The farther we get into conference play, the more we begin to realize who is going to contend or pretend in the SEC. The SEC boasts the No. 1 ranked team in the country in Kentucky, but other than that, no other squad holds a ranking next to their name. But, that does not mean Kentucky will have no competition when conference play begins. Despite no other team being ranked, South Carolina and Florida have flawless records and are knocking on the door to earn respect from the AP poll and the rest of the country. The SEC may not have the depth to compare with other conferences, but they are progressing, something they need to do to become one of the best conferences in college basketball again.
Player of the Week
Deandre Burnett – Ole Miss
Deandre Burnett, the current scoring leader of the SEC has only failed to reach the 20-point mark one time. In the following game, he dropped 41. The junior went 9-12 from range in a career night against Oral Roberts where his Rebels pulled out a victory in overtime. Burnett is a transfer from Miami who sat out last year due to the NCAA’s transfer rules. It is evident Burnett worked on his outside shot on his year off where he is shooting at a 51% clip. He is not just a spot-up shooter, he affects the game in various areas, specifically by getting to the free throw line. Burnett is getting to charity stripe about 7 times again where he is converting at a 94% rate. I know it is early, but Burnett’s percentages from behind the arc and the free throw line are higher than last year’s Naismith player of the year: Buddy Hield. He has led the Rebels to a 4-1 record, where the success of the team seems to rely on him. In the only loss of the season to No. 12 Creighton, Burnett had 7 turnovers. Burnett needs to start effecting the game in other ways then just scoring. He only averages 2 assists and 2 rebounds per game. The emergence of the star transfer is vital for team success, but to carry this team Burnett will need to affect the game in other areas as well. If Andy Kennedy plans on reaching the NCAA tournament, he needs the dominance of Deandre Burnett to continue.
Who’s Hot
Sindarius Thornwell – South Carolina
If you want to talk about a surprise in the SEC, the South Carolina Gamecocks are undefeated, and it is not just due to their schedule. Frank Martin’s squad seemed fed up with not getting the respect they deserve, and knocked off No. 25 Michigan to advance to 5-0 and put themselves in position to earn a spot in the next AP poll. The reason for their success is because of who I think is currently the player of the year in the SEC: Sindarious Thornwell. Thornwell is playing like an offensive juggernaut. His field goal percentage currently matches his 3-point percentage at 48%. He is shooting lights out, and no one has found an answer for him yet. He has reached the 20-point mark in every one of his games but one, in which he only dropped 18, had 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. The most impressive feature of Thornwell’s game is his ability to rebound. He is a taller guard at 6’5, but he is the leading rebounder on his team where he averages 7.2 rebounds per game. He also might be the most improved player in the conference. Every statistic across the board has improved, with the most drastic improvement coming in the scoring category where he only averaged 13.4 points per game in comparison to this year’s 20.8 points per game.
Who’s Not
PJ Dozier – South Carolina
When discussing who needs to step up and help teammate Sindarius Thornwell continue to keep a zero in the loss column, look no further then former 5-star prospect PJ Dozier. Dozier seemed destined to break out this season and be the leader of this team, but has failed to do so. His shooting percentages have drastically increased where he is shooting 43% from 3, and 91% from the line in comparison to last year where he shot 21% from deep, and a little over 50% on free throws. Despite his progression in shooting percentages, it hasn’t translated to an increase in points where he is only averaging 9.2 points per game. His assists and rebounds have decreased despite the increase in minutes from last year’s averages. In the first two games of the season Dozier put up 17 points, then posted 15. It seemed as if he figured out his role in the offense and a rise in the draft boards would pursue. But since then, Dozier has averaged 4.6 points per game and even put up a goose egg in the scoring total in their most recent game against No. 25 Michigan. South Carolina seems like a team that contend with Kentucky for the SEC title due to their talent. If Dozier performs at the level we expect him to, South Carolina would boast one of the most lethal backcourts in the SEC with the combination of himself and potential player of the year, Sindarious Thornwell. Dozier is known for being able to put pressure on the ball and being a ballhawk in the passing lanes. He is still playing astounding defense where he averages 1.8 steals per game, but Frank Martin expects his former 5-star prospect to be able to rely on his defensive prowess to translate into easy, high quality buckets. If South Carolina pulls out a victory against ‘Cuse, expect PJ Dozier to put an end to his scoring slump.
Top 5 Non-Conference Games to Watch
1.) Kentucky at Louisville – December 17th
The best non-conference rivalry in all of college basketball. The hatred between these two teams are evident. Even though Rick Pitino and Coach Cal claim they have no problems, is it clear there is bad blood between the two. Both teams will most likely face off in the Yum! Center with a top ten ranking next to their names. Despite Coach Cal holding a 7-1 record against Pitino during his tenure at Kentucky, there is no non-conference rivalry that compares when these two teams face off. Kentucky squeezed out a 2-point victory at home last year that came down to the final shot, but this year they have their first true road test in Louisville. Let’s see how the freshman react.
2.) Kentucky vs. North Carolina – December 21st
Coming four days after their first true road game, Kentucky will travel to Las Vegas to face a potential national championship contender in North Carolina during the CBS Sports Classic. North Carolina is one of few teams to have the athleticism and size on their roster to match Kentucky. The Tar Heels also hold the advantage when it comes to experience. You could potentially be watching a preview of a Final Four game in December.
3.) South Carolina vs. Syracuse – November 26th
A matchup of two undefeated teams is going to happen on Saturday at Brooklyn’s Barlcays Center. South Carolina is coming off a victory against a ranked team, and are out to prove they are a potential contender in the SEC. Syracuse is looking for a quality victory to move them higher in the rankings and continue with their record unscathed heading into tough ACC conference play. South Carolina did not have any expectations coming into the season, let’s see if Frank Martin’s team can hang with the blue bloods.
4.) Florida vs. Duke – December 6th
Florida was projected to be the only other team to contend with Kentucky for the SEC title. They are one of three teams to hold an undefeated record in the SEC, but they have not played any stiff competition yet. Outside of Seton Hall, the first quality team they will face will be the Duke Blue Devils, the most talented team in the country. This is a primetime game in the Garden to determine whether Mike White’s team is a contender or pretender.
5.) Texas A&M vs. Arizona – December 17th
The Aggies face Arizona in the Lone Star Shootout in the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. The Aggies may already have a loss, but this will be the first time they face a team with top-end talent that has the potential to advance far in March. Billy Kennedy will be relying on the talents of DJ Hogg and Tyler Davis all year, and this will be the first contest to see whether they can stack up against the other top talent in the country.