SEC Basketball Update (3/11/24)

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·   SEC Co-Players of the Week –Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves and Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki were named SEC Co-Players of the Week. Reeves, a 6-foot-6 senior from Chicago, Ill., averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebound, and 2.0 assists in wins over Vanderbilt and at No. 4 Tennessee. Reeves highlighted his week with 27 points and seven rebounds in the upset of Tennessee. He is the first Kentucky player to score 20 or more points in seven straight games since Jamal Murray did so 12 straight times during the 2015-16 season. Obaseki, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound junior from Allen, Texas, averaged 21.0 points in wins over Mississippi State and at Ole Miss. He shot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the field, including 75 percent (6-of-8) from 3-point range on the week. In just his second game as a starter, Obaseki led the Aggies with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers against the Bulldogs. He then led the team again with a career-high 25 points in the win at Ole Miss. It marked his fourth consecutive game scoring in double figures.

·   SEC Freshman of the Week – Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, a 6-foot-3, 187-pound freshman from London, Ky., averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in wins over Vanderbilt and at No. 4 Tennessee. Sheppard began the week by tying his career-high with 11 assists against Vanderbilt, before going for 27-6-5 in UK’s upset over the Volunteers on the road. He was 9-of-15 from 3-point range for the week, including seven made triples at Tennessee.

·   Five SEC teams are ranked in the March 11 Associated Press poll: 5th Tennessee, 9th Kentucky, 12th Auburn, 15th South Carolina, and 19th Alabama.

·   Ten of the SEC’s 14 teams have been ranked in the Associated Press poll at one point this season.

·   The SEC’s three Top 10 NET teams are the most in the nation, four Top 20 are the second-most, and eight Top 50 teams are second-most in the nation (as of March 11).

·   Five SEC teams (2. Alabama, 6. Kentucky, 13. Auburn, 17. Florida, 25. Tennessee) rank in the Top 25 of KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings.

·   Three SEC teams (3. Tennessee, 6. Auburn, 25. Mississippi State) rank in the Top 25 of KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings.

·   Three SEC teams rank in the Top 5 nationally in attendance: 1. Kentucky (358,702/19,928 avg), 2. Arkansas (343,905/19,106 avg), 4. Tennessee (314,617/19,664 avg).

·   Kentucky’s John Calipari (813) and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes (803) are the only two active coaches in Division I with 800 or more wins.

·   SEC teams reached the 100-point mark 15 times in league play this season. That is more than any season in the last 25 years. The previous high was in 2020-21 when it was done five times. Fifteen of the last 25 seasons saw one or fewer teams reach the century mark in SEC games.

·   ESPN’s College Gameday visited SEC arenas three times this season. The first stop was Bud Walton Arena (Kentucky at Arkansas on Jan. 17), followed by Neville Arena (Kentucky at Auburn on Feb. 17) and then Coleman Coliseum (Tennessee at Alabama on March 2).

·   The SEC won the final three games of the first ACC/SEC Challenge to take a 7-7 tie with the ACC. The ACC/SEC Challenge marks the third interconference challenge the SEC has been a part of. The SEC also had events against the Big East (2007-08 to 2012-13) and Big 12 (2013-14 to 2022-23).

·   Eight former SEC players were named to the 2024 NBA All-Star roster: Bam Adebayo (MIA/UK), Devin Booker (PHX/UK), Anthony Davis (LAL/UK) Anthony Edwards (MIN/UG), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC/UK), Tyrese Maxey (PHI/UK), Julius Randle (NYK/UK), and Karl-Athony Towns (MIN/UK).

·   60 SEC players have been selected in the last six NBA Drafts. That leads all conferences: 50 ACC, 41 Big Ten, 37 Pac-12, 29 Big 12 and 19 Big East.

·   92 players from SEC schools were on 2023-24 NBA Opening Day rosters. Twelve of 14 SEC schools are represented and at least one SEC player is on 29 of the 30 NBA rosters.

·   The SEC led all conferences with 10 players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. Six first round selections also led the nation.

·   Three SEC teams won holiday tournament titles this season: Auburn (Legends Classic), Mississippi State (Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off), South Carolina (Arizona Tip-Off).

·   Former Missouri forward Kobe Brown has been honored as a recipient of the NCAA Today’s Top 10 award and was honored at the NCAA Convention in January. The award recognizes former student-athletes for their exceptional athletic and academic achievements, as well as their contributions to their campuses and communities. The SEC led the nation with four honorees, also including Callie Dickinson of Georgia swimming & diving, Ashley Rogers of Tennessee softball and Trinity Thomas of Florida gymnastics.

·   35 NCAA Tournament selections over the last four tournaments.

·   13 SEC players on 2023-24 NBA Opening Day rosters have made an NBA All-Star Game.

·   The first two college players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft – Alabama’s Brandon Miller (2nd overall) and Arkansas’ Anthony Black (6th overall) – were from the SEC.

·   A record-tying 10 SEC teams received postseason bids in 2023. The SEC’s eight NCAA Tournament selections tied its previous best set in 2018. Additionally, two SEC teams competed in the National Invitation Tournament.

·   14 of 14 SEC teams have made at least one NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight tournaments.

·   Nine different SEC teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the last six NCAA Tournaments. All 14 SEC members have advanced to the Sweet 16 since 1996.

·   Four SEC coaches have been named national coach of the year: Rick Barnes, Chris Beard, John Calipari and Bruce Pearl.

·   The SEC ranked second nationally with 2,756,659 fans attending games during the 2022-23 season. An average of 11,344 fans attended games at SEC schools in 2023, an increase of 787 from 2022.

·   Three of the top four attendance leaders in 2022-23 were from the SEC. Kentucky led the nation with a total attendance of 357,721, Arkansas ranked third with 323,875) and Tennessee was fourth with 300,496 fans.

2024 SCHEDULE TOURNAMENT (All Times Eastern):

Wednesday, March 8

12 Arkansas vs. 13 Vanderbilt                                                SEC Network                                                                                               7:00 pm

11 Georgia vs. 14 Missouri                                                        SEC Network                                                                                               9:00 pm

Thursday, March 9

8 LSU vs. 9 Mississippi St.                                                         SEC Network                                                                                               1:00 pm

5 South Carolina vs. Winner of Game 1                             SEC Network                                                                                               3:00 pm

7 Texas A&M vs. 10 Ole Miss                                                    SEC Network                                                                                               7:00 pm

6 Florida vs. Winner of Game 2                                              SEC Network                                                                                               9:00 pm

Friday, March 10

1 Tennessee vs. Winner of Game 3                                      ESPN        1:00 pm

4 Auburn vs. Winner of Game 4                                             ESPN        3:00 pm

2 Kentucky vs. Winner of Game 5                                         SEC Network                                                                                               7:00 pm

3 Alabama vs. Winner of Game 6                                          SEC Network                                                                                               9:00 pm

Saturday, March 11

Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8                          ESPN        1:00 pm

Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10                       ESPN        3:00 pm

Sunday, March 12

Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12                    ESPN        1:00 pm