SEC Basketball Update (12/21/20)

Conference Notes

·   SEC Player of the Week – Georgia’s Toumani Camara, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound sophomore from Brussels, Belgium, had 19 points and 10 rebounds in leading Georgia to a win over Cincinnati. Connected on 7-of-10 shots from the floor en route to matching his career-high scoring output (19 points) for the third time in five outings this season. Approached his double-double in the first half alone, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the period.

·   SEC Freshman of the Week – Tennessee guard Jaden Springer, a 6-foot-4, 204-pound freshman from Charlotte, North Carolina, averaged 16.5 points per game, while converting on 14 of his 18 shot attempts for an impressive mark of .778 against Appalachian State and Tennessee Tech. He scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Against Tennessee Tech, Springer poured in 21 points in just 22 minutes of action, while adding six rebounds and a season-high six assists with no turnovers.

·   Six teams are receiving mention in the December 21 Associated Press Top 25 highlighted by Tennessee (8th) and Missouri (14th). Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and LSU are receiving votes.

·   Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland registered his 500th career win on Nov. 30 against Texas State.

·   Tennessee was the favorite to win the 2021 SEC championship in a preseason poll of media from around the league and nation. Kentucky was picked to finish second and is followed by LSU, Florida and Alabama. Florida’s Keyontae Johnson was selected by the media as the preseason player of the year.

·   For the second year in a row, 12 SEC players were picked in the 2020 NBA Draft, including six who were chosen in the first round.

·   Georgia’s Anthony Edwards became the fifth SEC player to be picked first overall in the NBA Draft in the last 11 years.

·   The 2020 NBA Draft marked the fourth time (1988, 2015 and 2018) that the SEC had four lottery picks in a single NBA Draft.

·   Nine former SEC players from six different schools were on the rosters of the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. That was more than double the total of any other conference.

·   Five of the 10 players named to the 2020 NBA All-Defensive teams were from SEC schools.

·   The SEC’s 15 NCAA Tournament selections since 2018 are second-most in the nation.

·   Eleven SEC coaches have taken their teams to the Sweet 16, nine have advanced to the Elite Eight and six have gone on to the Final Four.

Watch Lists

·   Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award – Javonte Smart (LS)

·   Jerry West Award Shooting Guard of the Year – John Petty Jr. (UA); Scottie Lewis (UF); Terrence Clarke (UK)

·   Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award – Keyontae Johnson (UF); Brandon Boston Jr. (UK); Yves Pons (UT)

·   Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award – Isaiah Jackson (UK); Trendon Watford (LS); John Fulkerson (UT); Kevin Marfo (AM)

·   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award – Olivier Sarr (UK)

·   Naismith Trophy – B.J. Boston (UK); Terrence Clarke (UK); Keyontae Johnson (UF); Yves Pons (UT); Javonte Smart (LS); Trendon Watford (LS)

·   NABC Player of the Year – B.J. Boston (UK); Keyontae Johnson (UF); Trendon Watford (LS)

·   John A. Wooden Award – Brandon Boston Jr. (UK); John Fulkerson (UT); Keyontae Johnson (UF); Yves Pons (UT); Olivier Sarr (UK); Javonte Smart (LS); Trendon Watford (LS)

Upcoming Games (All times Eastern):

Monday, December 14

at LSU 88, Sam Houston St. 66

at Ole Miss 68, Central Arkansas 54

South Carolina at George Washington                                                                canceled

Tuesday, December 15

at Tennessee 79, Appalachian St. 38

at Texas A&M 69, SE Louisiana 52

at Auburn 80, Texas Southern 63

at Alabama 83, Furman 80

Detroit Mercy at Kentucky                                                                                       canceled

Wednesday, December 16

Richmond 78, at Vanderbilt 67

at Mississippi St. 81, Central Arkansas 65

Ole Miss 70, at Middle Tenn. 51

North Fla. at Florida                                                                                                    canceled

New Orleans at LSU                                                                                                     canceled

Friday, December 18

at Tennessee 103, Tennessee Tech 49

Prairie View A&M at Missouri                                                                                 canceled

Saturday, December 19

at Auburn 77, Troy 41

CBS Sports Classic (Cleveland, OH)

        North Carolina 75, Kentucky 63

Western Kentucky 73, at Alabama 71

at Dayton 65, Ole Miss 62

at Georgia 83, Cincinnati 68

at Vanderbilt 59, Radford 50

Clemson at South Carolina                                                                                        canceled

Houston at Alabama                                                                                                   canceled

North Texas at LSU                                                                                                      canceled

FAU at Florida                                                                                                                canceled

Sunday, December 20

at Arkansas 87, Oral Roberts 76

Florida A&M at Florida                                                                                               canceled

Monday, December 21

at Texas A&M 70, Wofford 52

Saint Joseph’s at #8 Tennessee                                  SEC Network                  6:00 pm

Mississippi Valley St. at Mississippi St.                     SEC Network                  8:00 pm

Tuesday, December 22

Appalachian St. at Auburn                                            SEC Network                  3:00 pm

Abilene Christian at Arkansas                                      SEC Network                  5:00 pm

UT Martin at Ole Miss                                                    SECN+                               5:00 pm

Bradley at #14 Missouri                                                 SEC Network                  7:00 pm

Northeastern at Georgia                                               SECN+                               7:00 pm

ETSU at Alabama                                                              SECN+                               7:30 pm

Vanderbilt at Davidson                                                  ESPN+                               TBD

VCU at LSU                                                                                                                      canceled

James Madison at Florida                                                                                          canceled

Wednesday, December 23

USC Upstate at #8 Tennessee                                     SEC Network                  5:00 pm

South Carolina St. at South Carolina                         SEC Network                  7:00 pm

Saturday, December 26

Kentucky at Louisville                                                     ESPN                                 12:00 pm

Sunday, December 27

Alcorn St. at Vanderbilt                                                 SEC Network                  3:00 pm

Game Times, Dates and availability are subject to change.