As football season slowly comes to a halt, focus shifts to the hardwood, where the maligned Southeastern Conference ended with shaky out of conference results.
Less than stellar losses to Manhattan, Davidson, Utah State and South Carolina Upstate coupled with wins against Kansas, Butler, Memphis and Louisville leave pundits labeling the conference an enigma.
As LSU opens Southeastern Conference play Tuesday against Tennessee in the PMAC, here’s how I rank the 14 teams. I’ll also provide a player to watch for each team:
1. Florida (11-2)
A year removed from an Elite Eight appearance, Billy Donovan’s Gators are again a cut above anyone in the conference.
The senior quartet of Casey Prather, Patric Young, Will Yeguete and Scottie Wilbekin are as dangerous as any threesome in the country, with Wilbekin leading the backcourt and Young acting as a force on the inside.
Prather is the scorer of the bunch. He’s scored in double figures in every game thus far, averaging 17.3 points per game while ranking second in the SEC in field goal percentage, shooting 61.4 percent.
But it’s not just the upperclassmen. Off the bench, freshman guard Kasey Hill provides 8.4 points per game while sophomore forwards DeVon Walker and Dorian Finney-Smith chip in a combined 12 rebounds per game.
As is a hallmark of all Donovan teams, the Gator defense has been stalwart to start the year, holding all but one of its first 13 opponents under 70 points.
Experience is invaluable, and Florida is brimming with it. Four of its five starters have played in three NCAA Tournaments and won two of the last three SEC regular season championships. It’s a fundamentally sound basketball team that is primed for another deep run into March.
Player to Watch: Senior G Scottie Wilbekin (11.8 ppg, 4 assists per game, 2.4 steals per game)
2. Kentucky (10-3)
Another year, another crop of diaper dandies for John Calipari.
Vilified by some, Calipari has been crafting his teams around freshman phenoms for years and he understands team chemistry comes with time.
So a slow start — for Kentucky’s standards — wasn’t an anomaly as the Wildcats dropped three games away from Rupp Arena before Dec. 15.
But after a 73-66 victory against defending national champion Louisville, where the Wildcats played without AP Preseason SEC Player of the Year Julius Randle for most of the second half, it seems this group is beginning to mesh.
Randle is a dominant forward who commands a double team on the blocks whenever he touches the ball. But teams are forced to pick their poison as seven footer and capable scorer and shot blocker Willie Cauley-Stein also protects the basket.
Add Aaron Harrison in the backcourt and the Wildcats at full strength are as dangerous as anyone in the country.
Kentucky’s Achilles heel, though, may rest within those same freshmen. Calipari’s bunch was hindered by inexperience and unawareness exhibited by his youthful lineup. And as conference play begins, more veteran-laden teams could outsmart the Wildcats .
Player to Watch: Freshman F Julius Randle (18.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg)
3. Missouri (12-1)
With Alex Oriakhi and Phil Pressey by the wayside and coach Frank Haith suspended for the first five games of the season, Missouri had all the makings for a disappointing non-conference showing.
Instead, the Tigers rolled to a 10-0 start behind a trio of transfer guards that have meshed in Haith’s three-guard sets and average double figure points.
Either Jordan Clarkson (formerly of Tulsa), Earnest Ross (formerly of Auburn) or Jabari Brown (formerly of Oregon) have led the Tigers in single-game scoring through its first 10 games and are the impetus for the team’s 48 percent shooting clip.
Freshman forward Jonathan Williams has started all 13 games inside for Haith, grabbing eight rebounds per game.
With its lone setback on a last second shot against Illinois and non-conference wins at NC State and against UCLA, the Tigers bring a new look from last season into conference play, but it appears those new faces have gelled just in time.
Player to Watch: Junior G Jordan Clarkson (19.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.1 apg)
4. LSU (9-3)
In his second season at his alma mater, Johnny Jones has a bench. And big, long bodies on that bench.
A year removed from a roller coaster SEC season that began with an 0-4 start, LSU is a shell of its undersized, gritty 2012 counterparts.
Junior forward Johnny O’Bryant III is no longer the Tigers’ only option in the middle as lanky freshman forward Jordan Mickey is a force around the rim, blocking 43 shots through 12 games.
The little guys still command the Tiger backcourt as pint-sized guards Anthony Hickey and Andre Stringer orchestrate Jones’ up-tempo style, leading to transition baskets and the occasional alley-oop.
Then there’s Jarell Martin. The ultra-hyped Baton Rouge freshman’s adjustment to the college game has progressed slower than most thought, but it seems he’s found his groove at guard opposite Stringer. Out of control instances still show Martin’s youth, but Jones consistently praises the freshman’s development.
Aside from the duo of Martin and Mickey, the most valuable part of Jones’ 2014 crew is the bench. Both Shavon Coleman and Malik Morgan are long guards that have a decent outside stroke and can be labeled a bona fide sixth man.
Transfer John Odo isn’t the best offensive option inside, but he can rebound when called upon and give rest to both O’Bryant and Mickey. And freshman guard Tim Quarterman has shown flashes of tremendous ballhandling.
The Tigers are contingent on rebounding, and for a while ranked atop the NCAA in the statistic. O’Bryant and Mickey get help from the guards, and if the Tigers rebound efficiently and produce a consistent outside game, they’ve proven very difficult to beat.
Player to Watch: Freshman F Jordan Mickey (14.1 ppg, 7.8 rebounds per game)
5. Tennessee (9-4)
As senior guard Jordan McRae goes, so do the Volunteers.
The Wooden Award candidate averages 18.9 points per game, but some times it feels his points are the only ones Tennessee can muster. McRae scored 21 of the Vols’ 58 points in a home loss to NC State and 26 of the 61 points in another loss to Wichita State.
Forward Jarnell Stokes gives McRae a legitimate scoring threat inside, but he and Jeronne Maymon excel at cleaning the glass, combining to average almost 18 rebounds per game.
If Tennessee plans to string together wins in the SEC, it will have to find reliable scoring threats aside from McRae. That threat may be junior guard Josh Richardson, who more than doubled his scoring average to explode for 21 points in an 87-52 waxing of Virginia in late December.
Player to Watch: Senior G Jordan McRae (18.9 ppg, 2.6 apg)
6. Arkansas (11-2)
Mike Anderson’s club can score. And score in bunches.
The Razorbacks currently sit sixth in the NCAA, averaging 87.2 points per game behind guard play from Michael Qualls and rangy forward Bobby Portis. Arkansas also leads the conference with 17.2 assists per game, a testament to its perimeter play.
Arkansas’ non-conference schedule wasn’t rigorous, but it dispatched all tests handily, with the exception of losses to Gonzaga and Cal in the Maui Invitational.
Its success in conference play could hinge on forward Coty Clarke and guard Fred Gulley, both of whom have seen the majority of starting time but lack in numbers to push the Hogs over the edge.
Add in Anderson’s teams’ propensities to play poorly on the road, and the Hogs still have unanswered questions for a team aspiring for NCAA Tournament play.
Player to Watch: Freshman F Bobby Portis (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rebounds per game)
7. Alabama (6-7)
Although Alabama sits at the bottom of the SEC with the league’s worst overall record a vicious non-conference schedule is to blame and the Crimson Tide could be the sleeper of the conference as league play starts.
The Tide revolve around do-everything senior point guard Trevor Releford , who is one of the most underrated players in the conference and can single handily take over a game.
Coach Anthony Grant also has veteran Levi Randolph in his backcourt, coupled with redshirt sophomore Retin Obasohan. The duo combines for almost 23 points per game to take some pressure off Releford.
Inside, the Tide returns a familiar face in Nick Jacobs, but also utilizes freshman Jimmie Taylor, who’s acclimation to the college game may still be a work in progress.
Junior guard Rodney Cooper can serve as either a sixth man or a quality starter at guard.
The problem with Grant’s current team, though, has been its execution down the stretch in games, as it had chances to beat Oklahoma, Wichita State and UCLA before fading late in the game. If the Tide hope to see themselves on a bracket come March, the late game execution should be sharpened in conference play.
Player to Watch: Senior G Trevor Releford (18.5 ppg, 2.5 apt, 2.5 steals per game)
8. Ole Miss (9-4)
While Marshall Henderson returns for his encore performance in Oxford, it’s who doesn’t return that could spell disaster for Andy Kennedy.
Gone are Reginald Buckner and Murphy Holloway, two bulls inside that made teams pay for double teaming Henderson while also creating his shots from inside-out passing.
With Buckner and Holloway gone, teams can zone in on Henderson on ball screens and cuts. Not that it really matters, seeing as the man will shoot it from literally anywhere on the court with anyone in his face.
Returning guard Jarvis Summers teams with Henderson to create a formidable backcourt for the Rebels, as the duo averages 37 points per game.
Guarding the perimeter will be the obvious gameplan for all Rebel opponents, so Demarco Cox and Aaron Jones will need to bolster their inside game and rebounding as the Rebels head into SEC play.
Player to Watch: Senior G Marshall Henderson (18.8 ppg)
9. Vanderbilt (8-4)
The second longest tenured coach in the conference, Kevin Stallings’ teams are customarily strong on the perimeter with one big man in the paint.
This season, he’s got sophomore guard Eric McClellan manning the backcourt, leading the Commodores with 14.3 points per game. Dai-Jon Parker — a Baton Rouge native — chips in 5.8 points, but shoots 44% from three-point range.
In the middle, Stallings turns to 6-foot-10 freshman Damian Jones — a Scotlandville Magnet graduate — who averages 10.3 points per game as he adjusts to the college game.
The Commodore frontcourt also includes 6-foot-17 forward James Sikam to company 6-foot-9 forward Rod Odom. Odom, who pours in 13.3 points per game.
Player to Watch: Eric McClellan (14.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.2 apg)
10. Auburn (8-3)
Tony Barbee undertook a rebuilding job on the Plains in 2010. To this point, it hasn’t gone according to plan, as his three Auburn teams have combined to go 12-39 in SEC play.
Now with a veteran core returning, Barbee’s Tigers look to turn the corner he’s strived for since taking the job.
Junior guard KT Harrell leads the conference in scoring with 19.4 points per game, while senior Chris Denson isn’t far behind in third averaging 19.0 points per game.
While the veteran backcourt fills it up from the perimeter, senior forward Allen Payne and senior 7-footer Asauhn Dixon-Tatum provide a formidable challenge in the paint. Payne grabs 6.5 boards per game while Dixon-Tatum sits fourth in the conference with 2.2 points per game.
After an early season home losses to Northwestern State and Illinois, Auburn responded with two quality victories against Clemson and Boston College. With such a veteran lineup, the Tigers could surprise in a make-or-break year for Barbee.
Player to Watch: Junior G KT Harell (19.4 ppg, 1.9 apg)
11. South Carolina (7-6)
If nothing else, Frank Martin’s basketball teams are motivated. How could they not be with such an imposing figure and his icy glare manning the bench?
So after consecutive early season losses to Manhattan and USC Upstate put South Carolina at 2-5, it wasn’t a surprise that the Gamecocks travelled to Hawaii and handed Saint Mary’s its first loss after a 10-0 start to cap a 2-1 showing in the Diamond Head Classic.
But the Gamecocks were dealt a major blow last week when senior guard Bruce Ellington announced he’d forego his senior basketball season to enter the NFL Draft.
Tyrone Johnson, Brenton Williams and Sindarius Thornwell are more than capable of replacing Ellington’s guard play, but Ellington’s veteran voice and leadership will be sorely missed on Martin’s young team.
Michael Carrera, who impressed last season as a true freshman, and Mindaugas Kacinas handle the duties inside, but true freshman Desmond Ringer could emerge as a threat as he matures.
Player to Watch: Junior G Tyrone Johnson (11.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
12. Mississippi State (10-2)
Last season was a disaster for Rick Ray.
The first-year coach had only five scholarship players at his disposal during some stretches and even dressed out team managers as his first squad limped to a 10-22 record with only four SEC wins.
But his 2013 Bulldogs have already equaled last season’s win total (albeit against an atrocious non-conference schedule) and appear primed to brush aside last season’s misery.
Sophomore guard Craig Sword leads the Bulldogs in the backcourt while 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Gavin Ware — the second tallest player on the team — handles the duties inside. The twosome has the makings of a nice core for Ray, who is looking to rebuild the State program after Rick Stansbury’s reign.
Sword and Ware are the only two Bulldogs to have started all 13 games, while guards Fred Thomas and Dre Applewhite split starting duties. All four lead a backcourt that leads the SEC in steals with 9.8 per game.
While the start to the season provides hope, the SEC slate is another beast, starting Wednesday as the Bulldogs open at Rupp Arena against Kentucky.
Player to Watch: Sophomore G Craig Sword (14.3 ppg, 2.4 apg. 1.8 spg)
13. Texas A&M (9-4)
After the Aggies dismissed sophomore guard and top-75 recruit J-Mychal Reese in December, it was a sign Billy Kennedy’s squad could be in for a long season.
A&M struggles to get the ball in the basket, averaging a conference low 69.6 points per game and has only one player averaging double figures.
Forward Kourtney Roberson averages 11.0 points per game, while guards Jamal Jones and Alex Caruso linger behind with just over nine points per game.
Caruso has more than scoring duties, though, as he’s dished out 58 assists and has 28 steals through the Aggies’ first 13 games.
Player to Watch: Sophomore G Alex Caruso (9.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 spg)
14. Georgia (6-6)
Where, oh where, has Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gone?
The do-it-all guard and one man show moved on to the NBA and Mark Fox’ Bulldogs felt the hurt from the start, staggering to a 1-4 start that included an 0-3 showing in November’s Charleston Classic.
To their credit, the Bulldogs rolled through five straight cupcakes before a 14-point loss at No. 21 Colorado. But the Bulldogs may be in for a rude awakening come conference play.
Sophomore guards Kenny Gaines (11.5 ppg) and Charles Mann (13.0 ppg) lead the Bulldogs, also combining for 28 steals on the young season.
Georgia struggles mightily on the glass, averaging only 35.8 rebounds per game. With such a guard heavy lineup an guard-oriented sets, if the Bulldogs can’t clean the glass, SEC play won’t be kind.
Player to Watch: Sophomore G Charles Mann (13.0 ppg, 2.8 apg, 1.8 spg)