SEC 13-14 Basketball Tournament Team Projections

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 48m
Suspended #Florida G Scottie Wilbekin to practice with team next week http://ow.ly/ptND2   #SEC

[jbcarol]

GoVolsXtra ‏@GoVolsXtra 13h
Strong bench is 'biggest thing' in Cuonzo Martin's third season http://ow.ly/psdzA

[jbcarol]

The Gators basketball team will open practices next Friday with highly touted Rutgers transfer Eli Carter and senior power forward Will Yeguete out with injuries, coach Billy Donovan said Wednesday.

Carter, who received an eligibility waiver from the NCAA on Monday, continues to recover from a broken fibula suffered last Feb. 16 against Depaul.

Yeguete, a top rebounder and defender last season for the Gators, had surgery in late May to remove damaged cartilage from his right knee. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Yeguete underwent minor surgery on the same knee in early February and missed seven games.

Will see if this affects their conditioning during conference play.

[jbcarol]

#37 MISSOURI MEN'S BASKETBALL 2013-2014 PREVIEW

Who's Out:
The Tigers lose four of five starters from a year ago.  That is a whole lot of attrition for any team to handle.  Stud guard and team leader Phil Pressey is gone.  An NBA draft pick, he was the floor general for Missouri that could really create some things in space with his speed.  He will be missed.  Laurence Bowers is also gone.  He was the team's leading scorer and shot nearly 55 percent from the floor.  Former UConn forward Alex Oriakhi fulfilled his eligibility as well.  He led the team in rebounds and was fourth in the conference at snagging boards.  Keion Bell was an important contributor at the guard position.  He was deadly at the foul line (86.6 percent).  There is a lot of production out the door for Missouri with these four gone.

Who's In:
Missouri has four freshmen coming in that should contribute and fight for minutes.  There are three top-100 players coming in to help bolster the depth for Haith.  The most touted is Wes Clark, the heir apparent to Phil Pressey at the point guard spot.  The Detroit native averaged 6.5 assists during his senior season.  Probably more important than the strong freshman class is the amount of solid transfers that Haith got to come to Columbia.  Jordan Clarkson, a transfer from Tulsa, is a legitimate scorer that is really going to add to the back court versatility Haith will need.  They also have Deuce Bello (Baylor) and Zach Price (Louisville) waiting in the wings.  They must sit out this season due to transfer rules, but they will add great talent once they are able to take the floor.  Top junior college transfer Keanau Post also joins the squad this year.

Who to Watch:
The player everyone will have their eyes on is Jabari Parker.  A highly-touted recruit out of high school, Parker originally committed to Oregon only to transfer almost immediately after the season started.

Projected Postseason Tournament:  NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Jabari Brown, Junior, Guard, 13.7 points per game
Earnest Ross, Senior, Guard, 10.3 points per game
Tony Criswell, Senior, Forward, 5.2 points per game
Ryan Rosburg, Sophomore, Forward, 1.0 point per game
Jordan Clarkson, Junior, Guard, 16.5 points per game (2011-2012 at Tulsa)

Coach Haith's issues with the NCAA from his time at Miami are still to be finalized. The NCAA has been distracted of late.

[jbcarol]

ARKANSAS MEN'S BASKETBALL 2013-2014 PREVIEW

Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:
Rickey Scott, Senior, Guard, 4.3 points per game
Mardracus Wade, Senior Guard, 6.5 points per game
Rashad Madden, Junior, Guard, 4.2 points per game
Coty Clarke,Senior, Forward, 7.6 points per game
Bobby Portis Jr., Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Who to Watch:
Ten players who spent some time in the regular rotation are back. Forward Coty Clarke is the top returning scorer and rebounder at 7.6 and 5.2, respectively. He will be the anchor in the frontcourt while the newcomers come around. Jacorey Williams showed some potential as a freshman and is at least a tough, high energy player who can fill minutes. The new star of the backcourt will likely be Mardracus Wade. Wade's outside shooting dropped below 30 percent during his sophomore season, but he shot 47.6 percent as a freshman. He has the shot. It is open looks that could be a problem. Even if he is not shooting particularly well, Wade is a great defender. Rickey Scott and Rashad Madden are both capable...

[jbcarol]

Tennessee Vols say fast start key for NCAA Tournament
Early season woes have hurt Vols lately

Each of the past two years, Tennessee has come on strong down the stretch but failed to earn an NCAA bid because of its early season struggles. The Volunteers believe they have enough talent in place to avoid that fate this season.

"That's really what we're trying to concentrate on this year," senior guard Jordan McRae said. "We're trying to start off way better and faster than we have in the past. That just goes to us as the seniors, to make sure we don't get off to a slow start like we have in the past."

Tennessee brings back three of its top four scorers from a team that went 20-13 and made a second straight NIT appearance last season. McRae is back after earning first-team All-SEC honors, and second-team All-SEC forward Jarnell Stokes also returns.

Memphis transfer Antonio Barton steps in at point guard to replace Trae Golden, who left for Georgia Tech. The Vols welcome back senior forward Jeronne Maymon, a second-team all-SEC pick in 2011-12 who redshirted last season with an injured left knee.

Tennessee opens the season Nov. 12 at Xavier.

"Health-wise, I'm 100 percent," Maymon said. "As far as my game, that's still a work in progress. I'm still shaking off the rust."

Tennessee also adds a freshman class that features highly touted guard Robert Hubbs III and swingman A.J. Davis, the son of former NBA forward Antonio Davis. Darius Thompson should provide some needed depth at point guard.

"When you're trying to win championships and cut nets down, you have to have the personnel to do that," Tennessee coach Cuonzo Martin said. "You have to be talented enough. You can work hard. You can compete. You can be in games. You can be tough. But you have to have the talent and personnel to try to win it in the end. I think we have the talent to do that, but again, staying healthy, playing together and understanding roles will be big for our guys."

Last season, Tennessee was 11-10 overall and 3-6 in the SEC after a Feb. 6 home loss to Georgia. The Vols then won nine of their next 10 games...

www.govolsextra.com

Trae Golden went out over the academic scandal.

[jbcarol]

College Basketball Conference Previews: SEC

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24057509/college-basketball-conference-previews-sec

[jbcarol]

Ellington is a gamer.  Hog fans should remember him on the basketball court

[jbcarol]

Doug Gottlieb preseason Top 26 for cbssports.

1. Michigan State.

6. Oklahoma State

7. Kentucky

21. Tennessee

[jbcarol]

http://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/index.ssf/2013/10/alabama_in_middle_of_sec_hoops.html

Preseason media poll
Kentucky (21)................................... 371
Florida (5)........................................ 353
Tennessee (1).................................. 320
LSU................................................... 270
Missouri........................................... 262
Alabama.......................................... 257
Ole Miss........................................... 216
Arkansas.......................................... 197
Texas A&M...................................... 139
Vanderbilt........................................ 125
Georgia............................................ 119
South Carolina................................. 108
Mississippi State............................... 59
Auburn............................................... 39

[jbcarol]

Bo Mattingly ‏@SportsTalkwBo 2h
Dykes: UK, Fla, Tenn, LSU are the four teams we'll have eyes on in the SEC. The next teams - including Arkansas - all look the same.

Bo Mattingly ‏@SportsTalkwBo 2h
Dykes: I think Tennessee and LSU are capable of playing their way into the top 25.

Bo Mattingly ‏@SportsTalkwBo 2h
Dykes: If Ark can go to Maui and win its first two games there, it's a big step, and they'll be in the fight for an NCAA Tournament berth.

[jbcarol]

Coaches rank Kentucky No. 1 in preseason poll

1. Kentucky

8. Florida

[Hogwild]

.

Dykes: I think Tennessee and LSU are capable of playing their way into the top 25.




I agree

[j-mann]

Arkansas can win-out in non conf go 2-1 in maui  the hogs need 11-12 NOC W and 11-12 SEC Wins and at least 1 SEC Tourney win

[jbcarol]

Or maybe 10-12.

[jbcarol]

Clay: No way Kentucky is going undefeated. It's too hard.

Nearly 37 years have passed since a team completed the task without a single stain. That was a different game at a different time, when Bob Knight was grabbing players' jerseys and perfect 1975-76 Indiana boasted a tough, talented, stubborn team of rhinoceros-skinned veterans.

That's right, veterans.

"I've said, before I retire, I'd like to coach a team that goes 40-0," said Calipari, explaining the numbers stand as more of a goal than an expectation.

Cal also said this: "We've got one of the best schedules in the country. We've got one of the most inexperienced teams in the country. So it will be interesting."
As that football coach from Alabama who was in town last weekend will tell you, it's a process. And regardless the sport, part of the process is learning along the way toward a big finish.

[jbcarol]

Auburn Coach Tony Barbee asked fans to be patient. That was in response to a question about the Tigers losing 16 of the last 17 games of the 2012-13 season.

When asked what he'd say to Auburn fans, Barbee said, "Just to remain patient. I think this is a team that will make everybody proud."

Auburn has seven new players this season.

Auburn tried to pump up enthuisasm at Midnight Madness. The rapper Ludacris and actor Mike Epps made appearances before a crowd Auburn announced as 7,300.

"For a team that struggled as much as we did, we have a lot of momentum," Barbee said.

[jbcarol]

#23 ALABAMA MEN'S BASKETBALL 2013-2014 PREVIEW

Who's Out:
Guard Trevor Lacey and center Moussa Gueye are no longer at Alabama.  Lacey transferred to NC State after the 2012-2013 season.  He will be a big loss in terms of production.  He was the second leading scorer (11.3 points per game) and second on the team in minutes last year.  More than anything he was the team facilitator with 3.2 assists per game.  Gueye will be a big loss in terms of size.  He was not a prolific scorer, but the 7-footer led the team in blocks.

Who to Watch:
Releford was sensational at times last season.  Eyes will be on him to see if he takes the next step this season.  Most of the offense will run through him, so he will need to keep his shooting percentage up.  He shot over 47 percent last season, including 40 percent from three-point range.  He is a reliable foul shooter that has an eye for the ball on defense.  He was second in the SEC in steals.  Also, Engstrom's ability to man the middle will be important.  He will be evaluated closely early in the season.

Final Projection:
Alabama has won 20 games for three consecutive seasons.  That has not happened in nearly two decades.  Grant is obviously an up-and-coming young coach that seems to really connect with his players.  The trajectory for Alabama is certainly upward considering they return some really solid players to a squad that won 23 games.  In a conference with well-established Kentucky and Florida, it will be difficult for Alabama to break through to any sort of conference title.  They should still win a few games against some good squads...

Projected Postseason Tournament:  NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Trevor Releford, Senior, Guard, 14.9 points per game
Rodney Cooper, Junior, Guard, 10.2 points per game
Levi Randolph, Junior, Guard, 8.1 points per game (2011-2012)
Nick Jacobs, Junior, Forward, 7.6 points per game
Retin Obasohan, Sophomore, Guard, 3.9 points per game

[jbcarol]

#20 TENNESSEE MEN'S BASKETBALL 2013-2014 PREVIEW

Who's Out:
Tennessee does lose three part-time starters and reserve Yemi Makanjuola, so Coach Martin does have some holes to fill. Trae Golden opted to transfer and that leaves the Volunteers without their playmaking point guard.

Who's In:
Despite the losses, Tennessee has options when it comes to replacing Golden, McBee and Hall. Most notable is Memphis transfer Antonio Barton. The senior averaged just 5.6 points and 1.1 assists last season, but he has more than enough experience to run the point for the Volunteers. Coach Martin will also hope incoming freshman Darius Thompson is ready to run the show on occasion.

Who to Watch:
The return of Jarnell Stokes is a huge reason why Tennessee has a chance at winning the SEC. Stokes flirted with the idea of entering the NBA and the big 6-8, 260 pound forward could have a future playing professionally. For now the junior will dominate the glass and provide the Volunteers with a consistent interior scoring threat. Stokes is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country and he will get help from Jeronne Maymon. Maymon missed last season with an injury, but he was an All-SEC performer two years ago.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:
Antonio Barton, Senior, Guard, DNP last season at Tennessee
Jordan McRae, Senior, Guard, 15.7 points per game
Josh Richardson, Junior, Guard, 7.9 points per game
Jarnell Stokes, Junior, Forward, 12.4 points per game
Jeronne Maymon, Senior, Forward, DNP last season

Madness 2014 NBA Draft Rankings:
#40 Jarnell Stokes
#69 Jordan McRae

Madness 2013 Men's Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#23 Robert Hubbs

Skylar McBee and Kenny Hall finally exhausted their eligibility.

[jbcarol]

Forward thinking

"I think the strength of our team right now, if you look at it, will be our forwards," Anderson said Thursday. "I think our skilled forwards are really plentiful.

"I think that's going to be important for our basketball team."

http:// [[[Stop spamming your site, Eric.]]] .com/sections/razorbacks/men%E2%80%99s-basketball/basketball-media-day-anderson-sees-strength-forwards.html

[jbcarol]

With leading scorer Elston Turner having graduated, Texas A&M junior forward Kourtney Roberson is one of the players who be asked to step up to account for the Aggies' loss of their leading scorer from a season ago. The 6-foot-9 Roberson started 32 of Texas A&M's 33 games in 2012-13, posting averages of 6.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Unfortunately for both Roberson and head coach Billy Kennedy the power forward will miss some time as A&M prepares for the upcoming season. On Thursday Roberson underwent a successful out-patient procedure, three days after experiencing a rapid heart rate during practice on Monday. While the school gave no timetable in regards to how long Roberson will be forced to sit, Texas A&M does expect Roberson to return to the floor this season.

"First and foremost, our concern is for Kourtney's health and well-being" Kennedy said in the release. "We'll make sure he gets all the support he needs and are hopeful that he will be back on the court for us very soon."

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/24/rapid-heart-rate-episode-sidelines-texas-am-forward-kourtney-roberson

[jbcarol]

Mike DeCourcy, Sporting News:

But can that team guard? John Calipari is an excellent defensive teacher. His UMass teams were great defensively. His 2008 Memphis team was No. 2 in defensive efficiency. His 2012 champs at Kentucky ranked No. 1 in field goal defense. But all that history didn't help when Noel was injured a year ago; a team that had been effective defensively to that point crumbled to No. 129 in defensive efficiency. 


Noel's not back. We have every reason to believe new point guard Andrew Harrison will be better on the ball than predecessor Ryan Harrow—mostly because it's hard to do worse. Freshman Marcus Lee will be a dynamic shot-blocker, but how much will he play? The wings have terrific size, but will they move their feet?

If Kentucky falls short of winning it all this season, it won't be for lack of talent.

Might it be for lack of D?


[jbcarol]

ESPN writer Dan Hanner did his annual projections once again, with his formula being listed here on RealGM.com.

http://basketball.realgm.com/article/230371/Predicting-the-Future-Adding-a-simulation-to-the-lineup-based-model

His projections included a best and worst scenario for all teams as well.

They project Arkansas to be ranked 70th, but with a best case being 35th and a worst case being 109th. We are picked to be the 8th best team in the SEC this season.

Only Kentucky (1st) and Florida (5th) made the top 25 from his list. Looking at our non-conference opponents, and then our SEC opponents (listed just once), they are ranked as:

SIU-Edwardsville - 317
Louisiana-Lafayette - 225
SMU - 105
California - 48
Minnesota - 63/Syracuse - 14
Dayton - 66/Baylor - 35/Gonzaga - 18/Chaminade - N/A
SE Louisiana - 259
Clemson - 88
Savannah St. - 283
Tennessee-Martin - 322
South Alabama - 170
High Point - 174
UTSA - 263

Texas A&M - 87
Florida - 5
Kentucky - 1
Georgia - 113
Tennessee - 34
Auburn - 163
Missouri - 52
LSU - 55
Alabama - 40
Vanderbilt - 79
South Carolina - 112
Mississippi St - 178
Ole Miss - 65

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9859613/projections-all-351-division-teams-college-basketball

[jbcarol]

A&M guard J-Mychal Reese has been suspended indefinitely from playing in games for violating athletic department rules.

The school says in a statement Wednesday that Reese can practice with the team and is expected to be reinstated for games in the "near future."

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9904558/j-mychal-reese-texas-aggies-suspended-indefinitely

[jbcarol]

AP Preseason Poll

1. Kentucky

10. Florida

Others receiving votes: 26. Tennessee 176 pts. (4 behind #25 Baylor); LSU 6; Mizzou 3.

[jbcarol]

MrSEC Friday night exhibition recap with links to individual articles from this link

1. Missouri 92 – Central Missouri 79.  Trailing with 10 minutes to go, Tigers go on a 26-7 run. 

2. Arkansas 99 – Missouri Southern 82.  Razorbacks hit 11 of their first 15 shots.

3. Auburn 99 – Paine 64. Tigers shoot 45 percent from 3-point range.

4. Florida 110 – Florida Southern 88.  Freshman point guard Kasey Hill has 17 points, three assists and three rebounds.

5. Ole Miss 75 – South Carolina-Aiken 70. Rebels forced into overtime.

6. Kentucky 76 – Transylvania 42. Kentucky "all but sleep-walked its way" to victory.

[jbcarol]

CBS Sports: Top 10 frontcourts in our nation

1. Kentucky
Players: Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Derek Willis

Comment: With possibly five future first-round picks in this lot, it's tough to pick against the Wildcats. Randle is an All-American, while Cauley-Stein is ready to become a dominant big man. Poythress and Johnson could be huge assets if they buy into being role players.

9. Florida
Players: Patric Young, Dorian Finney-Smith, Will Yeguete, Damontre Harris, Chris Walker

Comment: There are plenty of questions about Florida's roster heading into the year, but this group at full strength could be top five in terms of talent. We know what we're getting with Young, but Finney-Smith and Harris are quality transfers. Getting Walker at the semester break could be huge.

Others: Tennessee, ...

We will see if they rethink Arkansas and LSU later in the season.

[jbcarol]

Jerry Palm for CBS Sports

Kentucky 1 seed against play-in 16 seed

Florida 3 seed

Tennessee 5 seed

LSU 9 seed

First four out: Illinois, Missouri, Butler, Kansas State

[jbcarol]

#5 FLORIDA MEN'S BASKETBALL 2013-2014 PREVIEW

Riding high off another trip to the Elite Eight, Florida has the weapons to make another deep tournament run. If all goes well, the goal by March will be more than just a deep run; the goal will be the Final Four and beyond. However, Coach Billy Donovan has a lot of issues to sort out. Injuries and suspensions are keeping the Gators very slim to open the season and that could last well into the 2013-2014 campaign...

Who's Out:
And there is quite a bit of reloading to do. Mike Rosario, Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy were the Gators top three scorers a year ago and Coach Donovan will have to move on without them...

Who's In:
A trio of transfers will make a huge impact sooner or later. Eli Carter, a 6-2 transfer from Rutgers, is recovering from a broken leg suffered in February. Once he is ready to go, Carter provides the team with a big-time scoring threat with plenty of Division I experience. Dorian Finney-Smith, who comes from Virginia Tech, and big man Damontre Harris, ...

Final Projection:
...this is a Florida team that can compete with Kentucky for an SEC title and a national championship.

Projected Starting Five:
Scottie Wilbekin, Senior, Guard, 9.1 points per game (opening season suspension)
Michael Frazier, Sophomore, Guard, 5.6 points per game
Dorian Finney-Smith, Sophomore, Forward, DNP last season
Casey Prather, Senior, Forward, 6.2 points per game
Patric Young, Senior, Center, 10.1 points per game

[jbcarol]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/what-about-the-rest-of-the-sec

Recap of SEC results in exhibition games and top performers.

Puts Wade on the First Team "All Name" team.

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi:

1-seed Kentucky
2-seed Florida
8-seed Tennesseef
11-seed LSU (play-in-game)
12-seed Bama (play-in game)

First Four out: Mizzou

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

[jbcarol]

John Clay provided the SEC Basketball opening night schedule. All times EST.

North Florida at Florida 3:00 PM
Alabama at Oklahoma 5:00 PM
UNC Asheville at Kentucky 7:00 PM
Wofford at Georgia 7:30 PM
Buffalo at Texas A&M 8:00 PM
Nicholls State at Auburn 8:00 PM
Prairie View A&M at Mississippi St. 8:00 PM
SIU Edwardsville at Arkansas 8:00 PM
Southeastern Louisiana at Missouri 8:00 PM
Troy at Ole Miss 8:30 PM

[jbcarol]

Story: As basketball starts, note to Cats fans: Enjoy the ride

...

3. History. When 2013 NCAA champion Louisville visits Rupp Arena to face 2012 champ Kentucky, it will be the first time that the Cats have been part of a game between the two most recent NCAA title winners in Lexington.

2. Revenge. So the one team UK fans are absolutely laying for (not kidding, not at all) will be in Rupp Arena before the season is two months old — Louisville (Dec. 28).

1. Fun. However this season plays out, UK follower, remind yourself to not be so uptight about the final destination that you don't enjoy the ride.

[jbcarol]

Early in training camp, Florida coach Billy Donovan made it clear the Gators weren't playing close to the level defensively that they did a season ago.

Florida will attempt to ratchet up its defensive intensity this afternoon in its season opener against North Florida.

"We know we need to improve on that area," Florida senior forward Will Yeguete said. "And I think we've been working pretty hard this week and focusing on really, really helping and guarding especially. And helping one another."

Last season, Florida finished third in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 54.4 points per game. It was the fewest points UF had given up since the 1948-49 season.

There will be new rules to enable offense this season. As Florida looks to tighten up its defense, we will see if they can loosen up at the end of tight games.

[jbcarol]

Florida 77, North Florida 69
Oklahoma 82, Alabama 73
Kentucky 89, UNC-Asheville 57
Georgia 72, Wofford 52
Arkansas 99, SIU-Edwardsville 65
Auburn 76, Nicholls State 54
Mississippi State 71, Prairie View A&M 56
Texas A&M 82, Buffalo 58
Missouri 89, Southeastern Louisiana 53
Ole Miss 69, Troy 54

Casey Prather had 28 points and eight rebounds as the 10th-ranked Florida Gators beat North Florida 77-69...

Alabama men's basketball team fell to Oklahoma, 82-73, in both teams' season opener at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Junior guard Algie Key led the Crimson Tide with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting in his UA debut.

In his first college game, Julius Randle had 23 points and 15 rebounds, while fellow freshman Marcus Lee added 17 points as the Kentucky Wildcats bounced UNC-Asheville 89-57...

Three Bulldogs scored in double figures as Georgia upended Wofford for a 72-52 season opening win Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Georgia was led by junior Nemanja Djurisic and senior Donte' Williams.  Djurisic scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds and Williams had 11 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Kenny Gaines also added ten points.

Fueled by a 31-4 first half run and five players in double figures, the University of Arkansas men's basketball team opened the 2013-14 season and its 20th year in Bud Walton Arena with a 99-65 win over SIU-Edwardsville on Friday night. The Razorbacks were firing on all cylinders with their #Fastest40 style of play, forcing the Cougars into 23 turnovers that resulted in a 33-3 edge in points off miscues, a 52 percent (33-64) night from the field and 42 points in the paint. Arkansas missed recording the seventh 100-point season-opening game in Bud Walton Arena history by one point.

Guards KT Harrell and Chris Denson combined for 41 points as the Auburn men's basketball team opened the 2013-14 season with a 76-54 win over Nicholls...

State used a dominating inside game to win its men's basketball season opener Friday night.
               
Gavin Ware posted his third career double-double (15 points and 15 rebounds) and Roquez Johnson added 11 points as the Bulldogs used a strong second half surge to get past Prairie View A&M 71-56 in the Hump.

Jordan Green had a career-high 15 points and Kourtney Roberson had 15 points and 11 rebounds as Texas A&M pounded Buffalo 82-58.

Riding a dominating first half, the Tigers easily took the 2013-14 season opener against the visiting Southeastern Louisiana Lions by a score of 89-53.

Mizzou shot an impressive 57.7-percent (15-26) in the first half, which included eight three-pointers.

Jarvis Summers scored a career-high 28 points as Ole Miss coasted past Troy 69-54.

[jbcarol]

Kentucky silenced the haters on Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 93-63 win over Northern. Julius Randle scored 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He had a double-double in the first half...

[jbcarol]

South Carolina (1-0) posted an 82-44 victory in its season opener on Saturday versus Longwood (0-1). Junior guard Ty Johnson led all scorers with 18 points.

[jbcarol]

Young guards carry Mississippi State's hopes

The buzz around the 2013-14 Mississippi State basketball team revolves around point guard I.J. Ready. The freshman has his own web site, www.ijready.com. He won a state championship as a sophomore at Little Rock (Ark.) Parkview High School, averaging 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20131108/SPORTS030102/311080043/TAKE-FIVE-Young-guards-carry-Mississippi-State-s-hopes

Will they say he's "IM Ready"?  He is slated to start at PG for State.

[jbcarol]

Nick Birdsong: Kentucky still atop AP Top 25 basketball poll

Kentucky, which garnered 28 first-place votes, will get its first real test Tuesday when it hosts second-ranked Michigan State Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the State Farm Champions Classic at The United Center in Chicago.

The Spartans, who received 22 first-place votes, are also undefeated at 1-0, having downed McNeese St. (La.) 98-56 this past Friday.

Florida (1-0) is is ranked No. 11. The Gators travel to No. 20 Wisconsin Tuesday.

Tennessee (138 pts., 27th) and LSU (8 pts.) also received votes.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/11/kentucky_still_atop_ap_top_25.html

[jbcarol]

Damian Jones and Rod Odom scored 19 points apiece as Vanderbilt opened its season with an 86-80 win over Georgia State in Nashville.

Odom hit a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds left to give Vanderbilt an 84-80 lead. Eric McClellan, who scored 18 points, added two free throws to seal the game.

With the win, Kevin Stallings tied Roy Skinner for the most wins by a head coach in Vanderbilt history.

Kentucky transfer Ryan Harrow led Georgia State with 27 points.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


COLUMBIA, Mo. - Following an impressive second half effort, Mizzou Men's Basketball pulled away from Southern Illinois for a 72-59 victory on Tuesday evening (Nov. 12). With the win, the Tigers improve to 2-0 on the season. Junior guard Jordan Clarkson led Mizzou in the win, scoring a career-high 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with five assists and no turnovers. He led a Mizzou offense that rebounded from a rough first half to shoot 54.2-percent from the field in the second half. Clarkson scored 19 of his 31 points after the break as he helped the Tigers pull away for the victory.

The win is Mizzou's 75th consecutive win over non-conference opponents and the 20th in-a-row at home for the Tigers. Aside from Clarkson, Mizzou got 17 points from junior guard Jabari Brown and 11 from senior Earnest Ross. Mizzou outscored the Salukis 37-25 in the second half.

http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/NEWS/tabid/473/Article/247798/sec-mens-basketball-today-tuesday-november-12.aspx

Recaps from SEC teams games away from home also at the link

[jbcarol]

SEC's "Big Four" went on the road or to a neutral site on national TV games, Tuesday, Nov. 12.  All four took a close loss.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 5h
Billy D says Damontre Harris is "off the team" right now, needs to work his way back.

[jbcarol]

Gregg G. Ellis @MSUsportsGregg

MRI reveals IJ Ready out 2-4 weeks with strained, inflamed hamstring. But NO tear.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 21h
Trevor Releford's hot start, strong finish leads Alabama to home-opening win over Texas Tech http://ow.ly/qQk0w

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 5h
Billy D says Damontre Harris is "off the team" right now, needs to work his way back.

VaTech transfer Dorian Finney-Smith's suspension is over, but he is unlikely play in the Gators' game against Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday due to an illness.

In his absence, Florida head coach Billy Donovan has been pleased with how Finney-Smith has comported himself

[jbcarol]

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Jordan Green sank a 3-pointer with 6.7 seconds remaining to lift Texas A&M to a 68-65 victory over Rice Friday night.

Kourtney Roberson paced the Aggies (3-0) with a game-high 19 points.

A&M played its third-consecutive game to start the season without starting guard J-Mychal Reese, who's been suspended for an unspecified violation of an athletic department rule. Kennedy has said the number of games Reese is suspended depends on his response to the disciplinary action.

The Aggies also played without guard Fabyon Harris, whom Kennedy said suffered a concussion on Wednesday during practice. Kennedy said he hopes to have Harris back for Tuesday night's home game against Prairie View A&M.

http://espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=400499245

A&M was 2-17 before the game winning three.

[jbcarol]

Charlie Daniel's

[jbcarol]

Jimmy Dykes ‏@JimmyDykesLive 6h
Kids beauty pageant at my hotel in Lexington.If UK plays with aggressive attitude pageant moms use on elevators,they should be n good shape


Dykes is apparently on the broadcast team for Kentucky's "revenge" match with Robert Morris tonight on ESPN2.  Robert Morris beat Kentucky on their home court in Calipari's home township in the NIT opening round back in March.

[jbcarol]

SEC's "Big Four" went on the road or to a neutral site on national TV games, Tuesday, Nov. 12.  All four took a close loss.

AP:
4. UK
16. UF

Others receiving votes (total points off votes)
UT (9)
Mizzou (5)

[jbcarol]

Bama broke 100 for the first time since 2005 and the first time in Grant's Tide tenure with a 102-62 win over cross-town Stillman in the early season NIT.