SEC Notebook
by Ryan Glenn
At the beginning of the season, I let my friends and family know that I thought Tennessee would beat Texas at home in December. No doubt, many of them thought I was crazy. Why would I make this bold statement? I knew of Tennessee sophomore Chris Lofton. Lofton did not let me down. He put up a game-high 21 points as the Vols soundly defeated the Longhorns 95-78. Tennessee is off to a 6-0 start and is showing everybody that it will be a team to beat in the SEC. Hopefully, I will not be the only one giving Tennessee some credit.
The other undefeated team in the SEC, Florida, is off to its best start in 54 years with a 9-0 record. The starting five for the Gators have been tremendous. All five are averaging more than 10 points a game. Corey Brewer, as expected, has led the way for Florida. Brewer is averaging nearly 15 points a game and has earned 23 steals. Taking a look at their upcoming schedule, the Gators could easily have their perfect record intact when the conference schedule begins.
Kentucky has had some disappointments this season, but a big win over No. 4 Louisville will put the Wildcats back on the right track. Rajon Rondo once again set a career high with 25 points. The Wildcats also looked better down low against Louisville. Lukasz Obrzut pulled down nine rebounds and Sheray Thomas added 11 points in the win.
Some other good news for Kentucky came from the NCAA. After Kentucky presented a fax from Randolph Morris to coach Tubby Smith to the NCAA, they cut punishment to Morris’ suspension to half of the season. In the fax, Morris clearly stated his intention to not obtain an agent so he could maintain collegiate eligibility. Morris will be back for the SEC opener against Vanderbilt and will provide some much needed help for the Wildcats down low.
Vanderbilt had many people excited about its 5-0 start and an exciting shot at the buzzer to beat Oregon, but then the Commodores ran into Cincinnati. Although Vandy kept it close throughout the game, it just could not take control against the Bearcats. Derrick Byars had a great night with 25 points and six rebounds. What was the key stat in Vanderbilt’s loss? Mario Moore had five points. Moore is supposed to be the leader of this team, but his inconsistency seems to have carried over from last season. Many of the other players have already shown some improvement, but until Moore can step up, Vanderbilt will not surprise too many teams.
