SEC men’s basketball is starting. A closer look at the opening games.
With six of its teams currently breathing AP Top 25 air, the SEC tips off its men’s basketball schedule with all six in league games on Wednesday night.
The SEC Network celebrates opening night with a triple-header starting with No. 7 Tennessee at Ole Miss at 5 p.m. EST, followed by No. 19 Kentucky at Missouri at 7 p.m. and No. 8 Alabama at No. 21 Mississippi State at 9 p.m.
ESPN2 has a Wednesday doubleheader starting at 7 p.m. with Florida at No. 20 Auburn followed by No. 8 Arkansas at LSU at 9 p.m.
Ben Roberts posted his SEC preview on Tuesday.
[SEC men’s basketball schedule]
Now here’s a closer look at Wednesday’s openers.
No. 7 Tennessee at Ole Miss: If indeed defense travels, Tennessee should be in good shape heading to Oxford. Rick Barnes’ club sits atop Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings. The Vols are 10-2 with losses to Colorado (78-66 in Nashville) and Arizona (75-70 in Tucson).
Ole Miss must have been looking ahead to the Christmas break when the Rebels lost to North Alabama 66-65 last time out. Sitting 8-4, Kermit Davis Jr.’s club has had a tough time putting the ball in the basket. Pomeroy gives the Rebels a 108 ranking in adjusted offensive efficiency.
No. 19 Kentucky at Missouri: Mizzou has been an early conference surprise thanks to an 11-1 record under new coach Dennis Gates. The ex-Cleveland State coach has the Tigers ripping and running to the tune of 88.8 points per game. And Missouri is fresh off routing then No. 16 Illinois 93-71 last week in St. Louis.
Kentucky is 8-3 with losses to Michigan Sate (86-77 in double overtime), Gonzaga (88-72 in Spokane) and UCLA (63-53 in New York). On paper, UK ranks 25th in adjusted overall efficiency, but the eye test doesn’t allow John Calipari’s club that much credit.
Florida at No. 20 Auburn: Young Todd Golden has had an up-and-down start to his Florida tenure. The Gators are 7-5 with losses to Florida Atlantic, Xavier, West Virginia, Connecticut and Oklahoma. Florida does own wins over Florida State and Oregon State. Pomeroy has the Gators ranked 49th in adjusted overall efficiency.
At Auburn, Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are 10-2 with losses to Memphis (82-73) on a neutral floor and USC (74-71) in Los Angeles. Handling the rock has been an Auburn problem. Pearl’s club is turning it over on 20.1 percent of its possessions, which ranks 255th in Division I.
[SEC men’s basketball scoring leaders]
No. 8 Alabama at No. 21 Mississippi State: Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide owns a pair of wins over teams ranked No. 1 at the time — the epic four-overtime win over then top-ranked North Carolina 103-101 in the Phil Knight Legacy on Nov. 27 and a 71-65 upset over then top-ranked Houston on Dec. 10. After losing to Gonzaga 100-90 in Birmingham on Dec. 17, the Tide bounced back with an 84-64 victory over Jackson State.
After an 11-0 start under new coach Chris Jans, Mississippi State lost 58-52 to Drake on Dec. 20. The Bulldogs are doing it on the defensive end. Kenpom ranks Jans’ club No. 5 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Meanwhile, Alabama is ranked 20th in adjusted offensive efficiency.
No. 9 Arkansas at LSU: Former Murray State coach Matt McMahon has LSU off to an 11-1 start, though against not the toughest non-conference schedule. Kansas State handed the Tigers their only loss to date, 61-59 on a neutral floor. LSU has won six straight since that setback.
Arkansas is also 11-1 for Eric Musselman. Creighton edged the Razorbacks 90-87 in the Maui Classic. Arkansas has won seven straight games since and ranks No. 9 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Pomeroy.
SEC teams scoring per game
Points per game by SEC teams heading into conference play:
- Missouri 88.8
- Alabama 83.7
- Arkansas 79.4
- Kentucky 78.7
- Florida 76.5
- Texas A&M 75.8
- Tennessee 74.7
- Auburn 73.7
- LSU 73.0
- Georgia 70.8
- Ole Miss 70.0
- Mississippi State 68.3
- Vanderbilt 67.9
- South Carolina 64.1
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
