SEC Notebook
by Ryan Glenn
I do not think too many people understand what a home game has been become in this league. SEC fans are passionate. When two SEC schools come together, the atmosphere in the gym become electric. 10 of the 12 SEC schools have seen an increase in attendance this season. The two that have not? Georgia and Vanderbilt. I see that changing very soon. The SEC might beat each other up night after night, but come March, they will definitely be ready to compete on a national level.
Florida continues to dominate everyone. Mississippi State gave them a scare, but the team is proving why they are the number one team in the conference. They are undefeated in a league where anything can happen each and every night.
Barring a collapse from the Gators, early on, it already looks to be a race for second in the East. Vanderbilt could make things interesting, though, with a win against Florida on the road Wednesday night.
Tennessee has lost two straight and five of their last six games and are desperately waiting for the return of Chris Lofton. JaJuan Smith has helped fill the void by scoring 20 or more in each of the last three games. The Vols seem to have moments where they look like could beat anybody, but aside from Lofton and Smith, they do not seem to be consistent. For Tennessee to rebound, it takes a win against Georgia on Wednesday night. Tennessee has played much better at home this year, which may be because of the three freshmen in the starting line up. After the Bulldogs, the Vols enter a four-game stretch against Florida, LSU, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, that could very well determine how they finish.
Georgia had an impressive last-second win against LSU. With the teams going and back and forth practically the entire game, Levi Stukes hit a three with .6 seconds left to give the Bulldogs the victory. Georgia, now tied for second in the SEC East with a 5-2 record, has already knocked off a few of the most talented teams in the conference and are looking to be a serious contender in the East. Like their counterparts in the SEC West, Georgia will have to make sure they win on the road if they want to have a shot in the conference.
LSU is coming off three straight losses and can not get their offense scoring consistently. Their defense has allowed them to stay in games, but being ranked 10th in the league in field goal and 3-point percentages will not have them returning to the top of the division.
Alabama has taken a turn for the worse in the last three games. It took a big comeback and a last-second shot to come away with a victory against Georgia. Then after a blowout loss to Auburn, the Crimson Tide played no better than mediocre against Arkansas in a 63-57 score that would be deceiving. The Razorbacks had control for eighty percent of the contest, but a comeback led by Richard Hendrix would fall short in the end.
The SEC West is 1-19 on the road and is pretty much up for grabs with one game separating the top team from the bottom. Auburn and Arkansas currently sit atop the West standings with a 3-4 record. The Razorbacks have put themselves in the best position though, having a division record of 3-1.
Games to Watch
January 31st
Vanderbilt at Florida
Georgia at Tennessee
Alabama at LSU
February 3rd
Kentucky at Arkansas
Tennessee at Florida
Georgia at Vanderbilt
They said it:
“I think from top to bottom this is the best league in the country. There’s incredible parity in this league right now and you can’t draw a line down the middle and say which team is better. Any team from the west can beat any team from the east, and the same can be said on the other side.” -Billy Donovan
“Obviously Florida is at another level. I think Billy’s got a very special group. I think with everyone else, you can finish second in this league or eighth in this league in the span of one weekend. I think there’s good people on both sides [of the conference], and things are very, very tight right now.” -Andy Kennedy
