Player of the Week
J'Von McCormick (Auburn) — The 6-foot, 185-pound senior racked up a career-high 28 points; along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals in an away victory at Mississippi State. Twenty of his 28 points were scored in the second half, as he poured in 15 points with just 12:28 to go. McCormick (pictured) led the team in fouls drawn with a total of seven. He shot 8-of-11 from the charity stripe to top off the performance. On the season, he ranks first in assists (5.3) for the Tigers as well as being third in both scoring (11.8) and rebounding (4.1).
Who’s Hot?
Scottie Lewis (Florida) — The Jersey-made 6-foot-5, 185-pound freshman guard has proven to be one of the best athletes in his class if not the entire NCAA. He recently posted a double-double against Alabama with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Lewis also chalked in three blocks in the win. In his career-first double-double effort, he led the Gators in pulling off their largest comeback (21-point deficit) in over 25 years. The 15 points tied his career-high in scoring, and his 10 rebounds marked a new career-high.
Florida Gators — Coach Mike White snatched his 200th career win on Jan. 7 in an away matchup at South Carolina. It was his 99th total win as head coach for the Gators. This 10-4 team is hot off three straight wins against Long Beach State, Alabama, and S. Carolina. The team was dominantly led in nearly all statistics by senior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Andrew Nembhard. Still early in conference play, but expect the Gators to have a big push to make a run in the SEC tournament.
Who’s Not?
Ole Miss Rebels — The Rebels land themselves here due to back-to-back losses to Wichita State and a Texas A&M team that have very little positive to reflect on so far this season. Against WSU, they shot just 30.8% from the floor and for a team that is leading the SEC in assists (16.8 APG), they tallied only five in this matchup. Despite being up ten at halftime against A&M, they lost the second half 38-18 resulting in a ten-point final deficit to the Aggies.
Khalil Whitney (Kentucky) — Been putting this one off way too long and was hoping this kid would turn in on eventually; but now 14 games in, this 5-star 2019 recruit has not lived up to expectations thus far. His numbers this season are surprisingly poor, as follows: 4.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.5 AST, 0.4 STL. Listed once as a first-round prospect for the 2020 draft, now may be returning for another year under Calipari.
Top 5 Rebounders
1. Reggie Perry – (Mississippi State) — The 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore forward has been a real glass-cleaner with 130 total rebounds this season. This includes 45 offensive rebounds and 85 on the defensive end contributing to his average of 10.0 per game.
2. Austin Wiley – (Auburn) — The senior center for the Tigers at a massive 6-foot-11, 260 pounds is averaging 9.2 RPG so far this year. In 13 games he’s grabbed 119 rebounds with 39 on the offensive end and 80 on the defensive side.
3. Kerry Blackshear – (Florida) — The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior forward has funneled in 39 offensive boards and 83 defensive for the Gators. Blackshear has snatched up a total of 122 this season riding an average of 8.7 rebounds per game throughout 14 games.
4. Rayshaun Hammonds – (Georgia) — The Bulldogs junior forward standing at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds yet still performs like a beast when the ball is around the rim. He’s gathered 122 rebounds with 37 coming from the offensive side and 85 on the defensive end. His season average is 8.7 RPG.
5. Darius Days – (LSU) — This undersized, 6-foot-6, 240-pound sophomore forward has grabbed 36 offensive boards and 68 defensive resulting in his season total currently marked at 104 rebounds. Days’ average is 8.0 rebounds per game.