Player of the Week
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Among a powerhouse field at the first-ever ‘Players Era Festival,’ Auburn has been nothing short of dominant. A lot of credit has to go to their standout guard, Tahaad Pettiford. The sophomore came into the season with pretty high expectations. In his first couple of games, Pettiford put up sloppy performances, but he has since turned it around. In their most recent win against No. 14 St. John’s, Pettiford put up a season high of 27 points. One of his biggest concerns in the first couple of games was his field goal percentage. However, he’s found his rhythm during the tournament, knocking down over 40% of his shots across the last three games.
Who’s Hot
Missouri Tigers
Coming into the season, Missouri wasn’t a team that a lot of people thought would amount to much. Yet, as of today, they sit at 7-0, as one of the three remaining unbeatens in the SEC. The Tigers haven’t played any ranked teams yet, and won’t face one until late December. Although they’ve faced a lack of competition, the Tigers’ offense has looked on point, as they have put up 93.9 points per game. The offensive surge has been led by senior Mark Mitchell. The senior guard is averaging 18.1 points along with 6.3 rebounds. Mitchell’s 6’9” height gives him an advantage on both sides of the ball. Going up against smaller defenders, Mitchell has been able to shoot the ball with ease, with a 63.8 field goal percentage.
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
After landing 5-star recruit Meleek Thomas, Arkansas had high aspirations coming into the season. Thomas is averaging 18.3 points and 4.2 assists. As a guard, Thomas’s 6’5” frame gives him an advantage on offense and defense, as he has also grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game. Thomas has shown that he is an all-around player who can make things happen whether the ball is in his hands or not. Being just 19 years old, Thomas still has so much potential. Arkansas coaches and fans are excited to see Thomas grow as a player and potentially carry Arkansas to some meaningful wins in March.
Who’s Not
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels are just 6 points away from being 7-0, but after back-to-back heartbreaking losses, they sit at 5-2 with a very difficult schedule on their horizon. It would be unfair to write Ole Miss off this early, but their inability to win close games is definitely a concern. One reason for this could be that they don’t have a true number one scorer. Ilias Kamardine, AJ Storr, and Malik Dia have a shared role, as they each are averaging around 14 points per game.
Xaivian Lee, Florida
The Florida Gators are known for their dominating frontcourt with a combination of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu. Yet to win another championship, the Gators will need contributions from their guards as well. With Walter Clayton Jr. now in the NBA, the Gators were able to get senior guard Xaivian Lee out of the transfer portal from Princeton. Unfortunately for the Gators, Lee has had offensive struggles thus far, averaging just 7.6 points per game with 4.6 assists. His field goal percentage sits at an all-time low of 22.6%. With his underwhelming start to the season, Lee could possibly see a dip in playing time as Florida looks to their bench for other options.
Top 5 teams that could win the SEC
5. Kentucky Wildcats
As disappointing as their season has been this far, it’s hard to ever truly rule the Wildcats out. Kentucky currently sits at 5-2 with losses against the only ranked competition they have played, No. 12 Louisville and No. 17 Michigan State. Despite their sloppy start, Kentucky still has plenty of time to flip the script, as it will face teams like North Carolina and Gonzaga in the coming weeks. The Wildcats are another one of those teams that doesn’t have a true number one scorer on the court. Senior guard Denzel Aberdeen currently leads the team in points per game with just 14. Perhaps all Kentucky needs to make a run is the return of their standout transfer, Jayden Quaintance. The 6’10” forward is a projected first-rounder in the 2026 NBA Draft. I think Quaintance is the missing piece in this Kentucky roster. Once he is fully recovered from his ACL tear that he suffered last year, the Wildcats will be a real threat.
4. Arkansas Razorbacks
As a team made up of young talent and transfers, it’s hard to predict that Arkansas will finish as the top team in the SEC. Yet a 5-1 start with freshman star Meleek Thomas makes me wonder what this team is capable of.
3. Florida Gators
To no surprise, the reigning national champions are in the mix for this year’s SEC title. Aside from their week one loss to Arizona, Florida looks like they haven’t missed a beat. The Gators are led by forwards Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon, who are each averaging over 17 points per game. I’m not sure if I could name a scarier duo in the NCAA right now than these two guys. After Florida lost their standout guard, Walter Clayton Jr. to the draft this past summer, it was unclear what type of team Florida would be. After a 5-1 start, it’s clAear that Florida is ready to retake their throne.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Averaging 95.6 points per game, the Crimson Tide once again has one of the most efficient offenses in all of college basketball. Labaron Philon Jr. has continued to look like one of the best players in the SEC as he is putting up 20.6 points per game. With wins already against No. 8 Illinois and No. 5 St. John’s, the Crimson Tide are to be taken seriously.
1. Tennessee Volunteers
With potential lottery pick Nate Ament on the team, Tennessee was already feared. Ament paired with senior Ja’Kobi Gillespie, makes Tennessee virtually unstoppable. The two of them are putting up nearly 40 points a game combined, and when they are both hot, Tennessee becomes very hard to beat. The Volunteers currently sit at 7-1, with their most notable win coming against No. 3 Houston.