 16 points vs. Kentucky. As his minutes have increased, so has his production - a feature lacking for most freshmen.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

This was the easiest choice yet, as Varnado has simply dominated inside the paint for the Bulldogs. Leading the nation in blocks per game, and having done so for quite some time, Varnado is less than 15 blocks shy of the Southeastern Conference’s all-time blocking record and has long-since destroyed State’s record for shots swatted. Rebounding is a strength for the long-armed player also, as Varnado ranks 5th in the conference with 7.9 rebounds per outing. Moreso, Varnado alters a good deal more shots than he directly gets a hand on and his presence alone forces a number of missed layups. With this said, Varnado is just a sophomore and has two years of eligibility remaining. Scary.

All-SEC: First Team

Shan Foster (Senior - Vanderbilt, 20.6ppg, 4.9rpg, 52.5% FG, 47.2% 3PT)

Foster has been the single most reliable offensive threat in the conference. 42-point performance against Mississippi State sealed up his claim to the award. Leads the league in scoring and three-point shooting, and leads all guards in field-goal percentage.

Jamont Gordon (Junior - Mississippi State, 17.5ppg, 6.3rpg, 4.8apg, 42.8% FG)

Gordon is possibly the scariest player in the SEC, as he is practically impossible to defend. Finishes as the SEC Player of the Year runner-up, as inconsistent shooting proved his downfall. Gordon is a talented ball-sharer, but turns the ball over too much. Ranks 5th in scoring, 14th in rebounding, 2nd in assists, and 15th in field-goal percentage.

Richard Hendrix (Junior - Alabama, 17.7ppg, 10.1rpg, 2.0bpg, 60.2% FG)

It remains my opinion that Richard Hendrix is easily the most talented post-man in the conference, if not the nation. Hendrix is relied upon heavily to carry Alabama inside, and he excels at it. He stands as the only SEC player to average a double-double. Ranks 4th in the conference in scoring, 1st in rebounding, 5th in blocking, and 3rd in field-goal percentage.

Dwayne Curtis (Ole Miss - Senior, 14.7ppg, 9.3rpg, 64.6% FG, 68.5% FT)

Curtis is one of the more overlooked players in the conference, but one of the most reliable. Curtis, similar to Hendrix, has had to carry his team’s post play, and has done so well as the Rebels rank among the top SEC rebounding teams. Curtis ranks 17th in scoring, 2nd in rebounding, leads the league in field-goal percentage shooting, and places among the league’s 5-best free-throw shooting big-men.

Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State - Senior, 16.8ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3bpg, 56.0% FG)

Rhodes has finished his Maroon and White career with a bang, scoring 20 or more points in 5 of his last 7 games, including a career-high 30 against Auburn. Rhodes can be dominant offensively and shoots particularly well with his face to the basket - rare among post players. Rhodes ranks 7th in the SEC in scoring, 6th in rebounding, 10th in blocking, and 6th in field-goal percentage.

All-SEC: Second Team

Tyler Smith (Tennessee - Sophomore, 13.3ppg, 6.8rpg, 3.5apg, 70.5% FT)

Smith is a unique post player, as he shares the ball very well and ranks atop the league’s big-men in that category. His offensive game is competitive but could improve, but his rebounding has been excellent. Another interesting element to Smith is his mark from the charity stripe, which ranks among the SEC’s top 5 big-men. He ranks 25th in scoring, 10th in rebounding, and 12th in assists.

Marcus Thornton (LSU, 19.7ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.3spg, 43.6% FG, 38.0% 3PT, 81.4% FT)

Thornton’s reliability in the scoring column is nearly unmatched in the SEC. Thornton has an eye for the basket and is unafraid to shoot, with tremendous potential for his senior year. Thornton ranks 2nd in the league in scoring, 21st in rebounding, 14th in field-goal percentage, 7th in three-point percentage, and 3rd in free-throw percentage.

Devan Downey (South Carolina - Sophomore, 18.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 5.2apg, 42.3% FG, 75.2% FT)

Although Downey lost his claim to first-team honors by scoring less than 10 points in 3 of his last 4 games, he has been an amazingly accurate shooter and a constant threat to drive the lane. His speed is also outstanding, rivaled in the conference by only Ole Miss’ Warren. His ability to share the ball is overlooked often, as he ranks 4th in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Downey ranks 3rd in the conference in scoring, 2nd in assists, and 7th in free-throw percentage.

Chris Lofton (Tennessee - Senior, 16.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 41.2% FG, 40.0% 3PT, 84.2% FT)

A pre-season All-America selection, Lofton lost his stroke from the floor this season. Although occasionally catching fire from the floor, his streaks were inconsistent and would only last a few games. With that said, Lofton is still a dangerous shooter that every team must plan for. Lofton ranks 10th in the conference in scoring, 5th in three-point percentage, and 1st in free-throw percentage.

Joe Crawford (Kentucky - Senior, 17.1ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.2apg, 46.4% FG, 78.3% FT)

Crawford has been a much-needed source of reliable scoring for the Wildcats, leading the team in both attempts taken and points scored. The squad will certainly miss his athleticism and leadership after he graduates this year. Crawford ranks 6th in the SEC in scoring, 2nd among the SEC’s guards in field-goal percentage, and 5th in free-throw percentage.

All-SEC Freshman Team

Nick Calathes (Florida, 15.9ppg, 5.0rpg, 6.1apg, 43.5% FG, 72.8% FT)

Has shown tremendous leadership in his first year of play. He ranks 12th in the league in scoring (3rd among freshmen), 30th in rebounding, 1st in assists, and 10th in free-throw percentage.

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky, 16.4ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.2bpg, 57.4% FG, 73.1% FT)

Patterson narrowly missed Freshmen of the Year honors, as he suffered a fractured bone in his foot late in the season, effectively eliminating his chances at the claim. Regardless, Patterson has arguably been Kentucky’s most reliable scoring threat and has dominated offensively around the rim. Patterson ranks 9th in the SEC in scoring (2nd among freshmen), 7th in rebounding (2nd), 12th in blocking (4th), 5th in field-goal percentage (2nd) and 9th in free-throw percentage (2nd).

AJ Ogilvy (Vanderbilt, 16.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.4bpg, 58.2% FG, 78.4% FT)

Ogilvy is much like Patterson, as he also is talented from the charity stripe and is a significant threat offensively. Ogilvy has helped Vanderbilt to its national ranking by providing the inside presence the team seemed to lack in the off-season. Ogilvy ranks 8th in scoring in the SEC (1st among freshmen), 9th in rebounding (3rd), 8th in blocking (2nd), 4th in field-goal percentage (1st), and 4th in free-throw percentage (1st).

Chris Warren (Ole Miss, 15.7ppg, 2.1rpg, 4.5apg, 39.6% FG, 38.3% 3PT, 77.3% FT)

Warren is perhaps the quickest player in the SEC and an exceptional ball-handler. A great leader on the court, his shooting has been a tiny bit inconsistent. Warren ranks 13th in the SEC in scoring (4th among freshmen), 5th in assists (2nd), and 6th in three-point percentage (1st).

Anthony Randolph (LSU, 15.4ppg, 8.5rpg, 2.3bpg)

Randolph has proven to be an exceptional inside-man defensively, but has work to do offensively, shooting just 45.9% from the field. With that said, Randolph is one of the best shot-blockers in the conference and rebounds outstandingly well. Randolph ranks 14th in the conference in scoring (5th among freshmen), 3rd in rebounding (1st), and 3rd in blocking (1st).

Final Wirth Value

Now that regular-season play has completed, this will be the final Wirth Value until next season. Until then, it bids you farewell…

Offense

1. Tennessee (51.09, +1)
2. Vanderbilt (49.93, -1)
3. Florida (45.60, NC)
4. Ole Miss (37.80, NC)
5. Arkansas (34.71, NC)
6. Miss. State (33.69, +1)
7. Kentucky (32.34, +1)
8. Alabama (30.95, -2)
9. South Carolina (21.98, NC)
10. Auburn (17.34, NC)
11. LSU (13.61, +1)
12. Georgia (13.55, -1)

Defense

1. Miss. State (50.90, NC)
2. Arkansas (46.42, +1)
3. Kentucky (45.48, -1)
4. Tennessee (42.01, NC)
5. Georgia (30.56, NC)
6. Ole Miss (29.59, NC)
7. LSU (27.35, NC)
8. Vanderbilt (22.98, +1)
9. Alabama (21.69, +2)
10. Florida (21.33, -2)
11. South Carolina (17.45, -1)
12. Auburn (13.00, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (135.96, NC)
—————————–
2. Miss. State (105.76, NC)
3. Arkansas (101.78, +3)
4. Ole Miss (101.09, +1)
5. Vanderbilt (100.01, -2)
6. Florida (99.33, -2)
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7. Kentucky (83.88, NC)
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8. Alabama (75.00, NC)
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9. South Carolina (56.88, NC)
10. Georgia (51.65, NC)
11. LSU (45.50, +1)
12. Auburn (44.11, -1)

—The categories stay pretty much the same this week, as Tennessee is clearly the most efficient SEC team, followed by the “NCAA Bunch”, although Florida and Ole Miss seem to be the weakest links of the group as Mississippi State seems to be pulling away with second.

—Kentucky’s numbers fell a small bit from last week, but they remain about 17 points shy of that magical 100 area where the SEC NCAA locks seem to be hovering. The question remains: Will the conference record offset the non-conference record enough?

—Alabama is all alone in the potential NIT at-large bids without a chance for an NCAA at-large bid.

—The remaining teams have packed it up and called it a year, barring miracle runs in the SEC Tournament.

—Note of interest: Alabama fell two offensively but rose two defensively after losing to LSU but then defeating #16 Vanderbilt.

Wirth Value: Week Fifteen

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (54.07, NC)
2. Tennessee (49.01, NC)
3. Florida (46.06, NC)
4. Ole Miss (38.27, NC)
5. Arkansas (32.48, +1)
6. Alabama (31.52, -1)
7. Miss. State (31.37, +1)
8. Kentucky (30.87, -1)
9. South Carolina (22.72, NC)
10. Auburn (18.83, NC)
11. Georgia (16.74, NC)
12. LSU (10.53)

Defense

1. Miss. State (52.43, NC)
2. Kentucky (46.10, +1)
3. Arkansas (45.85, -1)
4. Tennessee (40.61, NC)
5. Georgia (30.13, NC)
6. Ole Miss (28.88, NC)
7. LSU (26.82, +2)
8. Florida (25.37, -1)
9. Vanderbilt (22.49, -1)
10. South Carolina (18.82, +1)
11. Alabama (17.81, -1)
12. Auburn (13.16, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (132.80, NC)
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2. Miss. State (105.30, +4)
3. Vanderbilt (103.20, -1)
4. Florida (101.90, -1)
5. Ole Miss (100.21, NC)
6. Arkansas (98.90, -2)
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7. Kentucky (84.80, NC)
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8. Alabama (70.30, NC)
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9. South Carolina (61.66, NC)
10. Georgia (56.14, NC)
11. Auburn (44.38, NC)
12. LSU (41.11, NC)

—An absolutely massive jump up the ranks by Mississippi State after a sweep of Auburn and Florida (on the road) last week.

—Arkansas fell two spots after losing on the road at Alabama, putting into question the Razorbacks’ NCAA hopes.

—Unquestionably, the most talented and best overall team in the conference is Tennessee, if anyone was wondering. The Vols have a serious chance at receiving a #1 seed and making a Final Four or Championship run.

—The next group is becoming a bit more spread out, as MSU takes a firm lead on second, and Vanderbilt has taken its place as a solid third. Florida ranks fourth and seems to be a good bet for the NCAA, as does Arkansas. The odd-man out in that group is Ole Miss, who has a lot of work to do to get into that discussion, although it’s still possible.

—Next up is Kentucky, who’s trying to edge their way into the NCAA Tournament but has little or no room for error from here on out.

—Next is Alabama, who is still faintly in the NIT discussion, and the only team that is clearly out of the NCAA’s that still has a shot at the NIT.

—The remaining group is out of any postseason consideration without winning the conference tournament.

—It’s a bit surprising so many SEC squads are out of postseason consideration - proving the step back the conference has taken this season.

Pre-SEC Tournament Breakdown

Here’s a recap of where each team stands a little over two weeks away from the SEC Tournament. This includes likely seeds in the conference tournament and postseason play, remaining games, etc.

Alabama (14-13, 3-9)

The Tide have played good teams close this season: 4-point loss at Arkansas, 10-point loss to #5 Georgetown, 7-point loss to #1 Tennessee, 7-point loss at Mississippi State. However, the lack of talented depth - particularly interior - has limited the numbers under the win collumn. The team’s defense is miserable, the worst in the SEC in fact, and the offense holds its own. Richard Hendrix is obviously the MVP here, as he is possibly the best overall player in the SEC and by far one of the most overlooked college players in the nation. Gee is a distant second, as he’ll need to work on his decision-making to be a serious threat in his senior season next year. Hendrix is certainly a threat to go pro - but without the press coverage of a good season, he should come back and set up Alabama with a potential to win the conference outright next season, as some talented recruits filter into the program, Steele becomes available for his senior season more healthy than he’s been in a while, and the squad loses nearly noone.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. Arkansas (L)
@ Ole Miss (L)
@ LSU (W)
vs. #18 Vanderbilt (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

15-16, 4-12

SEC Tournament

West #5 seed
Round One: vs. Florida (W4)
Round Two: vs. Mississippi State (W1)
Semifinal: vs. Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), or Kentucky (E2)
Final: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

None

Arkansas (18-8, 7-5)

The Razorbacks have played well, but look to fall just short of their predicted finish of first in the Western division, mainly due to missed opportunites for wins at Georgia (L, 69-82) and versus South Carolina (L, 66-70). The team excels in rebounding and defense, its game-plan very similar to Mississippi State. Ironically, both Weems and Beverly lead the team in scoring threats, although Beverly’s shooting has dropped off significantly from last year and his rebounding has drastically improved, despite the squad’s reliance on its big-men. None of the Arkansas players will likely make any NBA draft, although the team loses Ervin, Hill, Hunter, Thomas, Townes, and Weems next year as 2008-2009 looks to be a gigantic rebuilding year for the ‘Backs.

Remaining Schedule (Prediction)

@ Alabama (W)
vs. #18 Vanderbilt (L)
@ Ole Miss (W)
vs. Auburn (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

21-9, 10-6

SEC Tournament

West #2 seed
Round One: Bye
Round Two: vs. LSU (W6) or Vanderbilt (E3)
Semifinals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), or Tennessee (E1)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 8 seed

Auburn (14-11, 4-

The Tigers have lots of potential to score, but only from their shooters - not their offensive plays. The team excels at racing and cutting to the basket, but are very vertically challenged with only one player on the roaster taller than their coach, Jeff Lebo. Free-throw shooting and field-goal percentage are the squad’s specialties, but nearly nothing else is - and rebounding is certainly the team’s biggest weakness. Depth has also been an enormous issue, as rarely do more than six Tigers score in a given game. Prowell leads the team in scoring, although Barber is arguably the team’s most important player with 13.8ppg, 6.9rpg and shooting 72.0% from the field. Quantez Robertson is one of the most under-appreciated point guards in the conference, as he sports 4.3 assists to 1.8 turnovers per game. None of the players have a shot at going pro, and the team loses Archie, Prowell, and Tolbert for next season…a significant scoring loss for a team that can’t afford to lose much depth.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

@ Mississippi State (L)
vs. South Carolina (W)
vs. Georgia (L)
@ Arkansas (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

15-14, 5-11

SEC Tournament

West #4 seed
Round One: vs. South Carolina (E5)
Round Two: vs. Tennessee (E1)
Semifinals: vs. LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), or Arkansas (W2)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

None

Florida (20-7, 7-5)

The very, very young Gators started off hot and looked to compete for the conference title, standing at 18-3 and 5-1 at one point. Since then, the freshmen have - like Ole Miss’ - hit the “brick wall”, as the squad has gone 2-4. The team is immensely talented (the nation’s top recruiting class for last year) but still very young and look to improve vastly next season. Defense has been shoddy at best, but the offense has been dynamic and nearly unstoppable. Calathes has been the catalyst for the team all season, as he leads the team with 15.3ppg, and also ranks among the top of the conference with 6.1 assists per game. Speights has proven to be a formidable inside prescense, putting up 7.8rpg and shooting 61.6% from the field. Losing noone for next year, this team looks to challenge for the overall SEC title next season and could very well end up as a Final Four threat before its all said and done.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

@ Georgia (W)
vs. Mississippi St. (W)
vs. #1 Tennessee (L)
@ Kentucky (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

22-9, 9-7

SEC Tournament

East #4 seed
Round One: vs. Alabama (W5)
Round Two: vs. Mississippi State (W1)
Semifinal: vs. Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), or Kentucky (E2)
Final: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 9 seed

Georgia (12-13, 3-9)

The Bulldogs, much like Alabama, have competed in nearly every game and played good fundamentals, but simply haven’t pulled through in the clutch. Close games include: 8-point loss at Gonzaga, a win over Arkansas, 5-point loss to Kentucky, 8-point loss to #18 Vanderbilt, 3-point loss to #1 Tennessee, and a 6-point loss at Kentucky. The team rebounds and defends well, but can’t get anything going offensively. Sundiata Gaines has proven to be a dominating player, shooting incredibly well and even averaging 6.6rpg. Gaines has a great potential to make the conference’s first-team, and certainly the second-team. With that said, when your playmaking guard is leading your team in rebounding, someone’s missing some assignments. Gaines will probably test the NBA waters but certainly won’t make the cut, and the team loses Gaines and Bliss headed into next season. Losing Gaines will likely mean yet another season at the bottom of the SEC East.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. Florida (L)
@ LSU (L)
@ Auburn (W)
vs. Ole Miss (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

13-16, 4-12

SEC Tournament

East #6 seed
Round One: vs. Ole Miss (W3)
Round Two: vs. Kentucky (E2)
Semifinals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), or Mississippi State (W1)
Finals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

None

Kentucky (15-10, 9-3)

The two most interesting storylines heading into the postseason will be Kentucky and Ole Miss - direct opposites of each other. As the Rebels have a decent overall wins record and RPI, their SEC record is miserable. Conversely, the Wildcats have won just 15 games and have home losses to both Gardner-Webb (L, 68-84) and San Diego (L, 72-81) but have amassed an impressive 9-3 conference record with wins over #18 Vanderbilt, #1 Tennessee, and Arkansas. The team has taken advantage of a solid defensive prescense, decent rebounding, and the conference’s best free-throw shooting to edge into second place in the conference and within a game and a half of Tennessee for the lead. The interesting issue for Kentucky is that the NCAA selection committee will likely either have to leave out a 10+ win SEC team for the first time ever or hand out an at-large to a 18 or 19-win team. Crawford, Patterson, and Bradley each contribute more than 15 points for a Wildcat team that has struggled with talented depth. Patterson will battle Calathes and Ogilvy for SEC Freshman of the Year, averaging 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Bradley leads the league in free-throw shooting with an 85.6% mark from the charity stripe. The only likely NBA-bound player will be Patterson, although he would be advised not to leave this season. The Wildcats will take a major blow in the points column by losing both Bradley and Crawford next season.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. Ole Miss (W)
@ #1 Tennessee (L)
@ South Carolina (W)
vs. Florida (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

18-11, 12-4

SEC Tournament

East #2 seed
Round One: Bye
Round Two: vs. Georgia (E6) or Ole Miss (W3)
Semifinals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), or Mississippi State (W1)
Finals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 10 seed

LSU (10-16, 3-9)

Surprisingly competitve following coach Brady’s firing, the Tigers have since upset Florida, handed a 20-point demolition to Ole Miss, played #1 Tennessee to 2 points, and played Kentucky to 4. However, the big picture is an ugly one for the Tigers, as they trail the entire conference in an enormous amount of statistical categories. Rebounding isn’t good, defense is mediocre, and offense is horrendous. About the only plus for LSU is ranking [a distant] second in the league in blocks per game. Marcus Thornton is the playmaker for the Tigers, as he averages 18.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Anthony Randolph is a quality big-man down low, although he hasn’t fared particularly well against the SEC’s other great big-men, with 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Both players would be legitimate NBA material if on another team, but the obscene lack of depth and the absence of a point-guard for LSU will limit that until the team steps back onto the national scene. As a positive, the team loses noone of importance heading into next season, and should have every opportunity to improve upon this year’s dismal record.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

@ South Carolina (L)
vs. Georgia (W)
vs. Alabama (L)
@ Mississippi State (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

11-19, 4-12

SEC Tournament

West #6 seed
Round One: vs. Vanderbilt (E3)
Round Two: vs. Arkansas (W2)
Semifinals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), or Tennessee (E1)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

None

Mississippi State (18-8, 9-3)

With a two-game lead in the West with four games remaining, the Bulldogs have a strangle-hold on the division. Also just a game and a half back overall, the overall title is still a distant hope. None of this would have been predicted earlier in the season when MSU stood at 5-5 on the season with losses to both Miamis and Southern Illinois among others. No terrible losses, but games a Western-Division champion should win. State has improved drastically since that point, with the only noticeable losses being a 20-point blowout at Arkansas and a loss at rival Ole Miss. The team has peeled off this impressive stretch by ranking 2nd in the nation in both field-goal percentage defense and blocking, while sophomore defensive expert Jarvis Varnado leads the entire nation in blocks per game. Varnado has totalled more blocks personally than at least 7 SEC teams as a whole, and has long since surpassed MSU’s all-time single-season block record. Rebounding is also a specialty for the Bulldogs, although ball-handling and free-throw shooting could prove to be fatal shortcomings in the NCAA Tournament. State’s Gordon will challenge Vandy’s Shan Foster for SEC Player of the Year, as the all-america candidate is leading the team with 17.5ppg, 6.3rpg (as a point guard) and 4.7 assists per game - although 4.0 turnovers per game is far from desirable. Rhodes has stepped up his play lately to put himself into the argument for All-SEC First Team. Rhodes will likely throw his name into the draft as a senior, and if Gordon will follow Rhodes into the NBA will perhaps become the SEC’s biggest question this off-season. If not, Gordon could lead the Bulldogs back to the top of the West and to the NCAA’s.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. Auburn (W)
@ Florida (L)
@ #18 Vanderbilt (L)
vs. LSU (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

20-8, 11-5

SEC Tournament

West #1 seed
Round One: Bye
Round Two: vs. Alabama (W5) or Florida (E4)
Semifinals: vs. Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), or Kentucky (E2)
Final: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 6 seed

Ole Miss (18-8, 4-

The Rebels have officially become “this year’s Clemson” after throwing the SEC on its heels by starting 13-0 but since have posted a 4-8 record, including being swept by Auburn and posting a 20-point loss at the SEC’s worst team, LSU. After appearing to be a certain NCAA lock, the team is now teetering on the wrong side of the bubble as the best possible outcome will be a sub-.500 SEC record. The team’s offensive efficiency has been outstanding for most of the season until recently, with freshman Chris Warren leading the charge. Defensively, the Rebels are non-existent although rebounding (behind Curtis) has become a trademark. Warren leads the Rebs both in scoring but in leadership - which has proved a major problem, as he is only a freshman. Curtis follows Hendrix as the conference’s best big-man, nearly averaging a double-double at 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The team is very young and has tons of potential, but will lose most of its frontcourt with the exodus of Curtis (to graduation and then the NBA) and Williams, the teams’ often-overlooked but very talented forward (to graduation). Next year, the Rebels look to be equally as talented offensively but rebounding will suffer badly and defense should continue to struggle.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

@ Kentucky (L)
vs. Alabama (W)
vs. Arkansas (L)
@ Georgia (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

20-8, 6-8

SEC Tournament

West #3 seed
Round One: vs. Georgia (E6)
Round Two: vs. Kentucky (E2)
Semifinals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), or Mississippi State (W1)
Finals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), Tennessee (E1), or Arkansas (W2)

Postseason

NIT: 1 seed

South Carolina (12-14, 4-

The Gamecocks are a stereotypical USC team - one talented point guard, and very little surrounding him. Downey can’t win every game on his own, and thus the squad has struggled. Amidst Odom’s announcement of his retirement at the end of the season, South Carolina has seemed just fall just short in nearly every game. South Carolina is actually one of the SEC’s best - if not the best - three-point shooting teams from a percentage aspect, but their reliance on the longball can get them into some trouble if they’re not falling. Downey is one of the conference’s top scorers, averaging 19.7 points per game, though he’s also putting up over 17 attempts per game. Downey is responsible, however, for 5.1 assists per outing. As a sophomore, Downey will likely leave his name out of the NBA waters, but he has the talent to get there at some point in his career. Losing literally noone from this year’s team, the Gamecocks are poised to be a competitive bunch next season, depending on the coaching change.v

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. LSU (W)
@ Auburn (L)
vs. Kentucky (L)
@ #1 Tennessee (L)

Final Regular-Season Record

13-17, 5-11

SEC Tournament

East #5 seed
Round One: vs. Auburn (W4)
Round Two: vs. Tennessee (E1)
Semifinals: vs. LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), or Arkansas (W2)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

None

Tennessee (25-3, 11-2)

After a thrilling upset of the nation’s top-ranked team in Memphis, the Vols were ushered into the top spot with welcome arms the following Monday. However, the excitement of the program’s first #1 ranking ever was soon lost on Tuesday night, as the Vols dropped a 3-point road decision to 18th-ranked Vanderbilt. Tennessee is still a menacing team sure to stretch their season long into the NCAA Tournament and continue to vie for a top seed barring no more losses until the conference tournament’s final game. Rebounding has been a pleasant surprise for head coach Bruce Pearl, mainly due to his genious coaching skills and the team knowing their placements on shot-selection. The team makes more three-pointers than any other team in the conference, but barely shoots an above-average percentage from that range. Balanced scoring has highlighted the team’s dynamic, as pre-season All-American Chris Lofton’s percentages has suffered this year. He still leads the team in scoring, but isn’t shooting even 40% from the field and is hoisting up almost 2 more shots per game than any other teammate. JuJuan Smith has evolved into a Jamont-Gordon-like dynamic player who’s able to do almost anything with the basketball, and Tyler Smith has lived up to the pre-season hype as one of the nation’s best incoming transfers. The immense wealth of talent that Pearl has so quickly stock-piled is unrivaled in the conference, and any number of players could prove to have NBA skills, including Lofton, Tyler/JuJuan Smith, and others. Because of this, it’s very difficult to pick out who may actually jump, although I suspect both Lofton and JuJuan Smith will put their names in the hat due to their lack of remaining eligibility. Those two are the only players lost for Tennessee (although they are very important pieces to the puzzle), so Tennessee could once again be in the running for a divisional or conference title next season.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

vs. Kentucky (W)
@ Florida (W)
vs. South Carolina (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

28-3, 14-2

SEC Tournament

East #1 seed
Round One: Bye
Round Two: vs. South Carolina (E5) or Auburn (W4)
Semifinals: vs. LSU (W6), Vanderbilt (E3), or Arkansas (W2)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 1 seed

Vanderbilt (24-4, 9-4)

The Commodores started off at a red-hot clip, winning 16-straight games before losing 4 of their next 5. Appearing to be mimmicking Ole Miss’ epic implosion, the Commodores bounced back to a very good SEC record and have long since sealed their NCAA fates. The team (seemingly among many others in the Eastern Division) relies heavily on three-point shooting while rebounding isn’t a specialty, and has been anchored by SEC Player of the Year candidate Shan Foster and outstanding SEC Fresham of the Year candidate A.J. Ogilvy. Foster is near the top of the conference in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per contest on an absolutely excellent 51.6% shooting despite putting up over 13 attempts per game. Foster also is shooting over 45% from behind the arc and 5 rebounds per game. Ogilvy has proved formidable on the offensive end and less so on the defensive end, averaging 16.6ppg and 6.8rpg. Both players have NBA potential, although Foster is an almost definite as this is his last year. Ogilvy is a big question-mark, as he’s been on scouts’ radars even since his high-school days in Australia. If the team loses both, next year could be a semi-rebuilding year, although the NCAA’s would still be well within reach.

Remaining Games (Prediction)

at Arkansas (W)
vs. Mississippi State (W)
@ Alabama (W)

Final Regular-Season Record

27-4, 12-4

SEC Tournament

East #3 seed
Round One: vs. LSU (W6)
Round Two: vs. Arkansas (W2)
Semifinals: vs. South Carolina (E5), Auburn (W4), or Tennessee (E1)
Finals: vs. Alabama (W5), Florida (E4), Georgia (E6), Ole Miss (W3), Mississippi State (W1), or Kentucky (E2)

Postseason

NCAA Tournament: 3 seed

Wirth Value: Week Sixteen

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (54.55, NC)
2. Tennessee (52.39, NC)
3. Florida (44.96, NC)
4. Ole Miss (37.80, NC)
5. Alabama (32.47, +2)
6. Arkansas (31.76, -1)
7. Kentucky (31.40, -1)
8. Miss. State (26.84, NC)
9. South Carolina (24.64, NC)
10. Auburn (21.56, NC)
11. Georgia (15.56, NC)
12. LSU (11.62, NC)

Defense

1. Miss. State (49.74, NC)
2. Arkansas (47.78, NC)
3. Kentucky (44.42, NC)
4. Tennessee (41.36, +1)
5. Georgia (33.23, -1)
6. Ole Miss (25.34, +4)
7. Florida (25.26, -1)
8. Vanderbilt (24.81, -1)
9. LSU (23.37, -1)
10. Alabama (21.43, -1)
11. South Carolina (17.69, NC)
12. Auburn (14.28, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (137.36, NC)
————————–
2. Vanderbilt (104.34, +2)
3. Florida (101.76, -1)
4. Arkansas (98.95, +2)
5. Ole Miss (98.92, -2)
6. Miss. State (97.30, -1)
————————–
7. Kentucky (84.02, NC)
8. Alabama (76.24, NC)
————————–
9. South Carolina (59.68, NC)
10. Georgia (58.87, NC)
————————–
11. Auburn (48.17, NC)
12. LSU (38.83, NC)

—As if the Vols hadn’t convinced us yet, they are clearly and unquestionably the best team in the nation, much less the SEC.

—The next group is split by only 7.04 points, and all look to reach the NCAA Tournament - although Ole Miss is not far from falling out of that group.

—The next group is distant NCAA hopefuls, with Kentucky the clearly more viable option.

—The next group is NIT hopefuls, although both teams are unlikely to claim a bid.

—The final group are teams that have effectively lost all postseason hopes.

Wirth Value: Week Fifteen

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (51.45, NC)
2. Tennessee (50.95, NC)
3. Florida (44.11, NC)
4. Ole Miss (41.48, NC)
5. Arkansas (31.43, NC)
6. Kentucky (30.29, NC)
7. Alabama (29.85, +1)
8. Miss. State (28.01, -1)
9. South Carolina (24.99, NC)
10. Auburn (23.37, NC)
11. Georgia (16.23, NC)
12. LSU (10.38, NC)

Defense

1. Miss. State (49.75, +1)
2. Arkansas (49.01, -1)
3. Kentucky (40.48, NC)
4. Georgia (38.00, +1)
5. Tennessee (37.05, -1)
6. Florida (26.61, NC)
7. Vanderbilt (24.85, +3)
8. LSU (24.80, NC)
9. Alabama (21.92, +2)
10. Ole Miss (21.47, -3)
11. South Carolina (18.61, -2)
12. Auburn (14.12, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (131.92, NC)
2. Florida (101.73, +2)
3. Ole Miss (101.68, NC)
4. Vanderbilt (100.34, +2)
5. Miss. State (100.23, NC)
6. Arkansas (98.62, -4)
—————————-
7. Kentucky (78.87, NC)
8. Alabama (72.38, +1)
—————————-
9. South Carolina (63.41, -1)
10. Georgia (62.41, NC)
—————————-
11. Auburn (49.68, NC)
12. LSU (38.60, NC)

—The most noticeable thing to me this week is the 2nd-5th place groups overall, seperated by just 1.50 points. Arkansas is just 1.61 points out of that group. With Tennessee absolutely dominating the league statistically, the 2nd-6th group should all be NCAA squads.

—The next group of Kentucky and Alabama are likely high NIT seeds but very unlikely to reach the NCAA’s without a miracle turn-around.

—Next up is South Carolina and Georgia, who are low bubble teams for the NIT, and following those are Auburn and LSU who have very little to no hope of seeing any postseason play.

Wirth Value: Week Fourteen

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (52.59, +1)
2. Tennessee (47.39, -1)
3. Florida (46.06, NC)
4. Ole Miss (45.62, NC)
5. Arkansas (34.19, +1)
6. Kentucky (32.87, +1)
7. Miss. State (27.97, +2)
8. Alabama (27.46, -3)
9. South Carolina (26.60, -1)
10. Auburn (18.35, NC)
11. Georgia (16.06, NC)
12. LSU (10.17, NC)

Defense

1. Arkansas (52.48, NC)
2. Miss. State (49.99, NC)
3. Kentucky (44.70, +1)
4. Tennessee (35.42, +1)
5. Georgia (35.26, -2)
6. Florida (28.46, NC)
7. Ole Miss (25.41, +1)
8. LSU (24.16, +1)
9. South Carolina (22.80, -2)
10. Vanderbilt (18.91, NC)
11. Alabama (17.16, NC)
12. Auburn (13.14, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (125.42, NC)
2. Arkansas (110.96, +2)
3. Ole Miss (109.47, NC)
4. Florida (107.07, -2)
5. Miss. State (98.53, +1)
6. Vanderbilt (96.75, -1)
7. Kentucky (86.37, NC)
8. South Carolina (67.59, +1)
9. Alabama (65.22, -1)
10. Georgia (59.80, NC)
11. Auburn (44.01, NC)
12. LSU (36.24, NC)

—Arkansas received a big boost after four-straight wins, including a home victory over Ole Miss which provided a serious bump in the RPI.

—Vanderbilt took the lead on offense, mainly due to a 47-point outing by Tennessee at LSU.

—A comment was very accurate last week in regarding the top “tier” of teams as NCAA teams, and the second “tier” as NIT teams. However, it’s becoming a bit more muddled,  now with Kentucky struggling to break into the top tier and make it seven. I seriously doubt the SEC would receive seven bids, which would be begging to leave someone out. With Kentucky’s poor record, it would be the Wildcats at this choice.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Twelve Poll

1. Memphis (13, NC)
2. Kansas (3, NC)
3. Duke (+1)
4. North Carolina (+1)
5. UCLA (+2)
6. Tennessee (-3)
7. Georgetown (+3)
8. Washington State (-2)
9. Michigan State (NC)
10. Texas (+2)
11. Indiana (-3)
12. Butler (+1)
13. Wisconsin (-2)
14. Drake (+4)
15. Xavier (+5)
16. Stanford (+6)
17. Marquette (+4)
18. Arizona (NR)
19. Ole Miss (-4)
20. Florida (NR)
21. Pittsburgh (-4)
22. Kansas State (NR)
23. Vanderbilt (-7)
24. USC (NR)
25. Connecticut (NR)

Others Receiving Votes - most to least: St. Mary’s, Baylor, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Dayton, Notre Dame, Villanova, Louisville, Purdue, Clemson, Rhode Island, Oregon, Kent State, Arizona State

New: (1 Arizona, (20) Florida (22), Kansas State, (24) USC, (25) Connecticut
Out: (14) Dayton, (19) Texas A&M, (23) Villanova, (24) St. Mary’s, (25) Arizona State

—Lots of movement in the lower half of the poll this week, with a tremendous number of upsets occuring throughout last week.

—Dayton plummeted out of the polls from 14th spot after losing three straight to Massachusetts, Xavier, and a mind-boggling loss to Richmond.

—Vanderbilt also fell drastically after losing against the SEC’s worst overall-record in Kentucky and then to Florida by 20. Both losses were on the road, however.

—Xavier climbed five spots after reaching 5-1 in the A-10, with recent wins over Dayton at home and Massachusetts on the road.

—Stanford continues to rise its own stock, now with a 17-3 overall record and 6-2 mark in the Pac-10. Three of those conference victories have been on the road.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Eleven Poll

Here is everyone’s vote.

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

Others Receiving Votes - most to least: West Virginia, Baylor, Clemson, Gonzaga, Arizona, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, Kansas State, Rhode Island, Louisville, Miami (FL), Florida, Mississippi State, Cleveland State, Massachusetts

New: (22) Stanford, (23) Villanova, (24) St. Mary’s
Out: (21) Rhode Island, (24) Rhode Island, (25) Clemson

—Texas A&M fell tremendously after falling to 1-3 in the Big 12 with three-straight losses at the hands of Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Baylor.

—Marquette fell nearly as much after losing two in a row to Louisville and Connecticut.

—Wisconsin and Drake were the big winners this week, as the Badgers are a perfect 6-0 in the Big Ten with recent wins over Michigan and Northwestern and Drake has taken care of Illinois State and Creighton to move to 17-1 and 8-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Ten Poll

Link to everyone’s vote is here. 

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 (-
25. BYU (NC)

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

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

—Biggest loser was Xavier, after despite oddly not losing a game. The competition wasn’t particularly strong, but an 8-point drop after constant wins is surprising.

—Oregon also suffered despite beating two ranked opponents because of a loss to Arizona State, who is receiving votes. Another interesting one.

—Arizona was the only major gainer, after losing two of their last three. Inverted much?

Wirth Value: Week Ten

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (58.12, NC)
2. Tennessee (46.91, +1)
3. Florida (46.69, +1)
4. Ole Miss (44.75, -2)
5. Alabama (36.14, NC)
6. Arkansas (34.16, +1)
7. South Carolina (28.66, -1)
8. Kentucky (25.08, +1)
9. Miss. State (20.81, -1)
10. Georgia (17.74, NC)
11. Auburn (12.55, NC)
12. LSU (9.12, NC)

Defense

1. Miss. State (48.73, +1)
2. Arkansas (48.07, -1)
3. Kentucky (36.19, +1)
4. Florida (35.09, -1)
5. Georgia (31.36, +2)
6. LSU (29.71, -1)
7. Ole Miss (28.90, -1)
8. Tennessee (26.64, NC)
9. South Carolina (21.10, NC)
10. Vanderbilt (18.94, +1)
11. Auburn (16.43, -1)
12. Alabama (13.85, NC)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (117.62, NC)
2. Florida (114.22, NC)
3. Tennessee (112.74, NC)
4. Arkansas (103.68, +1)
5. Vanderbilt (99.66, -1)
6. Miss. State (89.38, NC)
7. Alabama (74.07, NC)
8. Kentucky (68.19, +1)
9. South Carolina (67.21, -1)
10. Georgia (55.98, NC)
11. LSU (42.90, NC)
12. Auburn (39.27, NC)

—Ole Miss suffered offensively after squeezing by an average LSU defense at home.

—Mississippi State capped their long, slow approach towards the top of the defensive standings after holding LSU and Georgia to their lowest point totals and field goal percentages of the season.

—Following their 39-point, 21% performance at home versus Miss. State, LSU’s offense is nearing the title of “pathetic”.

Wirth Value: Week Nine

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (59.85, NC)
2. Ole Miss (48.55, NC)
3. Tennessee (44.50, NC)
4. Florida (42.40, NC)
5. Alabama (36.11, NC)
6. South Carolina (28.89, NC)
7. Arkansas (26.17, NC)
8. Miss. State (22.88, NC)
9. Kentucky (22.66, NC)
10. Georgia (16.57, NC)
11. Auburn (14.48, NC)
12. LSU (11.53, NC)

Defense

1. Arkansas (46.27, NC)
2. Miss. State (43.15, NC)
3. Florida (34.96, +1)
4. Kentucky (33.64, +1)
5. LSU (31.50, -2)
6. Ole Miss (31.28, +1)
7. Georgia (27.65, -1)
8. Tennessee (25.05, +2)
9. South Carolina (24.12, NC)
10. Auburn (19.01, -2)
11. Vanderbilt (17.87, +1)
12. Alabama (12.79, -1)

Overall

1. Ole Miss (123.70, NC)
2. Florida (110.33, NC)
3. Tennessee (107.47, NC)
4. Vanderbilt (104.94, NC)
5. Arkansas (91.53, NC)
6. Miss. State (83.16, NC)
7. Alabama (72.50, NC)
8. South Carolina (72.48, NC)
9. Kentucky (61.33, +3)
10. Georgia (50.92, -1)
11. LSU (45.64, -1)
12. Auburn (44.58, -1)

—Despite losing 6 of their last 8, the Wildcats improved dramatically - mainly due to Louisville’s decent RPI. Their efficiency is slightly better overall, however.

—An extremely small amount of change in the general scheme of things, with Kentucky being the biggest mover. Mississippi State is closing the gap defensively on Arkansas, while Ole Miss continues to dominate the efficiency numbers. It will be interesting to see if the Rebels can keep up their play in the SEC.

—Tennessee drove up their defensive numbers a bit after narrow wins over Xavier and Gonzaga.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Eight Poll

I have no link for everyone’s votes - if I get it, I will post it first thing.

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

Others Receiving Votes - most to least: St. Mary’s, Stanford, Oklahoma, Providence, Xavier, West Virginia, Gonzaga

New: (22) Wisconsin, (24) USC
Out: (21) BYU, (24) West Virginia

—Big moving week, as we observed our biggest gain and our biggest drop of the season thus far.

—Dayton rose by an impressive 11 slots after their 25-point slaughtering of Pittsburgh at home - the Flyers’ only loss is at George Mason earlier in the season and they have now recorded victories at Miami of Ohio, at Louisville, and Pittsburgh at home.

—Speaking of Dayton’s victory over Pittsburgh, the Panthers’ loss sent them freefalling an entire 12 spots. Although their one-point victory over the Blue Devils of Duke is impressive, that’s the only solid victory Pitt has managed.

—After an incredible 11-0 start, including victories at UCLA and a blowout of Tennessee at home, the Longhorns of Texas have now lost their last two in a row at Michigan State and a heartbreaking one-point, last-season loss to Wisconsin at home. The losses have dropped Texas by eight.

—The Volunteers of Tennessee are on the rise after dropping that embarassing 19 point decision at Texas, posting victories over both Xavier and Gonzaga on the road. Next up is a surprisingly talented Ole Miss team that could very well have enormous implications in the race for the conference title.

—Speaking of the Rebels, Ole Miss remains one of few undefeateds in the nation with their nice three-point victory over Clemson and great 20-point blowout of a talented Southern Miss squad. The Rebs have already recorded victories over Winthrop, DePaul, and South Alabama…none overly impressive, but all decent.

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?!?

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.

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 (-
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 (33.6
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 (73.4
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.

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.

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.

Official Multi-Blogger Week Three Poll

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

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

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

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

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

Official Multi-Blogger Week Two Poll

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

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

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

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

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

Official Multi-Blogger Week One Poll

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

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

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

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

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

Week One Top 25+10

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

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

Comments are welcome.

Official Multi-Blogger 2007-2008 Preseason Poll

The poll has been voted upon, tallied, argued, etc. and here is the final result.

1. Memphis (3)
2. UCLA (1)
3. North Carolina (1)
4. Kansas (1)
5. Georgetown
6. Tennessee (1)
7. Louisville
8. Michigan St.
9. Washington St.
10. Marquette
11. Oregon
12. Indiana
13. Texas
14. Duke
15. Kentucky
16. Gonzaga
17. Arkansas
18. Stanford
19. Texas A&M
20. Arizona
21. Butler
22. Davidson
23. Mississippi St.
24. VA Commonwealth
25. USC

For a link to see each blogger’s vote, along with links to their individual blogs, click here. Special thanks to Gabby from March to Madness for organizing and facilitating this process.

I led a special vote replacing Ohio State and Clemson with Butler and Mississippi State, which successfully garnered the three votes needed to pass.

On a side note, SEC:GBD will bypass 5,000 hits today (now standing at 4,994) and I wanted to send out a special thankyou to everyone who regularly checks the site. This season looks to be a good one, and I look forward to covering every second of it.

Official Preseason Top 25+10

I have cast my ballot for the blogpoll preseason Top 25, and this is mine plus ten.

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

This may not maintain its accuracy depending on further injuries and arrests. I was hesitant to knock Memphis down in the face of recent arrests, and even more so to bump Tennessee up to the top spot considering Crews’ recent problems.

I’ve added Butler (whom I failed to include formerly) and dropped Alabama (because of the loss of Steele).

I’ll be posting my Week One ranking when it gets here, and will be posting SEC position rankings, etc very soon.

Exciting news, expanded…

The following blogs have joined the blogpoll…

• College Hoops Heaven
• A Sea of Blue (link to come)
• Rush the Court

Should be a compilation of some of the greatest bloggers on the subject of basketball - a formidable force rivaling the AP Poll. Okay…maybe not.

Stay tuned, more to come.