Player of the Week
Tyler Harris – Auburn
After bouncing around some during his first three seasons, Harris seems to have found his home under Bruce Pearl down in Auburn. The fifth year senior has really taken off this season and is coming off of one of his best performances of the season in a win against Tennessee on Saturday. The 6’10 forward notched his 6th double double of the season against the Vols while scoring 19 points and hauling in 13 boards. Tyler’s brother Tobias, current forward for the Orlando Magic, played under Pearl at Tennessee and the Harris family has a great relationship with the entire Auburn coaching staff. Harris has worked hard on his game this season being mentored by his brother and Chuck Person. That hard work is paying off and you can see it on the court. His numbers across the board are up and he’s become a more consistent player on the offensive end. He’s taking better shots, getting to the foul line and not relying on his perimeter game as much all while taking advantage of the matchup problems his length and athleticism creates. His potential has been limited a little early on as he’s struggled with foul trouble at times but when he is on, he and fellow Tiger Kareem Canty formidable 1-2 punch for this Auburn squad that has their sights set on a NCAA Tournament birth this season.
Who’s Hot
Jalen Jones – Texas A&M
After taking a step back last season as he adjusted to the pace and talent level of the SEC as opposed to Conference USA, Jones has taken two steps forward this season as he has led the Aggies to an 11-2 record overall including wins against Texas, Gonzaga, Kansas State and Baylor in the non-conference and an absolute drubbing of Arkansas on Saturday for the first game of their conference slate. He and Daniel House have been arguably the best wing tandem in the SEC so far this season. Jones put up 28 points and 7 rebound to go along with a couple of steals in just 26 minutes of action against the Razorbacks last weekend. The game was never in doubt as A&M stormed out to a 21 point halftime lead and seemed to coast from there. He was hitting shots from all over the floor but was most effective behind the arc, knocking down four of his six three point attempts almost doubling his season total to that point.
Who’s Not
Antonio Blakeney – LSU
Blakeney was supposed to be the Robin to Ben Simmons‘ Batman this season as both players came in as highly regarded Top 15 prospects out of High School. But as where Simmons has continued to flourish and put up monster numbers at times, Blakeney has really fallen off since the first two weeks of the season. After starting the season with 5 straight games in double figures, he has only gotten to 10 points or more twice in his last eight games, a stretch in which LSU has lost to College of Charleston, Houston and Wake Forrest, teams that the Tigers should have handled with the roster and talent level they currently have. He has really struggled with his jump shot, especially from distance and his shooting just 28% from three this season. He’s still seeing his normal allotment of minutes but as we get deeper into conference play, Head Coach Johnny Jones might have to make a move to get guys like Sampson and Josh Gray a few more minutes in crunch time.
Kasey Hill – Florida
I’ll be the first to admit that, at the moment, it seems as though I was wrong about Hill. After showing promise during his freshman year, sitting behind the likes of Scottie Wilbekin, I thought that last year would be Hill’s breakout campaign. That wasn’t the case as he struggled with his shot as did the entire Florida roster last season. He has lost his starting job this season to Sophomore PG Chris Chiozza and just hasn’t looked like the player I watched and scouted in High School. He hasn’t really put on much weight during his first three seasons and continues to struggle with his jump shot. He’s down below 24% from distance and even his free throw shooting has been forgettable as he’s been below 55% from the charity stripe for two straight seasons now which is awful from a point guard. He just isn’t really improving and hasn’t found a way to alter his game now that he can’t simply blow by defenders and finish at the rim without contact.
Top 5 Games of the Week
Let’s just be serious for a second here. The only game that anyone will be worrying about in the SEC this week, other than the players and coaches, is going to be Tuesday evening’s showdown between LSU and Kentucky. The Wildcats make their way down to Baton Rouge for their second conference tilt in a matchup that could feature as many as four lottery picks in this upcoming draft along with numerous other potential first and second round picks. It will be a chance for Ben Simmons to go up against a Kentucky frontline that is loaded with length, talent and experience. It will be a chance for LSU to put themselves back on the basketball map in the SEC with a win against perennial favorite and sometimes juggernaut in Kentucky. Outside of Texas A&M, LSU is the only other team who has a legitimate shot at slowing Kentucky down and potentially taking the SEC Crown from them. Both rosters are chalk full of talent and it will be on full display as the teams will be the prime time game on ESPN Tuesday night.
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