SEC Tournament Break-Down

Now that the seeds are set and the Southeastern Conference’s 49th all-time league tournament is set to begin this Thursday, March 13th, here is a breakdown of each matchup, predictions for their outcomes, and the times they will be playing. The number following the “#” is that squad’s seeding in their division, and the numeral in brackets is the team’s RPI, per www.kenpom.com.

All SEC Tournament games except for the Final Round will be televised by Raycom Sports, and the Final Round will be televised nationally by CBS.

1st Round

1:00PM ET, 12:00PM CT

(East #5: 13-17, 5-11) South Carolina [#139] vs. (West #4: 13-17, 6-10) LSU [#159]

Offense: Advantage - South Carolina: The Gamecocks don’t shoot particularly well overall, but put up a ton of shots by forcing turnovers. USC is also lethal from three, where they rank third in the conference at 36.7% as a team. The Tigers rank near the bottom of the conference in points per game and field-goal percentage.

Defense: Advantage - LSU: The Tigers’ defense has been above average all year, built around the blocking prowess of both Johnson and Randolph. LSU ranks second in the conference in blocks per game and fourth in field-goal percentage defense, but tend to allow a lot of opponent attempts by turning the ball over and missing offensive rebounding opportunities.

Playmakers: Advantage - LSU: Both teams are short on depth, but the Tigers seem to be more talented overall with All-SEC Freshman candidate Anthony Randolph inside who ranks 3rd in the conference in both rebounding and blocks. Marcus Thornton recently put up 38 points on Mississippi State and has proven to be a lethal all-around scorer, ranking 2nd in the conference in scoring with 19.7 points per game and in the top 15 with a 43.6% field goal percentage. Chris Johnson has proven to be formidable inside as well, ranking 2nd in blocking. The main playmaker for USC is without a doubt Rivals.com First-Team All-SEC Devan Downey, who’s quickness and talented ball-handling is hard to keep from driving the basket. Downey ranks 2nd in the conference in scoring, but doesn’t take the best-advaised shots as he doesn’t rank in the top 15 field-goal percentages. Downey also takes care of the ball well, handing out 5.2 assists to just 2.8 turnovers, ranking 4th in that category.

Depth: Advantage - South Carolina: Although neither team is particularly strong in this area, USC regularly rotates 8 men and has 2 more backups while the Tigers rotate 8 men but have just 1 more usable backup.

Intangibles: Advantage - LSU: Both teams have some things going for them. While Dave Odom will be coaching in his final SEC Tournament that has seen Odom receive his fair share of success, the Tigers have lifted the Brady “weight” off of their shoulders and have been playing inspired basketball, winning 4 of their last 5. Butch Pierre has done a great job at reorganizing the Tigers’ rotation off the bench and creating more offense.

Bottom Line: This will be a game dominated by two or three players with a load of role-players mixed in. The outcome will likely be dictated by USC’s Holmes and LSU’s Randolph inside and USC’s Downey and LSU’s Thornton from the outside. Whichever team can keep the other’s main scorer out of the paint will win the game, although the Tigers will need to keep a handle on their turnovers also.

Prediction: LSU wins, 70-64: The Tigers’ Randolph will prove to be the difference-maker, scoring almost at will inside the paint while Downey will still manage to put up more than 20 points. A close game favors LSU, who leads the conference in free-throw shooting percentage.

3:15 PM ET, 2:15PM CT

(West #6: 14-15, 4-12) Auburn [#154] vs. (East #3: 25-6, 10-6) Vanderbilt [#10]

Offense: Advantage - Vanderbilt: The Commodores are one of the most potent offenses in the conference, averaging 80.4 points per game and leading the conference in three-point percentage at 40.2%. The Tigers rank near the bottom in almost every offensive category.

Defense: Advantage - Vanderbilt: Neither team is known for their defense, but the Tigers have been horrid. Auburn’s field-goal percentage defense is nearly 3% worse than any other SEC team’s, although Vanderbilt’s scoring defense is slightly worse.

Playmakers: Advantage - Vanderbilt: The Commodores have the likely SEC Player of the Year in Shan Foster and SEC Freshman of the Year candidate AJ Ogilvy. Foster leads the conference in scoring with 20.6 points per game and 9th in the conference in field-goal percentage. Ogilvy has proven to be a threat offensively as well, leading SEC freshman with 16.7 points per game and 3rd among SEC freshman with 6.8 rebounds per game. Auburn’s Quantez Robertson is one of the most underrated point guards, handing out 4.2 assists to just 1.8 turnovers per game, ranking 2nd in the conference in that category.

Depth: Advantage - Vanderbilt: The Commodores have recruited well, and it shows. The ‘Dores regularly rotate 10 men into play, with 1 more off the bench while Auburn rotates 8 with 1 off of the bench.

Intangibles: Advantage - Vanderbilt: The ‘Dores are currently ranked 17th in the nation and are a popular pick for the Sweet 16. Morale is low in Auburn, as the Tigers haven’t seen the postseason in quite some time.

Bottom Line: This game will be full of offense, as neither team plays much defense. An offensive game easily favors Vanderbilt, as the Commodores have been scoring nearly at will all season long. With Auburn’s severe lack of talent and depth, this game could get ugly.

Prediction: Vanderbilt wins, 94-75: At least 9 or 10 players will get on the scoreboard for Vanderbilt, as this game becomes a route early on. Because of a lesser need for him, Foster doesn’t have a remarkable game, scoring around 15 points.

7:30PM ET, 6:30PM CT

(West #5: 16-15, 5-11) Alabama [#117] vs. (East #4: 21-10, 8- Florida [#65]

Offense: Advantage - Florida: The Gators are loaded with offensively-talented freshman, ranking 4th in the conference in scoring average and lead the conference in field-goal percentage. The Tide rank near the middle of the conference in all offensive categories.

Defense: Advantage - Alabama: These two teams are possibly the worst defensive teams in the conference, but the Tide have a slight edge in percentages and a sizeable lead in blocks/steals per game. Richard Hendrix probably gives this advantage to Alabama on his own.

Playmakers: Advantage - Alabama: Richard Hendrix, as you all know by now, is possibly my favorite SEC player. He’s practically unstoppable under the rim, even against arguably the nation’s best defender in MSU’s Jarvis Varnado. Hendrix ranks 4th in the conference in scoring, 1st in rebounding (the only SEC player to average a double-double), 3rd in field-goal percentage, and 5th in blocking. Hendrix is a beast, and possibly the best all-around player in the conference. ‘Bama’s Riley is also underestimated, ranking 2nd in the conference in three-point shooting, while Gee is an unpredictable but dynamic play-maker. Florida has their share of talent as well, as freshman Nick Calathes easily leads the conference in assists per game with 6.1, and ranks 3rd in assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s a scoring point, though, leading his team in scoring with 15.9 points per game. Speights can also dominate a game inside, ranking 4th in rebounding and 2nd in field-goal percentage.

Depth: Advantage - Alabama: While both teams are relatively deep, Florida relies more on its talented youth while the Tide have some more experienced players and cycle more men into the game. 9 Bama players regularly see playing time with 2 usable backups, while 9 Gators see common playing time but none are usable off of the bench.

Intangibles: Advantage - Florida: The Gators will be playing for their NCAA lives and are coached by possibly the SEC’s best coach, while the Tide are struggling to even reach the NIT and have fell short of already-low expectations.

Bottom Line: This is yet another game that will see very little defense and be controlled by offense. Alabama simply won’t have the offense to keep up with the potent Gators, although Hendrix will likely have a huge game against Speights inside. The game will be close, but Alabam’s free throw shooting will cost them the game.

Prediction: Florida wins, 80-72: The game will come down to the final minute, as Alabama will miss key free throws to hand Florida the game.

9:45PM ET, 8:45PM CT

(East #6: 13-16, 4-12) Georgia [#152] vs. (West #3: 21-9, 7-9) Ole Miss [#42]

Offense: Advantage - Ole Miss: The Bulldogs’ offense is the most anemic in the conference, scoring just 67.8 points per game. Conversely, the Rebels have proven to execute an efficient offense, ranking third in the conference in scoring, although the Rebs rank 9th in field-goal percentage.

Defense: Georgia - Both teams play decent defense, but the Bulldogs’ scoring defense gives them the edge, as they rank 4th in the conference with 67.2 points per outing. All of the remaining statistics are very similar.

Playmakers: Advantage - Ole Miss: Neither team is overloaded with talent, but the Rebels have a clear advantage with SEC Freshman of the Year candidate Chris Warren and vastly overlooked big-man Dwayne Curtis on the interior. Warren has tremendous speed but still has work to do on his decision-making skills, leading the team in scoring but shooting just 39.6% from the field and turning the ball over nearly 3 times a game. Curtis ranks 2nd in the conference with an impressive 9.3 rebounds per game and leads the SEC in field-goal percentage, shooting 64.6% on the season. For Georgia, Sundiata Gaines is the key to the team’s offense, putting up over 12 attempts per game, grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game, and ranking 6th in the conference with 4.2 assists to 2.4 turnovers per game. Gaines’ main drawback is free-throw shooting, as he hits just 57.3% of his shots from the charity stripe.

Depth: Advantage - Ole Miss: Both teams have some talent on the bench, but the Rebels have more, as both cycle in 10 men regularly with 1 legitimate backup.

Intangibles: Advantage - Ole Miss: The Rebels absolutely must win this game to reach the NCAA, and they know it. Felton has struggled with off-the-court issues, and the Rebels simply have more to play for.

Bottom Line: When it comes to crunch time, Georgia won’t have the offense to keep up with the Rebels. Curtis should have a monster game, scoring 15-20+ points and 10+ rebounds, as Bliss is not necessarily a threat defensively.

Prediction: Ole Miss wins, 76-67: This game shouldn’t be as close as the score looks, as the Rebels should take control in the second half as the Bulldogs lose any offensive momentum they may have created in the first.

2nd Round

Since the second round depends on who wins in the first, here is a breakdown of each squad who received a bye, both strengths and weaknesses.

1:00PM ET, 12:00PM CT

(East #1: 28-3, 14-2) Tennessee [#1] vs. (Winner of [E5] South Carolina vs. [W4] LSU)

Offense: The Vols have boasted a tremendously potent offense from the very beginning of the season, averaging a league-leading 82.5 points per game. Surprisingly, the Vols rank just 8th in field-goal perentage and 5th from behind the arc, but utilize great offensive rebounding (2nd) and turnover-forcing (1st) to attempt 236 more shots from the floor than their opponents. The squad also shares the ball remarkably well, averaging over 18 assists per game to lead the SEC in that category as well.

Defense: Although the common conception is that a great speed-based offense like Tennessee lacks on defense, this is very untrue for the Vols. The team’s scoring defense ranks a decent 6th, but the key is three-point defense as the team leads the conference quite comfortably in that category, with a 30.5% mark. Forced turnovers are the key to Tennessee’s high-intensity, high-pressure defense, which leads into easy buckets.

Playmakers: The Volunteers are very talented and well-balanced, as despite leading the league in scoring as a team no player averages more than 16 points per game. Chris Lofton, a preseason All-American selection, is that 16ppg scorer, although he manages those points on 11.9 attempts per game as opposed to percentages, as his shooting percentage from the floor doesn’t rank in the top 15 in the conference. Lofton does, however, lead the SEC in free-throw percentage shooting, hitting 84.2% of his attempts. Tyler Smith has claimed his mark as one of the best big-men in the conference, leading his team in rebounding and ranking 8th in the conference in shooting percentage. JuJuan Smith is extremely dynamic but sometimes out of control, though he shoots a respectable 45.2% from the floor. JuJuan also ranks 5th in the SEC in steals per game.

Depth: Tennessee is one of the deepest teams in the conference, with 11 players seeing consistent playing time and 1 other seeing some amount of time off the bench.

Intangibles: Everything is going right for one fo the nation’s top teams, with two or three potential All-SEC First Teamers and SEC Coach of the Year candidate. A Final Four seems a distcint possibility, as does bringing home the Southeastern Conference’s third-straight men’s basketball national title.

Prediction: The Vols have a great chance at winning the conference tournament and going on to an NCAA Tournament 1-seed.

3:15PM ET, 2:15PM CT

(West #2: 20-10, 9-7) Arkansas [#43] vs. (Winner of [W6] Auburn vs. [E3] Vanderbilt)

Offense: Arkansas is a defense-oriented team who likes to slow the ball down. The team’s scoring margin is mediocre at best, although the percentages are good as most of the team’s scoring comes from inside the paint. The team doesn’t share the ball exceptionally well, and does not shoot well from three as a whole.

Defense: The Razorbacks have been battling MSU for the top spot defensively all season, as the team is loaded with quality big-men. Arkansas ranks 3rd in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, and three-point defense as well as blocks per game.

Playmakers: Sonny Weems is the team’s shooting specialist, leading the squad in scoring with 14.9 points per game while ranking 11th in the conference in field-goal percentage. Reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Patrick Beverly is the conference’s 3rd-most efficient three-point shooter at 40.1%, and Steven Hill ranks 4th in blocks per game. This team doesn’t have many stand-outs, as the effort is usually well-balanced.

Depth: Arkansas is also very deep, as 10 players see regular playing time but no others come off the bench.

Intangibles: The ‘Backs are another team looking to ensure their NCAA hopes, and a win against a very talented Vanderbilt team would do it. Arkansas has lost 5 of their last 8, however, and this will be Pelphrey’s first SEC Tournament. How will the seniors respond in their last SEC Tournament?

Prediction: The Razorbacks should be able to defeat the Commodores, as Vanderbilt hasn’t been able to hit their threes away from home. The ‘Backs would likely fall hard to the Volunteers, however.

7:30PM ET, 6:30PM CT

(West #1: 21-9, 12-4) Mississippi State [#38] vs. (Winner of [W5] Alabama vs. [E4] Florida)

Offense: While MSU is widely known to be a very talented team defensively, the squad’s offensive presence has been lost in the shuffle. Although State’s scoring offense ranks just 6th, the team’s field-goal percentage ranks 3rd. The Bulldogs are not adept at three-point shooting, however, nor sharing the ball - ranking 9th and 8th in those categories, respectively. In SEC play, MSU leads the conference in field-goal percentage.

Defense: Well-known at this point, Mississippi State’s field-goal percentage defense ranks atop the SEC and 2nd in the country behind Georgetown, at 36.9%. Absolutely suffocating on defense, the team also ranks 2nd in three-point defense, 1st in scoring defense, and 1st in blocks per game (and also 2nd in the NCAA in that category, behind Connecticut). State’s length and athleticism makes every point scored against them difficult.

Playmakers: The Bulldogs have arguably the most talented starting 5 in the conference, with SEC Player of the Year candidate Jamont Gordon leading the way. Charles Rhodes is a legitimate All-SEC First-Teamer, Jarvis Varnado leads the nation in blocks per game and is set to challenge Shaq’s all-time SEC blocks record as a sophomore, and both Stewart and Hansbrough are able to put up 20+ points on any given night. Gordon ranks 5th in the conference in scoring while Rhodes ranks 7th, while Varnado ranks 5th in rebounds and Rhodes ranks 6th. Rhodes is a very efficient shooter, even with face to the basket, ranking 6th in the conference in shooting percentage, while Gordon ranks 3rd in assists per game. Hansbrough also ranks in the top 10 in three-point percentage and 3-pointers made per game. This team is very well-balanced, with an offensive big-man, defensive big-man, penetrating guard, and two shooters.

Depth: The Bulldogs have lots of depth on the bench, with a regular rotation cycle of 10 players and 1 off the bench.

Intangibles: State has been on the brink of being ranked throughout the season, and have won 7 of their last 9. The ‘Dawgs seem to work well under the “underdog” mentality, and have the balance and depth to make a run in both postseason tournaments.

Prediction: State hasn’t lost a game to either of their potential second-round matchups, and have only dropped one game out of the total potential matchups in the semifinal round. State seems to be a good bet for the SEC Tournament finals, where a rematch with Tennessee should be an exciting game - although I’d pick the Vols to take that game, as UT won in Starkville in the teams’ previous matchup.

9:45PM ET, 8:45PM CT

(West #2: 18-11, 12-4) Kentucky [#49] vs. (Winner of [E6] Georgia vs. [W3] Ole Miss)

Offense: Offense hasn’t been a specialty for the Wildcats, as the team ranks 10th in scoring offense for the season in the conference. The slow-paced offense shoots well, though, ranking 3rd in field-goal percentage and 2nd from behind the arc. The problem is rebounding, as the ‘Cats haven’t been able to take many shots from the floor and ranking last in turnover margin.

Defense: The Wildcat defense is a typical hard-nosed Kentucky defense, ranking 2nd in scoring defense allowed and field-goal percentage defense. What the team doesn’t do, however, is force turnovers very well, which when combined with poor ball-handling results in easy buckets for the opponent.

Playmakers: Three Wildcats score 16 points a game or more, although surprisingly only one of them has really captured the media’s attention. That player is SEC Freshman of the Year candidate Patrick Patterson, who is no longer with the team after a fractured foot, and won’t be back until next season. Stevenson has handled the loss well, stepping up to record a couple of double-doubles in his absence. The other two top scorers are Crawford and Bradley, who are a couple of the more underestimated players in the league. Crawford ranks 6th in the conference in scoring and 10th in field-goal perecentage, while Bradley ranks 2nd in free-throw percentage.

Depth: Injuries have plagued the Wildcats, who now cycle just 8 men regularly and sub 3 others.

Intangibles: Survival is the key word here, as the Wildcats absolutely must win at least one game in the conference tournament to keep their NCAA hopes alive. The team’s resurgence has been impressive, and the squad seems to be handling the loss of Patterson quite well. Needless to say, the Wildcats have had an immense amount of success in their history in Atlanta.

Prediction: UK should be able to handle either Georgia or Ole Miss, although the Rebels could be a potential mismatch. Next up would likely be Mississippi State, who the Wildcats particularly do not match up well against.

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)
—————————-
7. Kentucky (83.88, NC)
—————————-
8. Alabama (75.00, NC)
—————————-
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.

[delayed] Wirth Value: Week Thirteen

Thanks for your patience. 

Offense

1. Tennessee (52.10, +1)
2. Vanderbilt (49.63, -1)
3. Florida (48.37, NC)
4. Ole Miss (43.13, NC)
5. Alabama (35.08, NC)
6. Arkansas (31.45, NC)
7. Kentucky (28.73, NC)
8. South Carolina (26.21, +1)
9. Miss. State (23.86, -1)
10. Auburn (20.35, NC)
11. Georgia (14.42, NC)
12. LSU (11.77, NC)

Defense

1. Arkansas (51.72, +1)
2. Miss. State (49.43, -1)
3. Georgia (38.81, NC)
4. Kentucky (37.78, NC)
5. Tennessee (33.75, NC)
6. Florida (29.46, NC)
7. South Carolina (25.53, +2)
8. Ole Miss (24.71, -1)
9. LSU (23.29, NC)
10. Vanderbilt (20.01, +1)
11. Alabama (18.07, -2)
12. Auburn (15.32, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (127.40, NC)
2. Florida (110.96, NC)
3. Ole Miss (109.91, NC)
4. Arkansas (105.83, +1)
5. Vanderbilt (94.37, +1)
6. Miss. State (91.00, -2)
7. Kentucky (75.03, +1)
8. Alabama (74.43, -1)
9. South Carolina (69.86, NC)
10. Georgia (60.57, NC)
11. Auburn (48.16, NC)
12. LSU (38.90, NC)

—Lots of movement again this week, with Mississippi State falling the most after two consecutive losses, one a blowout to Arkansas on the road.

—Changes on top of both offensive and defensive categories, with Tennessee/Vanderbilt/Florida/Ole Miss battling it out for the top spot offensively while Arkansas and Mississippi State are contending for the defensive honors.

—Tennessee is beginning to distance themselves from the pack statistically, now with 17 points between their top spot and the nearest competitor.

—Interesting to see the scales of competition. Tennessee is on a tier by themselves, and then a second tier consisting of Florida, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State seperated by only 19 points. Then there’s a 16-point drop to the third tier of Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia seperated by just 15 points. And then there’s Auburn…..and then’s there’s LSU.

Pomeroy Ratings Week Thirteen prediction…

East

1. [#12] Tennessee (26-5, 13-3)
2. [#34] Florida (24-7, 11-5)
3. [#50] Kentucky (16-13, 10-6)
4. [#63] South Carolina (16-14, 8-
5. [#76] Vanderbilt (22-9, 7-9)
6. [#97] Georgia (15-14, 6-10)

West

1. [#31] Arkansas (22-8, 11-5)
1. [#32] Miss. State (20-10, 11-5)
3. [#39] Ole Miss (22-8, 8-
4. [#75] Alabama (17-14, 6-10)
5. [#140] Auburn (14-15, 4-12)
6. [#144] LSU (10-20, 3-13)

SEC Overall Title: Tennessee

SEC Eastern Division Title: Tennessee

SEC Western Division Title: Arkansas, Mississippi State

Percentage Chance of No More Losses

None

Pomeroy Ratings Week Twelve prediction…

These numbers come from Ken Pomeroy’s “Pomeroy Ratings“. I will post the Wirth Values for this week as soon as possible…likely tonight.

East

1. [#13] Tennessee (26-5, 13-3)
2. [#33] Florida (24-7, 11-5)
3. [#52] Kentucky (15-14, 9-7)
4. [#59] Vanderbilt (22-9, 7-9)
5. [#94] Georgia (15-14, 6-10)
5. [#76] South Carolina (14-16, 6-10)

West

1. [#26] Mississippi State (22-9, 13-3)
2. [#46] Arkansas (20-10, 9-7)
2. [#40] Ole Miss (23-7, 9-7)
4. [#90] Alabama (17-14, 6-10)
5. [#140] Auburn (15-14, 5-11)
6. [#139] LSU (9-21, 2-14)

SEC Overall Title: Mississippi State, Tennessee

SEC Eastern Division Title: Tennessee

SEC Western Division Title: Mississippi State

Percentage Chance Of No More Losses

1. Mississippi State - 1.01%

Pomeroy Ratings Week Eleven prediction…

Another feature that we’ll be beginning comes straight from Ken Pomeroy’s statistical blog, one of the most-visited and well-respected statistical geniuses on the net.

In addition to Ken’s standard RPI, he factors efficiency much like I do - except for all 340 NCAa Division I teams. With these numbers, that will be included in these posts, the numbers predict the ultimate outcome of each team’s season.

The following are his predictions for the SEC teams as of Week Eleven.

East

1. [#11] Tennessee (27-4, 14-2)
2. [#32] Florida (23-8, 10-6)
3. [#61] Vanderbilt (23-8, 8-
4. [#70] Kentucky (13-16, 7-9)
4. [#74] South Carolina (15-15, 7-9)
6. [#96] Georgia (15-14, 6-10)

West

1. [#31] Mississippi State (21-9, 12-4)
2. [#36] Ole Miss (24-6, 10-6)
3. [#48] Arkansas (19-11, 8-
4. [#93] Alabama (16-15, 5-11)
4. [#125] Auburn (15-14, 5-11)
6. [#129] LSU (10-20, 3-13)

SEC Overall Title: Tennessee

SEC Eastern Division Title: Tennessee

SEC Western Division Title: Mississippi State

Percentage Chance of No More Losses

1. Tennessee - 7.10%
2. Miss. State - 0.21%

Wirth Value: Week Eleven

Offense

1. Vanderbilt (56.33, NC)
2. Ole Miss (50.56, +2)
3. Tennessee (50.52, -1)
4. Florida (45.73, -1)
5. Alabama (32.63, NC)
6. Arkansas (31.19, NC)
7. South Carolina (30.46, NC)
8. Miss. State (21.98, +1)
9. Kentucky (21.74, -1)
10. Georgia (19.89, NC)
11. Auburn (16.61, NC)
12. LSU (7.94, NC)

Defense

1. Miss. State (49.70, NC)
2. Arkansas (46.42, NC)
3. Georgia (40.18, +2)
4. Florida (35.29, NC)
5. Tennessee (34.55, +3)
6. Kentucky (34.15, -3)
7. LSU (24.91, -1)
8. Ole Miss (21.81, -1)
9. South Carolina (20.94, NC)
10. Auburn (19.13, +1)
11. Vanderbilt (17.39, -1)
12. Alabama (17.12, NC)

Overall

1. Tennessee (125.36, +2)
2. Ole Miss (116.46, -1)
3. Florida (114.76, -1)
4. Vanderbilt (98.62, +1)
5. Arkansas (96.68, -1)
6. Miss. State (92.54, NC)
7. South Carolina (71.81, +2)
8. Alabama (70.47, -1)
9. Georgia (69.82, +1)
10. Kentucky (60.81, -2)
11. Auburn (49.29, +1)
12. LSU (34.80, -1)

—Lots of movement on the defensive board this week, resulting in some pretty major moves on the overall board.

—Tennessee’s RPI has sky-rocketed after defeating both Vanderbilt and Ohio State, and as a result they took over the top position overall and moved up by three after holding the Commodores’ potent offense to only 60 points.

—South Carolina also jumped 2 spots overall after a huge road win over a talented Arkansas squad, despite losing 3 of their last 4.

—Kentucky finds themselves among the bottom of the conference statistically, after losing 3 of their last 4.

—Mississippi State continues to prove the surprise team of the conference thus far, as the Bulldogs’ impressive defense pulls away from the previously-leading Arkansas.

Division Record Update…

As of now, the East vs. West matchup stands at…

Drumroll, please…

East: 3
West: 2

Of note, the West’s only two wins over the East have both come from the hands of MSU, who has defeated Georgia and Kentucky. Florida has provided the East with two wins over Alabama and Auburn, while Tennessee proved the tiebreaker over Ole Miss.

2007-2008 Preseason All-SEC First Team

Now we move on to the A-listers…

All-SEC First Team

Chris Lofton (Tennessee - Shot Guard - Senior - 20.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.4spg) - Lofton is easily the best pure shooter in the nation, and a contender for National Player of the Year. The SEC Player of the Year and an All-American a year ago, there is no reason why Lofton shouldn’t continue to improve both his shot and all-around game during his last year as a Volunteer. Despite suffering a short-lived ankle sprain last season, Lofton shot an SEC-leading 41.9% from behind the arc and also added the drive-and-dish to his arsenal. The only negative concerning Lofton is the Vols’ reliance upon him. If the team can avoid becoming too uni-dimensional, Lofton could shoot Tennessee to a National Championship.

Jamont Gordon (Miss. State - Point Guard - Junior - 16.0ppg, 7.1rpg, 5.3apg) - Not many point guards in the nation average 7.1 rebounds per game. The question is, are the Bulldogs relying too heavily on Gordon to supply them or does it come natural? Regardless, Gordon is built like a power forward but has the passing and dribbling abilities of a point. Because of his size, athleticism, and talent, Gordon is a mis-match against both guards and forwards. If the Tennessee-native can continue to improve his assist-to-turnover ratio as he did late last season, Gordon could very well make a case for National Player of the Year.

Shan Foster (Vanderbilt - Power Forward - Senior - 15.6ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.2apg) - Foster is a stereotypical do-everything power guard. He shoots decently from behind the arc (34.6%), but his jumpers are almost impossible to defend with his hands-behind-the-head release. His rebounding numbers will need to improve to truly step up and be the go-to guy the Commodores will need him to be, but Foster has more than enough ability to do it.

Richard Hendrix (Alabama - Power Forward - Junior - 14.6ppg, 8.7rpg, 1.2bpg) - The fact that Hendrix is only a junior is nothing short of scary. One of the most overlooked big men in the country, Hendrix averaged 14.6ppg last season despite playing behind fellow Tide standout Jermareo Davidson. Hendrix will be forced to make up for a lack of experienced inside depth this season, and thus his numbers should explode. If Hendrix can maintain his SEC-best 60.2% field goal percentage and avoid injury, he should be recognized by season’s end as one of the best under-the-basket players in the nation.

Patrick Beverly (Arkansas - Shot Guard - Sophomore - 13.9ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.1apg) - The lone underclassman to make first team, Beverly earned it - and a reputation as an unstoppable shooter - by shooting 38.6% from behind the arc to average nearly 14ppg to lead all SEC freshmen in scoring . One of the best pure shooters in his class, and last season’s SEC Freshman of the Year, Beverly must now focus on improving his already-impressive ball-handling abilities and become more accurate on his shot. Also wise would be to leave the rebounds to Arkansas’ stable of great big men and instead get down-court for the quick transition basket…something I’m sure Pelphrey has mentioned to him. Beverly is a fierce competitor and looks to be one of the conference’s best shooters both this coming season and two to come.

But which wins the coveted SEC:GBD 2007-2008 SEC Player of the Year? Stay tuned…

NCAA fans, bow down…

Kentucky basketball fans are, bar none, the most dedicated group of fans that has ever existed. In all of history. Period.

The University of Kentucky has officially asked fans not to line up more than 3 days before the release of tickets for Kentucky’s annual Midnight Madness event. This will mark the third year in a row that Kentucky has packed out the 23,000-seat Rupp Arena for a practice.

Kentucky basketball fans are only rivaled by Alabama football fans, who packed out the 92,000-seat Bryant Stadium for Alabama’s first open practice last spring, called the A-Day Game.

Insanity, yes. But every fan of any other program should both respect and strive for this level of dedication - even if it borders on the edge of ridiculous.

Interesting time of year…

The beginning of the schoolyear is always an interesting time of year. No, there’s no basketball going on at this point, but with the players falling short of qualifications, suspensions and arrests, and injuries, August and September dictate almost as much of the upcoming season as January and February does.

 Recently, Conference USA has had a bit of trouble with the law. UAB had five, yep - five, players arrested in one night, including former Mississippi State transfer Walter Sharpe. In addition, two Memphis backups were arrested for “inciting a riot”. Let’s get some control of your men, coaches. Memphis also received more bad news, as two Top 100 recruits for the 2008 class decommitted and are now considering other schools.

As if Duqeusne hasn’t had enough turmoil recently, power forward Stuard Baldonado was arrested twice in two days on drug charges. Smart, huh? And then coach Everhart was hospitalized yesterday following his colon surgery. Yikes.

Oklahoma State will be playing this season without their only big-man with game experience, as Kenny Cooper has decided to transfer from the program.

Three-star freshman small forward Johnny Thomas has injured his knee and will be taking a medical redshirt this season.

Many more stories will be filtering in, and I’m sure some of them will relate to the SEC - just hopefully the good ones. The season’s taking shape and I for one am ready.