This may be a surprise to many, but SEC basketball has looked impressive through the first week of non-conference play. The conference combined for a record of 24-6. Even some of the losses have been impressive, such as Missouri who is projected to finish last in the SEC pushing No. 11 Xavier to OT just to lose by one. But, what is the excitement of college basketball without upsets? The Chattanooga Mocs went into Knoxville and beat Rick Barnes’ Volunteers by 13. Other than that hiccup, the SEC beat expectations through the first week on the hardwood. Early on, Kentucky looks like what Alabama football looks like to the rest of the SEC which is head and shoulders above the rest of the conference. College basketball is chaotic, and with such a small sample size, it is way too early to write off any teams just yet.
Player of the Week
De'Aaron Fox – Kentucky
It didn’t take too long to see that Calipari found his next great point guard. If you want to beat Kentucky, do not get in a track race with them. De’Aaron Fox is so fast that Calipari never wants his team to slow down the pace, he asks his bigs to outlet the ball to Fox and watch him run. In his first game against SF Austin, Fox broke the Kentucky freshman assist record in a debut with 12, which contributed to a double-double. In the following game against Canisius, Fox showed he can score in a variety of ways by finishing with 21 points. That may not sound impressive due to the level of competition, but Fox faced his first real test against No. 13 Michigan State in Madison Square Garden for the Champions Classic. He finished with 12 points and 6 assists in a 21-point route to lead his team to a 3-0 record. The most impressive facet of his game so far has been his ability to get to the line and convert. Fox has gotten to the line 21 times and remains perfect. Even though Fox’s athleticism and speed have been so impressive on the offensive end of the floor, those attributes have led to him being a lock-down perimeter defender. Guards have struggled to get past him on the perimeter, where he is currently averaging 1.3 steals per game. He currently leads the SEC in assists per game with 7 and earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Despite the abundance of talent on the Kentucky team, Fox has shown he might be a few strides ahead of where the other freshman on Kentucky rank right now.
Who’s Hot
Frankie Hughes – Missouri
The most exciting game in the SEC so far included an overtime thriller between Xavier and Missouri. On paper, Missouri should not have been competitive in this game, and most people would have expected No. 11 Xavier to run away with this one. Freshman Frankie Hughes made sure that didn’t happen. He led all scorers with 24 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. He has carried this Missouri team so far despite their low expectations. Hughes play might be what keeps Missouri competitive this year. In 2 games, he has averaged 23.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 2 assists per game. He is getting it done on the defensive side of the floor where he already has 5 steals on the season. But, the result of Hughes stuffing the stat sheet doesn’t mean it will always result in success. Other key pieces in Missouri’s starting lineup must step up or the efforts of Hughes will go to waste. Not only is Missouri’s star freshman scoring at a high rate, but he is scoring efficiently. Hughes is shooting at 52% clip from the field, and above 40% from beyond the arc. Considering Missouri has a lack of other options; Hughes has the ball in his hands most of the possession. Despite being the main ball-handler and the primary offensive option, Hughes has only turned the ball over 5 times in 2 games. With a 3-game stretch against Davidson, Northwestern State, and North Carolina Central expect Hughes’ to continue to lead the SEC in scoring. Hughes has flown under the radar with all the other freshman talent in the SEC, but look for him to make a name for himself if his stretch of dominance continues.
Who’s Not
D.J. Hogg came into the year with relatively high expectations considering he would be the one who would take over Danuel House’s role from last year. Hogg seemed as if he was primed to lead the team in scoring and solidify himself as a first round pick due to his basketball IQ and sweet shooting stroke for a 6’8 forward. Billy Kennedy expected Hogg to step in and almost act as if he was the primary ball handler for the Aggies since potential starting point guard JJ Caldwell was ruled ineligible. In this role, Hogg has not impressed so far. Hogg is averaging 9.5 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers are not too bad, but with a talent like Hogg against inferior competition such as American University and Northwestern State, you would like to see the potential lottery pick dominate in all facets of the game. If Hogg expects to enter the draft and become a first rounder, he needs those averages to be around 18 and 5 and with better efficiency. His team went on to win both games handily, but he was not the key contributor and is taking a back seat to Tyler Davis. We are still only 2 games into the season and Hogg still might be trying to adjust to more minutes and the different role Billy Kennedy has him playing this year. But, Hogg needs to figure out his role and start producing at a higher clip before competition becomes stiffer and his team begins to suffer. A&M has high expectations this year and looks to contend for an SEC title If they have any shot of pursuing that honor, Hogg and Davis will need to develop into one of the best inside-out duos in the country. As of right now, Tyler Davis is doing his part.
Top Five Potential Breakout Players
1. DJ Hogg – Texas A&M
Despite Hogg making his way into the category of who is not playing well, I expect him to become the focal point of Billy Kennedy’s offense. Hogg is too talented to average just 9.5 points per game. I am going to blame his struggles on his adjustment to his new role in the offense and a position that few players can handle. Hogg will piece it together in the upcoming games and form a duo with Tyler Davis that no one in the country will want to run into.
2. Kasey Hill – Florida
Kasey Hill has struggled throughout his college career and has yet to average double digits in scoring. He is currently averaging 8.5 points per game and 3 assists per game through the first 2. He has yet to take control and become the leader throughout his college career, but he is way too talented to continue to underperform. How far Florida goes this year will depend on the emergence of Kasey Hill, and expect him to step up and lead this team to contend for an SEC title.
3. Bam Adebayo – Kentucky
Bam has shown glimpses of what he can do, but has not put it all together yet. It seems to all come down to foul trouble. In the two games where he had 4 personal fouls, he has struggled from the floor. But, when Adebayo accumulated only 2 personal fouls it resulted in a double-double and various trips to the free throw line. At 6’10 260 lbs. Bam seems to think he can bulldoze his way to the basket, and it has led to unnecessary foul calls on the big man. He has the combination of touch and size to be a beast down low, but he has yet to figure out he can’t just run over people. Coach Cal says his team needs to feed the post more so expect Adebayo to see a lot more touches where he can display his talent.
4. Mustapha Heron – Auburn
Mustapha Heron has not taken the college basketball world by storm like most analysts thought he would. Heron is the only 5-star prospect in Auburn basketball history and was expected to be the leading scorer and make Auburn competitive this year. So far he has not impressed by taking a backseat to fellow freshman Danjel Purifoy. Heron is still trying to figure out where he fits in with Bruce Pearl’s offense. At 6’5 expect Heron to realize that he can bully smaller guards around the rim and shoot over them with ease. It is only a matter of time before this highly touted freshman figures it out.
5. Braxton Key – Alabama
In the freshman’s first game of his career, Key seemed reluctant to shoot the ball and take over the game where he only scored 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Key came out a little more aggressive in his second game against Dayton where he dropped 15 points and had 6 boards. Key is a physical specimen standing 6’8 and weighing 220 lbs. He is a beast down low, and once he realizes he can dominate due to his physical stature, he will start to average a double-double and be the leader of Alabama’s team.