Who will be the top four teams in SEC basketball this year?

[jbcarol]

http://www.mrsec.com/2013/01/sec-hoops-rebels-rally-to-beat-tennessee-ole-miss-stays-perfect-in-conference-play/

[jbcarol]

Toned-down Henderson sparks Ole Miss comeback

Volunteers had one goal and one ulterior motive coming into Thursday's game against No. 23 Ole Miss: Shut down high-scoring, fast-talking Marshall Henderson and, in the process, shut him up.

But Henderson said he was made aware of the plan via Twitter, and came to a decision prior to pouring in 28 points for the Rebels in their 62-56 comeback win at Tad Smith Coliseum.

"We'll beat them 10 times out of 10," Henderson said.

"We still feel like we're a little disrespected," Henderson said. "That's why we think Tennessee was talking so much, because they're Tennessee and we're Ole Miss. We've been in the (NCAA) Tournament, what, eight times out of 103 years? Who are we to have a target on our back? We still don't feel like we have a target on our back still, except for the fact people think they shouldn't lose to Ole Miss."

Henderson was 0-of-4 from the field in the first half...

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20130125/SPORTS030103/301250046/Toned-down-Henderson-sparks-Ole-Miss-comeback

[jbcarol]

Picks for Today's Games based on the consensus line:

Arkansas 76  SC 73
Bama 60  Vols 63
LSU 63  Kentucky 79
Vandy 57  Mizzou 69
UGa 52  A&M 61
Florida 72  State 52
Ole Miss 74  Auburn 67

[jbcarol]

SEC basketball on TV today (all times EST):

  1:30 – Arkansas at South Carolina (SEC)
  2:00 – Alabama at Tennessee (ESPN2)
  4:00 – LSU at Kentucky (SEC)
  5:00 – Vanderbilt at Missouri (ESPNU)
  6:00 – Georgia at (FS South)
  8:00 – Ole Miss at Auburn (FS South)
  8:00 – Florida at Mississippi State (ESPN2) 

http://johnclay.bloginky.com

[medloh]

Temple and or Butler joined the SEC?  Who knew?

SEC basketball on TV today:

  1:30 – Arkansas at South Carolina (SEC)
  2:00 – Alabama at Tennessee (ESPN2)
  4:00 – LSU at Kentucky (SEC)
  5:00 – Vanderbilt at Missouri (ESPNU)
  6:00 – Georgia at (FS South)
  6:00 – Temple at Butler (ESPN2)
  8:00 – Ole Miss at Auburn (FS South)
  8:00 – Florida at Mississippi State (ESPN2) 

http://johnclay.bloginky.com

[jbcarol]

oop$, typo

[jbcarol]

Don, Jr.: Bama falls to Tennessee 54-53 as game ends with a no-call

The game ended with Alabama's Trevor Lacey bumped on the baseline by the Vols' Jarnell Stokes. Lacey was trying to go up with a shot, but the ball was knocked out of bounds, and no foul was called as the buzzer sounded.

Alabama (12-7, 4-2 SEC) sank only 5 of 11 free-throw attempts.

Tennessee (10-8, 2-4) had a 17-5 edge in second-chance points, thanks to a 15-6 edge in offensive rebounds.

[jbcarol]

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 75, #LSU 70

The Tigers come oh-so-close to the upset, but fall despite pulling within a bucket in the closing seconds.

Gritty, gritty effort by #LSU and even if there aren't moral victories, this should and could be one to build on.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Lockridge ‏@jefflockridge
#Mizzou 53, #Vandy 36. Timeout 15:22. Sheldon Jeter going to line to complete 3-pt play. Don't look now but Dores winning 2nd half 16-4

[99toLife]

Missouri 65, Vandy 41  11:40 to go. 

[jbcarol]

Jeff Lockridge ‏@jefflockridge
FINAL: #Mizzou 81, #Vandy 59. Rod Odom's 17 points lead Dores (8-10, 2-4 SEC), who trailed by 29 at half. Vandy goes to #UT on Tuesday

[jbcarol]

Marshall Henderson was thrown to floor on an inbound play by an Auburn freshman with six seconds to go and a tie game in Auburn Arena. Henderson hit both free throws and Auburn missed a desperation three attempt at the buzzer.

Henderson's 3-4 on FTs helped improve the Ole Miss team's 4-17 FT performance.

[jbcarol]

Henderson taunts crowd as No. 23 Ole Miss thwarts Auburn's upset bid

Off on his shot and taking taunts from the crowd, Henderson finally got his chance with 6.4 seconds left.

Henderson calmly knocked down two free throws to send No. 23 Ole Miss past Auburn 63-61, hand the Tigers their fourth straight loss and then turned to the crowd, popping his jersey at the stands.

Henderson didn't address his response to Auburn's student section, who had been heckling and harassing the guard since tip-off, in post-game interviews...

"We can't be in a better spot right now, undefeated with Kentucky coming to a packed arena," Henderson said.

Up until Henderson's final free throws, Ole Miss was only 2-of-15 from the line...

"I am disappointed in the loss," Barbee said.

[jbcarol]

Parrish Alford: Saturday is turning to Sunday, and I left the media room at Auburn Arena not long ago where the big discussion was whether Marshall Henderson made an unsportsmanlike gesture toward the Auburn students at the end of the game.

No one could confirm that.

It will take a second person whose assignment is only to watch Henderson to accurately report on how Henderson interacts with opposing fans after games.

Henderson is not a cookie cutter type of college athlete. He says what he's thinking. That's why the media room at Ole Miss after the Tennessee game was stunned and broke out in smirks when he said last Thursday that Ole Miss would beat the Vols 10 out of 10 times. It's not that you think it couldn't happen. It's that no one says it quite like that.

The problem with his personality right now is that you have to follow up on accusations like that, and they're taking away from the news about a team that made history by starting 6-0 in the SEC for the first time.

[jbcarol]

Parrish Alford: Saturday is turning to Sunday, and I left the media room at Auburn Arena not long ago where the big discussion was whether Marshall Henderson made an unsportsmanlike gesture toward the Auburn students at the end of the game.

No one could confirm that.

It will take a second person whose assignment is only to watch Henderson to accurately report on how Henderson interacts with opposing fans after games.

Henderson is not a cookie cutter type of college athlete. He says what he's thinking. That's why the media room at Ole Miss after the Tennessee game was stunned and broke out in smirks when he said last Thursday that Ole Miss would beat the Vols 10 out of 10 times. It's not that you think it couldn't happen. It's that no one says it quite like that.

The problem with his personality right now is that you have to follow up on accusations like that, and they're taking away from the news about a team that made history by starting 6-0 in the SEC for the first time.

I saw the end of the game on ESPN3 and the scene in the gif was televised prior to going off the air. It's not a photoshop.

[jbcarol]

The No. 23 Rebels (17-2, 6-0 SEC), off to their best league start in school history, could be brought back to Earth this week. On Wednesday, reigning national champion Kentucky visits Oxford, and then Ole Miss travels to No. 8 Florida on Saturday.

even after Saturday's 63-61 win at Auburn, coach Andy Kennedy had some concerns. Namely, the free throw shooting – the Rebels made just 4 of 17 at the line (2 for 15 before Henderson hit two to win the game).

Kennedy was happy with the way his team defended down the stretch. Auburn shot just 28 percent in the second half.

"We were up five or six points and had the chance to stretch it," Kennedy said. "Our inability to make foul shots kept them in the game."

http://djournal.com/view/full_story/21543922/article-Rebels-face-huge-tests--MSU-looks-to-rebound

[jbcarol]

Morgan Freeman is reported to be attending the Kentucky - Ole Miss game in Oxford Tuesday night.

[jbcarol]

Gators moved up four spots to No. 4 in this week's AP Top 25, behind just Michigan, Kansas and Indiana. Florida also received one first-place vote, from Ron Morris of "The State" in Columbia, S.C.

It's UF's highest ranking since being ranked No. 3 on March 12, the last poll of the 2007 season.

http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20130128/ARTICLES/130129586

Ole Miss is 16 and Mizzou is 17 in the AP and 18 in the Coach's Poll.

No other SEC team received a vote.

[jbcarol]

Calipari finally weighs in on Ole Miss

They're older. They don't seem to be rattled. The games I've watched, even if the other team comes at them and gets leads, they don't get rattled. And when they get you down, they try to keep you down.

Henderson gives them a different flavor. He has the green light, and he can make three straight shots.

They were good last year. We didn't get away from them until one stretch in the second half. Other than that 4-minute stretch it was an even game last year. They're a veteran team. Everybody's back. A couple of additions make them better. Andy's doing a great job of coaching, keeping them in to, 'Here's what we have to do to win', and they're doing it.

http://insideolemisssports.com/2013/01/28/caliparis-take-on-ole-miss/

[99toLife]

Calipari finally weighs in on Ole Miss

They're older. They don't seem to be rattled. The games I've watched, even if the other team comes at them and gets leads, they don't get rattled. And when they get you down, they try to keep you down.

Henderson gives them a different flavor. He has the green light, and he can make three straight shots.

They were good last year. We didn't get away from them until one stretch in the second half. Other than that 4-minute stretch it was an even game last year. They're a veteran team. Everybody's back. A couple of additions make them better. Andy's doing a great job of coaching, keeping them in to, 'Here's what we have to do to win', and they're doing it.

http://insideolemisssports.com/2013/01/28/caliparis-take-on-ole-miss/

I would have to agree with coach Cal, Ole miss plays tough.

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss' Marshall Henderson was a popular topic at the UK basketball media opp this afternoon.

Ryan Harrow said he was not supposed to talk about the Ole Miss' shooting guard, but did talk about him a little anyway.

[jbcarol]

Calipari opined that poise under fire probably won't bring victory at Ole Miss on Tuesday night.

"Oh, I'd like us to lose our composure," Calipari said Monday. "That's what I'm looking for. Like, lose your composure. Get mad. Get angry. Be mad to be great."

Calipari admires, and perhaps envies, the Rebels' palpable willpower.

"That's what my teams historically have been," he said. "Those are my teams. We always liked to play front-running teams, which when you've got it going good, they're chest-bumping and doing it. When it goes (down), they wilt."

Ole Miss?

"Things get down, it doesn't faze them," Calipari said. "They get up. They bury you."


http://www.kentucky.com/2013/01/29/2494609/calipari-wants-his-cats-to-get.html

[jbcarol]

SEC has four teams in the lastest ESPN Bracketology projection
Team and Seed

Florida 1
Ole Miss 7
Mizzou 7
Kentucky 10

[jbcarol]

Three SEC teams still lack a road win after Wednesday night's action:
Arkansas, Mizzou, and Tennessee.

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss forward Aaron Jones is out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Tuesday's loss to Kentucky.

Senior Nick Williams is also out indefinitely with a foot injury.

Rebels travel to face No. 8 Florida on Saturday.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8898935/aaron-jones-mississippi-rebels-season-left-acl-tear

[jbcarol]

The four leaders in the SEC standings and the four that would receive a bye to the third day of the SEC Tournament if the season ended today are:

Florida
Ole Miss
Bama
Kentucky

[jbcarol]

Feb. 2 Other SEC Games on TV (all times CST)

12:30 – Auburn at Missouri (SEC TV Network)
12:30 – Georgia at South Carolina (SEC TV Network)
3:00 – Alabama at Vanderbilt (SEC TV Network)
4:30 – LSU at Mississippi State (FS South)
5:00 – Kentucky at Texas A&M (ESPN)
6:00 – Ole Miss at Florida (ESPNU)

Link to SEC TV Network affiliate clearances:
http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/Admin/NEWS/tabid/473/Article/230303/sec-network-hoops-clearances.aspx

[99toLife]

Missouri 91
Auburn  77

49 Fouls called, That's a foul every 49 seconds
Teams were 55 for 69 from the line , That's 80%...  Crazy

[jbcarol]

Bama came back from 11 points down with 7:37 to go to get their first win in Memorial Gym against Vandy since 1990.  After hot shooting for the first 32 minutes of the game, Vandy pretty much shut down after the under eight media timeout.

[jbcarol]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
RT @ESPNStatsInfo: Florida 3rd team last 25 seasons to win 1st 7 conf games each by 15+ pts, joining '90-91 UNLV & '10-11 Belmont

[jbcarol]

Florida is 8-0; Ole Miss, Bama, and Kentucky 6-2 in league play.

[jbcarol]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/rpi/index1 has four SEC teams in the top 50 – Florida No. 3, Missouri 35, Ole Miss 43, and Kentucky 46.

http://www.mrsec.com/

[jbcarol]

http://www.mrsec.com/2013/02/sec-hoops-roundup-georgia-bama-lsu-surging-auburn-slumping-florida-streaking-kentucky-ot-winner/

Access to video highlights and links for each of the seven SEC games yesterday.

[jbcarol]

http://johnclay.bloginky.com/2013/02/04/kentuckys-lack-of-a-killer-instinct/

one complaint about this current Kentucky basketball team is the lack of a killer instinct. It can't seem to stand success. Consider the following examples.

Jan. 10 at Vanderbilt: Kentucky leads the host Commodores 47-31 with 13:48 left at Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt promptly goes on an 18-0 run ...

Jan. 15 vs. Tennessee: ...

Jan. 26 vs. LSU: ...

Jan. 29 at Ole Miss: Kentucky appeared to be in complete control at Tad Smith Coliseum, enjoying a 73-56 lead with 10:16 left. The Rebels came roaring back with a 16-0 run...

Feb. 2 at Texas A&M: ...

[jbcarol]

SEC has four teams included in ESPN's latest Bracketology tournament projection.

1-seed Florida
7-seed Mizzou
9-seed Kentucky
9-seed Ole Miss

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Rankings
2. Florida
20 or 21. Mizzou
23. Ole Miss (coaches)

Votes in both polls: Kentucky

[jbcarol]

Bama 37  Auburn 49  F

UGa 68  Tennessee 62  F

Vandy 56  LSU 57  F

Miss St. 23  Ole Miss 42  H

[jbcarol]

Georgia delivers a punch in gut to Vols, 68-62

Scoring eight of his game-high 24 points in the game's final five minutes, Caldwell-Pope powered Georgia to a 68-62 victory at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"Late in games, when you have to get key stops, every man has to do his part," UT coach Cuonzo Martin said. "That's really having pride defensively. Especially not allowing their best player to beat you. Put that ball in somebody else's hand and let somebody else beat you. You can't allow the best player to beat you."

Watching a first half go by begging for entry passes, he attempted just two-field goal attempts. Finally getting his hands on the ball following halftime, the sophomore scored 14 points after the break.

"I thought he was very active, considering the fact that there were two or three guys huddled around him all night," Martin said of Stokes, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his team-high eighth double-double of the year.

Georgia (11-11, 5-4 SEC), meanwhile, notched its fourth straight win, its longest SEC winning streak since 2003.

UT point guard Trae Golden watched courtside for the second straight game. The Power Springs, Ga., native remains out with a strained hamstring.

Martin said he's still uncertain of a potential return date.

Sitting at 0-6 in true road games, the Vols have back-to-back away dates at South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the docket.

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2013/feb/06/georgia-delivers-punch-gut-vols-68-62/

[jbcarol]

Florida forward Will Yeguete will undergo surgery Friday to repair bone chips in his knee. He's expected to miss four to six weeks with coach Bill Donovan hoping he can make it back for the postseason.

Sans Yeguete, they'll face Mississippi State Saturday and then Kentucky, currently just one game behind Florida, on Tuesday.

http://www.mrsec.com/2013/02/floridas-will-yeguete-to-undergo-surgery-miss-four-to-six-weeks/

[jbcarol]

A&M survives to keep Mizzou winless on the road.

Mizzou 68  A&M 70 at Reed.

Fabyon Harris hit a three with 12 seconds left after a Pressey turnover to put A&M ahead.

[jbcarol]

Ole Miss junior big man DeMarco Cox is out for the season with a foot injury leaving Kennedy hurting for depth.

That is the same Cox that some services listed as a 4-star lineman to help the Ole Miss football recruiting rankings back in 2010.

[jbcarol]

Mizzou whooped Ole Miss at home 98-79.

[jbcarol]

Tennessee got their first road win over hapless South Carolina, 66-61.

Only Mizzou and Arkansas have no road wins among SEC teams.

[jbcarol]

AP Poll:
Florida 7
Kentucky 25
Mizzou (27) got votes
Ole Miss (44) got one vote at 25th place

[jbcarol]

Kim English ✔ @Englishscope24
Praying for Nerlens Noel!! I hate to see young prospects get injured.. Hate to see anyone get injured for that matter! Prayers up #BBN

[jbcarol]

Andy Katz ‏@ESPNAndyKatz
Kentucky will be evaluated going forward without Noel for NCAA tournament. Plenty of time left in season to do that, per committee chair.

[jbcarol]

Turner hit 7 of 10 from 3-point range and 13 of 20 from the field. He also drained the game's biggest shot on a fadeaway baseline jumper that gave A&M (15-9, 5-6) a 69-65 lead with 16.4 seconds left.

"I told Jarod [Jahns] to come screen for me, so they would switch," Turner said. "I saw I had the angle, and I knew I had to get the shot off. We didn't want them to come down just down two [points] and have a chance to hit a 3, so I knew I had to make that shot."

Turner's final basket broke the Reed Arena mark of 36 set by Baylor's Curtis Jerrells in the Bears' five-overtime victory in January 2008.

Turner credited extra work in the gym for breaking out of what he called a slump. He had gone eight games -- since the first Kentucky matchup -- since shooting at least 50 percent from the field.

"We talked for two days about how you can't give him space, that he's going to go to his right hand, and we gave him space and we let him get going early," Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. "He played a whale of a game and made a hard shot at the end."

Ole Miss' Marshall Henderson, who came in averaging 19.9 a game finished with 10 points.

http://www.aggiesports.com/mens_basketball/article_6f984213-3e3f-5847-b804-2d151e985074.html

[jbcarol]

Daily RPI
4   Florida
34 Mizzou
40 Kentucky (Katz reports that UK's tourney prospects will be post-Noel)
50 Ole Miss

SEC Standings (Top four get SEC-T bye to Friday, the final eight)
Florida   10-1
Bama      8-3
Kentucky 8-3
Ole Miss  7-4
Mizzou    7-4

ESPN's Bracketology
Florida      1-seed
Mizzou      8-seed
Ole Miss   10-seed
Kentucky 10-seed

[jbcarol]

Katz: Kentucky will be playing their first game without Nerlens Noel after he suffered a torn ACL Tuesday night in Gainesville. The Wildcats' season, selection and seeding is at stake when they start the final seven games of the SEC regular season beginning Saturday at Tennessee.

Calipari said Friday that the Wildcats have had only one practice without Noel. He wasn't pleased with the play of at least two players during the Gators game. "We had some no-shows,'' Calipari said without naming names.

But Calipari was quick to say the absence of Noel can't be put all on Willie Cauley-Stein -- he'll need to have help. "I don't want it to be all about him,'' Calipari said. "We need other guys. This is a great opportunity for our guys. We'll stay positive.''

The Wildcats finish with four home games and three on the road. The Cats get Florida and Missouri at home. But nothing can be taken for granted, especially with road games at Arkansas and Georgia following Saturday's in Knoxville.

The onus will be on Alex Poythress and Kyle Wiltjer to do more in the post. Calipari said the way the Cats defend will change without the anchor inside who can deflect, block and alter shots.

"Everyone is counting us out,'' Calipari said. "Maybe we'll surprise. We are what we are, and we'll see what we can do."

[jbcarol]

A limited number of tickets for Session One of the Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., will go on sale Monday, February 18, at 10 a.m. CT.

Session One will take place Wednesday, March 13, and feature Seed #12 vs. Seed #13 at 6:30 p.m. CT and Seed #11 vs. Seed #14 at 9 p.m. CT. One ticket is valid for both games of the session.

All seating for Session One will be general admission. The tickets sold beginning Monday will be $15 each and valid for 300-Level general admission seating only. All reserved books are sold out for the tournament. Session One tickets will be the only single-session tickets sold.

Session One – Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Game #1 – 6:30 p.m. CT – Seed #12 vs. Seed #13
Game #2 – 9:00 p.m. CT – Seed #11 vs. Seed #14

[jbcarol]

Rob Dauster: Missouri ended the game by committing two turnovers, missing two free throws and allowing Young to blow by them twice in the final 1:19 as they were trying to protect a lead on the road.

Complain about the refs if you would like, but Missouri gave that game away down the stretch.

That's what should sting.

Because as of today, Missouri's only road win is at Mississippi State.