SEC Basketball Update (12/8/20)

SEC Men’s Basketball Quick Links:

·   PDF OF FULL SEC RELEASE  – link updated daily

·   2020-21 SEC STATISTICS  – link updated daily

·   SECSPORTS.COM MEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA PAGE

Conference Notes

·   SEC Player of the Week – Missouri guard Mark Smith, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound senior from Edwardsville, Ill., averaged 17 points, 3.5 rebounds and two assists in wins over No. 21 Oregon and at Wichita State. Smith ripped the nets to the tune of 52.6 percent shooting from the field, 45.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and a perfect 9-of-9 clip from the foul line. He had a game-high 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting and six rebounds in a dominant outing at Wichita State.

·   SEC Freshman of the Week – Arkansas guard Moses Moody, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound freshman from Little Rock, Ark., averaged 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and two assists in wins over UT Arlington and Lipscomb. He had 24 pts and nine rebounds versus UTA to become the first Razorback freshman since Booby Portis in 2014 to have at least 24 and nine in a game.

·   Six teams are receiving mention in the December 6 Associated Press Top 25 highlighted by Tennessee (12th). Florida, Missouri and Alabama 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 sixth SEC player to be picked first overall in the NBA Draft in the last 10 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.

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):

Saturday, December 5

at Arkansas 86, Lipscomb 50

at #10 Houston 77, South Carolina 67

Memphis at Ole Miss                                                                                                  canceled

Sunday, December 6

Missouri 72, at Wichita St. 62

at Florida 86, Stetson 40

at Texas A&M 81, UTRGV 68

Ga. Tech 79, #20 Kentucky 62

at LSU 86, La. Tech 55

Tuesday, December 8

Colorado at #12 Tennessee                                         SECN+                               6:00 pm

Montana at Georgia                                                        SEC Network                  7:00 pm

Jackson St. at Mississippi St.                                        SEC Network                  9:00 pm

Arkansas at Tulsa                                                                                                          canceled

Vanderbilt at SMU                                                                                                       canceled

Wednesday, December 9

Southern at Arkansas                                                                                                 8:00 pm

Liberty at Missouri                                                           SEC Network                  8:15 pm

UT-Martin at Tennessee                                                                                           canceled

Thursday, December 10

Wofford at South Carolina                                            SEC Network                  6:00 pm

Jackson St. at Ole Miss                                                   SEC Network                  8:00 pm

Friday, December 11

NC-Central at Vanderbilt                                               SECN+                               8:00 pm

Game Times and Dates are subject to change.