· SEC Player of the Week – Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior from Panama City, Panama, averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in wins over Georgia and No. 24 Alabama. He fired in 17 of his career-high 28 points and handed out six of his career-high tying seven assists during the second half of the Georgia game. Molinar garnered 24 points, six rebounds and four assists versus No. 24 Alabama. He is the only SEC player to register double figures during every one of his team’s games this season.
· SEC co-Freshmen of the Week – Auburn forward Jabari Smith and Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr. were named co-Freshmen of the Week. Smith, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound freshman from Fayetteville, Ga., averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in wins at No. 24 Alabama and at Ole Miss. He tallied a career-high 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field including a trio of 3-pointers and career-high four blocked shots at Alabama. Washington Jr., a 6-foot-3, 197-pound freshman from Phoenix, Ariz., averaged 21.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds at Vanderbilt and against Tennessee. Against the Volunteers, Washington poured in a career-high 28 points and added five assists and three steals.
· Six SEC teams are receiving mention in the Jan. 17 Associated Press Top 25 highlighted by Auburn (2nd), Kentucky (12th), LSU (13th) and Tennessee (24th). Alabama and Texas A&M are receiving votes.
· Five teams rank in the Top 25 of the NCAA’s NET rankings (t-2nd nationally). Nine are in the Top 60 (t-1st nationally).
· The SEC’s 56 Quad 1 and 2 wins are the most in the nation.
· Five SEC teams rank in the Top 20 of KenPom.com’s rankings.
· Three SEC teams rank in the Top 10 of KenPom’s Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: LSU (1st), Tennessee (5th) and Auburn (8th). Ten teams rank in the Top 55.
· Four SEC teams brought home championship trophies from bracketed holiday tournaments: Hall of Fame Classic (Arkansas), Fort Myers Tip-Off (Florida), Emerald Coast Classic (LSU) and Diamond Head Classic (Vanderbilt).
· Kentucky was the favorite to win the 2022 SEC championship in a preseason poll of media from around the league and nation. Alabama was picked to finish second and is followed by Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn. Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. was selected by the media as the preseason player of the year.
· For the third year in a row, 12 SEC players were picked in the 2021 NBA Draft, including seven who were chosen in the first round.
· 36 SEC players have been selected in the last three NBA Drafts, including 19 who have been selected in the first round.
· One of every six NBA players are from SEC schools as the league had 76 players on 2021-22 NBA Opening Day rosters. All 14 SEC schools were represented and at least one SEC player was on 29 of 30 NBA rosters.
· Six players from SEC schools were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team: Charles Barkley, Auburn; Anthony Davis, Kentucky; Pete Maravich, LSU; Shaquille O’Neal, LSU; Bob Pettit, LSU; Dominique Wilkins, Georgia.
· The SEC has had 21 NCAA Tournament selections over the last three tournaments.
· 14 of 14 SEC teams have made at least one NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six tournaments.
· Five former SEC played were named 2021 NBA All-Stars. Washington’s Bradley Beal (UF) was named a starter while the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis (UK), New York’s Julius Randle (UK) and Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons (LS) were named reserves. Phoenix’s Devin Booker was added to the roster by Adam Silver.
· Four players from SEC schools – Bam Adebayo (UK), Devin Booker (UK), Keldon Johnson (UK) and Khris Middleton (AM) – were members of the USA Basketball’s gold medal winning teams at the Tokyo Olympics.
Schedule/Results (All times Eastern):
Saturday, January 15
*at #18 Kentucky 107, #22 Tennessee 79
*Florida 71, at South Carolina 63
*Arkansas 65, at #12 LSU 58
*Texas A&M 67, at Missouri 64
*at Mississippi State 78, #24 Alabama 76
*Vanderbilt 73, at Georgia 66
*#4 Auburn 80, at Ole Miss 71
Tuesday, January 18
*Missouri 78, at Ole Miss 53
*at Arkansas 75, South Carolina 59
*#24 Tennessee 68, at Vanderbilt 60
Wednesday, January 19
*at Florida 80, Mississippi State 72
*at Alabama 70, #13 LSU 67
*#12 Kentucky 64, at Texas A&M 58
*at #2 Auburn 83, Georgia 60
Saturday, January 22
*Vanderbilt at Florida SEC Network 1:00 pm
*#12 Kentucky at #2 Auburn CBS 1:00 pm
*Georgia at South Carolina SEC Network 3:30 pm
*Ole Miss at Mississippi State ESPNU 4:00 pm
*Missouri at Alabama SEC Network 6:00 pm
*#13 LSU at #24 Tennessee ESPN 6:00 pm
*Texas A&M at Arkansas SEC Network 8:30 pm
Monday, January 24
*Florida at Ole Miss SECN+ 7:00 pm
Tuesday, January 25
*Alabama at Georgia SEC Network 6:30 pm
*Auburn at Missouri SEC Network 8:30 pm
*Mississippi State at Kentucky ESPN 9:00 pm
Wednesday, January 26
*Florida at Tennessee ESPN2 6:00 pm
*Arkansas at Ole Miss SEC Network 7:00 pm
*Vanderbilt at South Carolina ESPNU 7:00 pm
*Texas A&M at LSU SEC Network 9:00 pm
Saturday, January 29
Big 12/SEC Challenge
LSU at TCU ESPN2 12:00 pm
West Virginia at Arkansas ESPN2 2:00 pm
Oklahoma at Auburn ESPN 2:00 pm
Missouri at Iowa State ESPNU 2:00 pm
Baylor at Alabama ESPN 4:00 pm
Oklahoma State at Florida ESPN2 4:00 pm
Kansas State at Ole Miss ESPNU 4:00 pm
Kentucky at Kansas ESPN 6:00 pm
Mississippi State at Texas Tech ESPN2 6:00 pm
Tennessee at Texas ESPN 8:00 pm
*Georgia at Vanderbilt SEC Network 6:00 pm
*South Carolina at Texas A&M SEC Network 8:30 pm