2014-15 SEC Basketball Projections

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  Dec 12
Seed list (thru 12/11). CAPS=AQs. 01-UK
28-Ark.
39-Fla,
44-Miss.

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  Dec 12
FIRST OUT: Minn, SMU, Stan, Day. NEXT OUT: IU, BYU, GW, TexA&M. FOUR MORE: Pitt, Boise, StMary, LSU. CONSIDERED: ODU, SoCar, Prov, Ga, Wyom.

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  Dec 12
Multi-bid: ACC (Eight), Big 12 (Eight), Big Ten (Eight), Big East (7), Pac-12 (5), SEC (4)...

[jbcarol]

Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS  ·  3 hours ago

Here's the latest projected Field of 68 from @jppalmCBS: http://cbsprt.co/1svVdId  (Top seeds are Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, Arizona.)

10-seed Arkansas
10-seed LSU

[-Blu]

Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS  ·  3 hours ago

Here's the latest projected Field of 68 from @jppalmCBS: http://cbsprt.co/1svVdId  (Top seeds are Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, Arizona.)

10-seed Arkansas
10-seed LSU

I would love to see a VCU/Arkansas match-up in the tourney.  That would be one very exciting fast paced game.

[jbcarol]

http://collegepolltracker.com/basketball/team/ua2/2014

Ron Morris and Joey Johnston voted Arkansas at #18.  Matt Vatour voted the Hogs #23.

Kentucky was the unanimous #1.

Baton Rouge-based Randy Rosetta gave LSU a vote at #22.

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  3 hours ago
Seed List (thru 12/14). CAPS=AQs. 01-UK
29-Ark, ... , 37-Fla

FIRST OUT: Stanford, UCLA, Indiana, Providence. NEXT OUT: LSU, ODU, Boise, StMary. FOUR MORE: Dayton, Mich, Texas A&M, Georgia.

CONSIDERED: GW, Ole Miss,...

[jbcarol]

USA-T's bracketologist:

Shelby Mast @BracketWAG  ·  3 hours ago
New bracket just posted, still early, still rough, don't hate. http://www.bracketwag.com

1-seed UK
5-seed Hogs
8-seed LSU

First 4 out - UConn, BYU, Minnesota, Alabama

Multi bid conferences -
ACC - 8, Big 10 - 7, Big 12 - 7, PAC 12 - 7, Big East - 6, MWC - 3, SEC - 3...

[jbcarol]

Let's take a look at the best teams in the SEC as of this mid-December checkpoint.

1. Kentucky (10-0)

3. Arkansas (7-2)

14. Auburn (3-5)

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  Dec 15
"@mastermason608: @ESPNLunardi will Bama go to the tourney?" Not in basketball...

[jbcarol]

No. 11 Wichita State rallies from 11 down to beat Alabama

Wichita State didn't have any business winning on Tuesday night at home against Alabama. The No. 11 Shockers were outplayed for a large chunk of the second half and found themselves in a grind-it-out game against the Crimson Tide.

Finding themselves down 51-40 with 5:54 left after a Shannon Hale three-pointer, Wichita State ramped up its full-court pressure and didn't allow another field goal the rest of the game as Shocker forward Darius Carter's dunk with 12 seconds left was the go-ahead bucket in a thrilling 53-52 win. The victory gives the Shockers (8-3) 23 consecutive home wins and they needed nearly every second of this one to keep that streak alive.

As for Alabama, they need to figure out their press-break situation and find a reliable third option who can remain consistent. The Crimson Tide should be encouraged that they stuck with a top-15 team on the road but these are the types of games you can't let slip away. If Alabama considers itself a NCAA Tournament team, guard play will be key for them in the SEC this season if they match up against a talented backcourt.

[jbcarol]

Adam Sparks @AdamSparks  ·  15 hours ago

Riley LaChance's second straight 26-point night paces Vandy's rally for win. http://tnne.ws/1syCEh6 



Kevin Stallings: "Riley (LaChance) walks toward a fight. I like those kinds of guys."

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  5 hours ago
Blog: Here's an updated SEC Power Poll now that we're more than a month into the college basketball season http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/sec-power-poll/article_3a13f084-8702-11e4-a786-2f095d0627a1.html ...

Here's how I see the SEC race stacking up:

1. Kentucky (11-0)

Best win: Kansas (72-40 on Nov. 18 in Indianapolis)

Worst loss: None

Remaining non-conference schedule: vs. UCLA on Dec. 20 in Chicago, at Louisville on Dec. 27

I picked Kentucky second in the preseason behind Duke, and I'm standing by that...

2. Arkansas (7-2)

Best win: at SMU (78-72 on Nov. 25)

Worst loss: at Clemson (68-65 on Dec. 7)

Remaining non-conference schedule: vs. Southeast Missouri State on Dec. 20, vs. Milwaukee on Dec. 22, vs. Northwestern State on Dec. 28, vs. Utah Valley on Jan. 3

There was no doubt hope in Fayetteville that Mike Anderson seemed like he might have finally put together a team that could win with some regularity on the road when the Razorbacks took down SMU in Dallas...

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger @DCTheState  ·  23 minutes ago
MEN'S FINAL: South Carolina 68, Clemson 45. The Gamecocks improve to 6-3 and win the rivalry game for the first time in three years.

Brad Brownell: "When you don't score, that puts an awful lot of pressure on your defense." Tigers had 15 in the second half.

Brownell: "It's hard to run offense against South Carolina, the way they play." Said Gamecocks force teams to find playmakers.

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger @DCTheState  ·  23 minutes ago
MEN'S FINAL: South Carolina 68, Clemson 45. The Gamecocks improve to 6-3 and win the rivalry game for the first time in three years.

Brad Brownell: "When you don't score, that puts an awful lot of pressure on your defense." Tigers had 15 in the second half.

Brownell: "It's hard to run offense against South Carolina, the way they play." Said Gamecocks force teams to find playmakers.

David Cloninger @DCTheState  ·  34 minutes ago
Martin on what he did at halftime. "We pulled out a birthday cake ... cut it up .. clapped a few times .. I'm full of the Christmas spirit."

[jbcarol]

Hugh Kellenberger @HKellenbergerCL  ·  Dec 18
It's just one game, but rallying from down 17 to beat Coastal Carolina represents progress for Ole Miss. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/olemisssports/2014/12/18/ole-miss-rally-down-coastal-carolina-ladarius-

Andy Kennedy has been trying to get some toughness out of Ole Miss all season. It finally happened last night.

[jbcarol]

GoGamecocks.com @gogamecocks  ·  12 hours ago
Cloninger Soundoff: Rewards starting to roll in for Martin's Gamecocks http://scne.ws/7t0gpp  #gg

Frank Martin isn't getting ahead of himself. He's seen how this can boomerang right back to the land of 14 wins.

But it's hard not to smile – this is what he has always known could happen.

The Gamecocks are only 6-3, but they've won four straight and blown out two major-conference opponents in a row, including in the rivalry game. They have an excellent chance to be 8-3 going into their final non-conference game, and then tackle the SEC.

His players, the ones he had to be so patient with as he rebuilt the entire roster, know his system now. They play defense like five Tasmanian devils. They're finding ways to score even when their most talented player is locked up.

The howls from Charlotte and Akron seem so long ago, although it was less than a month. USC's fan base has never been renowned for its patience, the very thing Martin had to keep pleading for, but the rewards are starting to roll in...

[jbcarol]

Late Night Snacks: Villanova survives Syracuse while UNC, SMU get big wins

No. 1 Kentucky 83, UCLA 42: Kentucky absolutely embarrassed the Bruins on Saturday afternoon, jumping out to a 24-0 lead [box score below] and burying UCLA 41-7 at the break. UCLA is a borderline tournament team this season, but they still have some talent on that roster.

NOTABLES
Nino Williams had 17 points to lead four players in double-figures as Kansas State shot 61.5 percent from the floor to beat Texas A&M.

In his first game with the Gators, Alex Murphy had nine points, four boards, two steals and two blocks off the bench. Dorian Finney-Smith added 16 points, six boards, four assists and four steals as Florida knocked off Wake Forest.

Georgia Tech picked up a nice win against Vanderbilt thanks to 19 points and eight boards from Charles Mitchell.

K.T. Harrell finished with 24 points as Auburn knocked off Xavier in a double-overtime thriller, 65-59.

STRUGGLED

1. Caris LeVert, Michigan: LeVert was a no-show on Saturday, finishing 1-for-8 from the floor with four points and five turnovers in a loss to SMU at home. He was also torched by Nic Moore, who finished with 17 points.

2. UCLA: Presented without comment:

[jbcarol]

Story: After another lackluster start, what is wrong with men's basketball in the SEC?

Which Power Five conference had the worst winning percentage in games against other major-conference teams?

In 39 such contests against foes from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 as well as the SEC, Southeastern Conference teams had won 14. That is a winning percentage of 35.9.

Only the Pac-12, 8-14 for 36.3 percent, was close to as futile against high-level competition as the SEC had been.

This year's tepid SEC beginning — which is not helped by league pillar Florida's 0-4 start against Power Five foes — is merely a continuation of the recent downward trend line for men's hoops in the league.

From 1995 through 2008, the Southeastern Conference sent at least five teams to the NCAA Tournament every season but one. In the 10-year stretch of 1999-2008, the SEC received six Big Dance invitations eight times.

However, in the six NCAA Tournaments since 2009, the SEC has gotten only three teams into the tourney in three different years, including each of the past two. In two of the other years in this stretch, the league had only four tourney teams.

At a time when Southeastern Conference athletics departments are rolling in resources, there is no excuse not to have greater depth of quality teams in men's basketball.

The conventional excuse you hear for SEC hoops futility is the league's obsessive football mania leads to rampant basketball indifference.

The pigskin is clearly the number one sport at every SEC school other than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Yet how is that different than in the 1980s, when future NBA standouts such as Charles Barkley (Auburn), Chuck Person (Auburn), Dominique Wilkins (Georgia), Vern Fleming (Georgia), Jeff Malone (Mississippi State) and Dale Ellis (Tennessee) dotted the league's non-Kentucky hoops programs?

"It's recruiting," says Larry Conley, the former Kentucky forward and long-time TV color analyst for college basketball. "If you are asking why the league is not like it was in the 1980s, when you had Barkley and Dominique and guys like that spread around, it's a recruiting issue."

One area where the SEC was not as bad as I expected so far this season was in the "horrible loss" department. Through Thursday, the league had 16 defeats to teams from outside the major conferences. That includes some real clunkers — Mississippi's home loss to Charleston Southern, Mississippi State falling to Arkansas State and Missouri to Missouri-Kansas City.

However, most of the SEC's non-Power Five defeats came against quality programs such as Xavier, Wichita State and VCU.

(Interestingly, of the five major leagues, the ACC had the most non-Power Five losses through Dec. 18 with 20 — and that does not include Eastern Kentucky's shocking 72-44 hammering of No. 18 Miami on Friday night).

Conley said he believes there are several SEC teams that will look better come March than they do right now.

"I think Florida will still end up winning 23, 24 games," he said of Billy Donovan's Gators. "You know Billy will pull them together and I think their talent level merits high hopes."

Conley expects LSU and Arkansas to be viable NCAA tourney teams. "I think LSU has talent," he said. "I think you will see them get stronger as the season goes, and that win they had at West Virginia (74-73 Dec. 4) was a very good win in terms of team development.

"Arkansas is the same situation. I think they have a better club than they had last year. But, for whatever reason, they have so much trouble winning on the road. That's the big question that hangs over them, will they ever learn to (consistently) win on the road? But I like that team."

With No. 1 Kentucky, that's four potentially quality teams out of a league of 14.

Written before State's loss to USC Upstate in Jackson.

[jbcarol]

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo  ·  7 hours ago
UCLA reached a low-water mark Saturday against Kentucky

[root_hawg]

I think the emphasis put on SEC football has athletes like what would be a Corliss Williamson playing football now.  I think that is happening around the south as more emphasis is put on football and less on basketball.

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger @DCTheState  ·  10 minutes ago
MEN'S FINAL: South Carolina 78, Coker 52. The Gamecocks improve to 7-3 and have won five straight.

[jbcarol]

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  2 minutes ago
These first eight minutes have to rank up there with best in Mark Fox's time at Georgia, no? Georgia leads 22-7 over Seton Hall.

[jbcarol]

For the first time in school history, a Kentucky men's basketball team has started the season with 12 straight double-digit wins.

[jbcarol]

@Bama 60,  App St. 59

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  1 hour ago
Top 25 ballot (DEC 21): 01-Kentucky...

Since you asked, the rest of the at-large pool... 26-Butler, 27-Gtown, 28-Miami, 29-ColoSt, 30-Ark...

35-Fla, 36-Iowa, 37-TCU, 38-LSU, 39-Cuse, 40-SMU, 41-OklaSt, 42-UConn, 43-Xavier, 44-GBay, 45-Minnesota, 46-SoCarolina,...

FIRST OUT: Indiana, Providence, Purdue, BYU. NEXT FOUR: Georgia, Stanford, Dayton, Texas A&M. FOUR MORE: Davidson, Harvard, Boise St, UCLA.

[jbcarol]

Brandon Zimmerman @BZSEC  ·  3h 3 hours ago

Five SEC hoops teams are in the top 50 of the RPI today: No. 1 Kentucky, No. 19 LSU, No. 20 Arkansas, No. 28 Georgia, No. 46 Texas A&M.

[jbcarol]

We are now days away from No. 1 Kentucky (12-0) visiting No. 4 Louisville (10-0) in what could be the most anticipated regular-season college basketball game in our state's history.

Will Kentucky have the big head?

... I'm not sure going into the KFC Yum Center off of last Saturday's 83-44 obliteration of UCLA is the greatest "setup" for the Cats.

UK players will spend this holiday week being told how great they are. On Saturday, they will walk into a basketball holy war.

Under John Calipari, Kentucky is 6-1 against Louisville. The Wildcats have knocked the Cardinals out of the NCAA Tournament twice in the past three seasons. With even opposing coaches now speculating on whether Kentucky will complete an undefeated season, one way for U of L players and fans to get back some rivalry swag would be to foil UK's unbeaten record.

On the flip side of that, Kentucky has so far seemed every bit a team that thrives on the biggest stages. Ask Kansas, North Carolina and poor, poor UCLA about that.

Other than NCAA Tournament games, college basketball platforms don't get any larger than the one Kentucky will be on Saturday.

[jbcarol]

http://www.bracketwag.com/

USA Today bracketologist (updated 12/22)

1-seed Kentucky
4-seed Arkansas
7-seed LSU
11-seed UGa

First 4 out - Georgia Tech, BYU, Colorado, Indiana
Multi bid conferences - ACC - 8, Big 10 - 7, Big 12 - 7, Big East - 6, PAC 12 - 6, SEC - 4

[jbcarol]

Andy Katz @ESPNAndyKatz  ·  18 minutes ago
The road stop Kentucky doesn't have to visit is Arkansas. Maybe only chances left to lose in SEC could be at LSU or at Florida. Doubt it.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_CJ  ·  3 minutes ago
Cal: "We're going to go on the road in hostile environments and we're going to be challenged. Our league is fine."

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein  ·  1 hour ago
Kentucky just won the toughest game it will have on its schedule this season. It's the Cats against themselves the rest of the way. #BBN

[jbcarol]

Rob Dauster @RobDauster  ·  3 hours ago
Some thoughts on Tyler Ulis, Andrew Harrison and what all this means for Kentucky moving forward: http://wp.me/p1aWjM-2acX

The difference in how well Ulis and Andrew Harrison played was massive. Harrison had six turnovers, was 1-for-6 from the floor and much of the game sulking on the bench, sitting while his team made a run and clapping only if his brother made a shot. The broadcast also showed an exchange, after Harrison took an awful shot early in the shot clock and late in the game, where John Calipari screamed at him, saying "you [expletive] stay in this huddle!"

Ulis is the best point guard on this Kentucky roster. There's an argument to be made that he's the most valuable player on the roster. In big moments, he's going to be the guy that Coach Cal is forced to turn to at the point.

I say "forced" because I don't think that this performance will move Ulis into the starting lineup. We all saw Harrison's reaction to seeing his backup outplay him in the biggest game of the year, and it wasn't pretty. What will happen if he gets benched for the freshman? That's not a risk that Coach Cal will want to take, not when he only has two points guards on the roster.

And, quite frankly, how often is Kentucky going to run into a situation where they are really going to be in danger of losing a game if they split minutes between the two point guards? Hint: not often.

If the choice is to soothe an ego by starting a sophomore — something I truly doubt Ulis cares about at all — or to risk alienating one of two point guards on his team, the decision is an easy one to make if it's not going to cost you a game.

[jbcarol]

Mark Story @markcstory  ·  3 hours ago
Asked about ESPN analysts saying UK can now go unbeaten, Calipari says 'They picked the Germans in WWII, too'

[jbcarol]

John Clay @johnclayiv  ·  51 minutes ago
Three things from UK's win over Louisville http://johnclay.bloginky.com/2014/12/27/three-more-things-from-kentuckys-win-over-louisville/ ...

1. Louisville had one assist. One. In my limited database, I can't find a time when a Kentucky opponent was held to just one assist. Auburn managed just two assists against UK last season at Auburn. Tennessee State had just two assists against UK back on December 22, 2008. That was two assists. This is one.

The reason? John Calipari said part of the game plan was to get his guys to back up on the pick and roll and make Louisville shoot jumpers. Smart strategy...

2. Depth is a wonderful thing. Example: Andrew Harrison was pretty bad Saturday. Tyler Ulis was really good. Andrew Harrison plays point guard. Tyler Ulis plays point guard...

On Tuesday, Pitino stressed how important it was for his team to rebound the basketball against Kentucky. Stressing it is one thing. Doing it is another. Kentucky outrebounded the Cards 46-33. Kentucky claimed 53.1 percent of its offensive rebounds, a high number...

[jbcarol]

Drew Champlin @DrewChamplin  ·  4 hours ago
Alabama plays UCLA in basketball today and you should read a little about it http://ow.ly/Gv7g5

WHAT: UCLA (8-4) at Alabama (8-3)

WHERE: Coleman Coliseum (15,383), Tuscaloosa, Ala.

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 28, at 5:30 p.m. CT

TV: ESPNU with Rich Hollenberg and Darrin Horn on the call

ALABAMA: G Ricky Tarrant (Jr., 12.5 ppg), G Levi Randolph (Sr., 16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 apg), G Rodney Cooper (Sr., 11.6 ppg), F Michael Kessens (So., 6.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg), F Jimmie Taylor (So., 4.8 ppg 5.5 rpg, 2.2 bpg)

Alabama needs a win over a big name team to enhance its profile. UCLA's RPI is low at 112 (Alabama is 64), but the Bruins are talented enough to make a run in the Pac-12. UCLA's starting lineup is talented, but the Bruins don't get anything from its bench. Forward Kevon Looney was a 5-star recruit in the class of 2014. [Scored all of UCLA's points in the first sixteen minutes of the Kentucky game in Chicago.]

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker @wesrucker247  ·  Dec 27

#Vols' zone defense is such an usual zone. Gives almost every opponent problems. Not a fluke at this point.

[jbcarol]

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-rpi

1. Kentucky
21. LSU
23. Georgia
29. Arkansas
46. Bama
54. A&M
86. Vols
88. Ole Miss
95. USC
101. Florida
123. Vandy
152. Auburn
172. Mizzou
204. State

[jbcarol]

Shelby Mast ‏@BracketWAG

Weekly bracket posted. Daily updates start later in the week. GO TEAM! http://www.bracketwag.com
6:01 AM - 29 Dec 2014

1-seed Kentucky
4-seed Arkansas
7-seed LSU
9-seed UGa

Multi bid conferences - ACC - 8, Big 12 - 7, Big East - 7, Big 10 - 6, PAC 12 - 4, SEC - 4, ...

[jbcarol]

Eamonn Brennan @eamonnbrennan  ·  6 hours ago
Sorry, but Kentucky's lineups don't matter http://es.pn/1A5cPuq

Andrew Harrison, Kentucky's starting point guard and Ulis' putative platoon counterpart, had one of the worst games of his career. Other than a late 3, he went 0-of-5 from the field, coughed up six turnovers, openly sulked, received a widely noted dressing down from Kentucky coach John Calipari for leaving his huddle too early, and mostly looked miserable even as the Wildcats were polishing off a massive road victory.

The agreed-upon assumption is that Calipari would just love to ditch the platoons and put Ulis atop his One True Rotation, but because he has to keep everyone (read: the Harrisons) happy, his hands are tied. But what about close games? Ulis has to play in close games!

Two days later, let's get one thing clear: It doesn't matter. None of it matters.

[jbcarol]

Letter to the editor in The Courier-Journal from UofL emeritus professor Michael Cassaro

UK dooming college basketball?

I watched the Louisville-Kentucky game Saturday and came away with the perception that I had not witnessed basketball as I know it should be played. This is the only Kentucky game I saw this season. One team smothered its opponent, not randomly, but totally.

My belief is that Kentucky's coach has planned, through recruitment and coaching tactics, to build a program that smothers and bullies opponents rather than play basketball the way it should be played.

Inevitably, this corruption of college basketball will doom the sport at the college level. No team wants to play that kind of program. I don't understand how Kentucky's players tolerate the loss of athletic play in their present up-and-down routine where true competition is never achieved.

The NCAA should reject this corrupted play before other schools reject submitting their programs to participate.

MICHAEL CASSARO
Emeritus Professor –
University of Louisville

Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_CJ  ·  Dec 28
"That was a punch in the face." Often, literally. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2014/12/27/kentucky-tops-louisville-remain-perfect/20944283/ ...

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  4 hours ago

ICYMI, my blog on PG Kasey Hill responding well in practice after benching late in Wake Forest game http://tinyurl.com/qg6jteo


Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  4 hours ago

UF-FSU adv: Both teams seeking to find identity, and a win, in in-state rivarly game - via @Gator_sports http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20141230/ARTICLES/141229721 ...

[jbcarol]

Observations: Kentucky's defense more disruptive than 2012 title team

Calipari starts three players -- Trey Lyles, Karl Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein -- who stand taller than 6-foot-10. And he brings two more off the bench: Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson. Kentucky doesn't have a dominant force on the back line like Anthony Davis (4.7 blocks per game) in 2012, but this collection of length and size makes it nearly impossible to get clean looks at the rim in traffic. It's not about shots the Wildcats block, it's about the shots they alter. This team figures to be much improved offensively by March and is still beating opponents by an average of 27.4 points. The 2012 team had two alpha dogs on defense in Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. But that squad didn't have the ability to drag opponents into the mud and force them into submission like this group. Consider this: Kentucky limited Louisville -- which will compete with Duke and Virginia at the top of the ACC -- to 50 points on its home floor last Saturday.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_CJ  ·  14 hours ago
Assume it's being rewarded for playing ton of good teams, but Florida hasn't beaten ANY of them, so it's crazy Gators 15th in KenPom ranks.

[MikePiazza]

https://vine.co/v/OwXiHZvweQg/embed

[jbcarol]

https://vine.co/v/OwXiHZvweQg/embed

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  16 hours ago
Here's the good news-- florida won a game at the buzzer. Oops.

Erik Murphy @e_murphy33  ·  16 hours ago
There's nobody like @JakeDa_Snake so people ripping him is absurd. Absolute fluke play.

[jbcarol]

Mark Long @APMarkLong  ·  10 hours ago
Billy D says Jacob Kurtz thought shot vs FSU was going to be an air ball, but it grazed rim and deflected off his hands and in basket

[jbcarol]

2015 SEC Preview

... SEC's three best teams, Arkansas, Florida, and ... Kentucky

Florida has had a disappointing 7-4 start, but they are still very talented and have two of the conferences best veteran players in Michael Frazier II and Dorian Finney-Smith. Arkansas, who had the 'Cats number last season, is 10-2 and has the best inside-outside duo outside of Lexington in power forward Bobby Portis and guard Michael Qualls...

Portis had an outstanding freshman season that landed him on the All-SEC second team and SEC All-Freshman squad. He is a very skilled all-around offensive player and has shown an improved 3-point shot this season that is becoming a weapon. He is averaging 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game...

The conference boasts some great coaches, outstanding young players, and possibly five solid NCAA tournament teams...

[jbcarol]

NBCSports Bracket Projection

SEC (3): Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU

First Five teams out (at large): Minnesota, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami-FL, Wyoming

NOTES on the BRACKET: Kentucky is the overall No. 1 seed followed by Duke, Wisconsin, Arizona.

7-seed Arkansas v. MichSt.

9-seed LSU v. Syracuse

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi @ESPNLunardi  ·  24 hours ago

First seed list of the new year (CAPS=AQs): 01-UK... , 29-Ark, ..., 35-Lsu, ... 42-Georgia, ...

FIRST OUT: Minn, Florida, SoCar, OklaSt.

First full Bracketology scheduled for Monday, January 5

[jbcarol]

Shelby Mast @BracketWAG  ·  Jan 1

Daily bracket updates start TODAY! New one just posted - no yelling! http://www.bracketwag.com

SEC - 4

1-seed Kentucky
4-seed Arkansas
6-seed LSU
7-seed UGa

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  11 hours ago

Pfft, SEC is a basketball conference anyway. (Kentucky and, like, some other teams.)