Punt or Play

Player of the Week

Kevin Punter 6’2 (Tennessee)

The second leading scorer in the SEC at 22.9 PPG, Kevin Punter Jr., stretched his streak of 20-point games to six after pouring in 27 against Butler on Saturday.

Punter Jr. and the Volunteers big man Armani Moore combined to give Tennessee the firepower to stick with the high-scoring Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The bulk of Punter’s damage was done in the first half when he scored 17 of his game-high 26 points. While it wasn’t his most efficient game, Punter Jr. shot 10/23 from the field (3/10 from deep), his aggressiveness kept the Vols hanging around in a game that no one projected to be as close as it was.

Tennessee is going to need many more performances like this from the 6’2" senior guard if they want to remain competitive in games this season.

Who’s Hot

South Carolina

Frank Martin has his team locked in, especially on the defensive end. The Gamecocks are surrendering just 68 PPG through eight games. A stingy defense combined with an equal opportunity offense: five players currently average double figures scoring, have South Carolina sitting pretty as the lone undefeated team in the SEC. It can be argued that the Gamecocks have had a cupcake of an opening schedule, but with three of their next five games against quality Division 1 opponents (Clemson, St. John’s and Memphis) South Carolina will be able to prove if this hot start has been a fluke or not.

Ole Miss

The Rebels hold the conference’s second longest winning streak thanks to four straight wins, three of which were by double digits. Stefan Moody is once again playing at a high level for Andy Kennedy’s team. Moody is right on the brink of a 20-5-5 average and Sebastian Saiz is giving Ole Miss a double-double nightly. However, like South Carolina, the Rebels’ non-conference schedule is pretty abysmal. Ole Miss faces off against Memphis on Friday and that should serve as a good litmus test before SEC play kicks off.

Who’s Not

LSU

I probably could turn this section into a weekly "What’s Wrong With LSU" breakdown. The Tigers suffered their fourth loss of the season, thus tying them for the worst record in the conference. Even though they’ve arguably had the easiest schedule, the right results aren’t being produced. Johnny Jones’ team looks more like wounded Tigers than Bayou Bengals. Without Ben Sinmons, who fouled out with 2:41 left in regulation, LSU didn’t show any resemblance to a functioning basketball team in their overtime loss to Houston on Sunday. The only positive this week was that Keith Hornsby made his season debut and scored a career-high 32 points against the Cougars.  

The Haitian Sensation has had a less than sensational December for Kentucky. Labissiere was supposed to be the next in a line of great UK freshmen, but besides a 26-point performance versus NJIT, he’s looked like an ordinary player. His lack of strength is a weakness and he has a propensity to foul too often when defending. Against Arizona State he didn’t score or notch a rebound, fouling out the game in 13 minutes of play. The Wildcats haven’t yet shaped into the dominant team that Big Blue Nation has come to expect; a lot of hope for that rests in Skal improving his play on a night-in and night-out basis.

Top 5 Coaches

5. Bruce Pearl, Auburn

Pearl brings pure energy with him everywhere he goes. His commitment to his players and university are rarely outdone amongst his peers. Pearl makes his team believe they can achieve higher goals than the rest of the college basketball world.

4. Mike White, Florida

Florida looks like it has struck gold twice now with the hiring of Mike White. Though Florida has lost all three games against ranked opponents, it’s hard to say that any team has out worked the Gators. White had an impressive four-year run at Louisiana Tech and the future is looking bright once again in Gainesville.

3. Rick Barnes, Tennessee

Barnes is one of the most decorated coaches in the NCAA today. His tenure at Texas speaks for itself, now the challenge is to replicate that at Tennessee.

2. Avery Johnson, Alabama

Johnson won a title with the Spurs and came close to winning one with the Mavericks as head coach, losing to Shaq and hte Miami Heat in the 20060-07 NBA Finals. In his debut season in Tuscaloosa, he has already exceeded expectations. If his adjustment to the college ranks continues this smoothly the Crimson Tide could soon be a SEC force in both football and basketball.

1. John Calipari, Kentucky

Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Coach Cal has college basketball figured out. He’s done it at UMass and Memphis, and now he’s helped Kentucky regain its footing as one of the nation’s elite programs. He’s the best recruiter in the country and he knows how to get the most out of top tier prospects once they join the Wildcats.