SEC Basketball Update (3/4/24)

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

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·   THE ROAD TO NASHVILLE – link updated daily

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·   SEC Co-Players of the Week – South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson and Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht were named Co-Players of the Week. Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 184-pound junior from Cleveland, Ohio, averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in wins at Texas A&M and against No. 24 Florida. He was 17-of-29 from the floor in the two victories, good for 58.6 percent. He had 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a comeback win over No. 24/24 Florida. Knecht, a 6-foot-6, 213-pound fifth-year player from Thornton, Colo., averaged 26.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in wins over No. 11 Auburn and at No. 14 Alabama. He shot 48.6 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from deep and 75.0 percent at the line. Knecht dropped a career-high-tying 39 points against No. 11 Auburn, including 25 of them on 9-of-10 shooting over the final 12:01. He outscored the Tigers during the last 12 minutes—to help the Volunteers turn an eight-point deficit into an eight-point win.

·   SEC Freshman of the Week – Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, a 6-foot-3, 187-pound freshman from London, Ky., averaged 21.0 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in wins at Mississippi State and against Arkansas. He poured in a career-high 32 points against Mississippi State and added five boards, seven assists, two blocks and two steals. Twenty-three of his points came after halftime, including 11 in the final 93 seconds.

·   Six SEC teams are ranked in the February 26 Associated Press poll: 4th Tennessee, 11th Auburn, 14th Alabama, 16th Kentucky, 18th South Carolina, 24th Florida.

·   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 seven Top 50 teams are second-most in the nation (as of March 4).

·   Five SEC teams (1. Alabama, 7. Kentucky, 14. Auburn, 15. Florida, 17. Tennessee) rank in the Top 20 of KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings.

·   Three SEC teams (3. Tennessee, 5. Auburn, 16. Mississippi State) rank in the Top 20 of KenPom’s defensive efficiency rankings.

·   Three SEC teams rank in the Top 5 nationally in attendance: 1. Kentucky (338,370/19,904 avg), 2. Arkansas (324,705/19,100 avg), 4. Tennessee (292,411/19,494 avg).

·   Kentucky’s John Calipari (811) and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes (802) are the only two active coaches in Division I with 800 or more wins.

·   SEC teams have reached the 100-point mark 13 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 those 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).

·   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).

·   Three SEC players have been named to the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 List: Johni Broome (AU), Dalton Knecht (UT), Antonio Reeves (UK).

·   The January 22 AP poll marked the third straight season that the SEC has had three teams in the Top 10 of the Associated Press Poll at the same time.

SCHEDULE/RESULTS (All Times Eastern):

Tuesday, February 27

#16 Kentucky 91, at Mississippi St. 89

at LSU 67, Georgia 66

Vanderbilt 85, at Arkansas 82

Wednesday, February 28

at #24 Florida 83, Missouri 74

at #4 Tennessee 92, #11 Auburn 84

#18 South Carolina 70, at Texas A&M 68

#14 Alabama 103, at Ole Miss 88

Saturday, March 2

at #18 South Carolina 82, #24 Florida 76

at #16 Kentucky 111, Arkansas 102

at Vanderbilt 75, LSU 61

at #11 Auburn 78, Mississippi St. 63

Texas A&M 70, at Georgia 56

#4 Tennessee 81, at #14 Alabama 74

Ole Miss 84, at Missouri 78

Tuesday, March 5

Ole Miss at Georgia                                                                   SEC Network                7:00p

#16 Alabama at Florida                                                           ESPN                                7:00p

#13 Auburn at Missouri                                                           SEC Network                9:00p

Wednesday, March 6

#4 Tennessee at #17 South Carolina                                 ESPN2                             7:00p

LSU at Arkansas                                                                          SEC Network                7:00p

Mississippi St. at Texas A&M                                                 ESPNU                             9:00p

Vanderbilt at #15 Kentucky                                                    SEC Network                9:00p

Saturday, March 9

Arkansas at #16 Alabama                                                      ESPN                                12:00p

Texas A&M at Ole Miss                                                             CBS                                   2:00p

#17 South Carolina at Mississippi St.                               SEC Network                2:30p

#15 Kentucky at #4 Tennessee                                             CBS                                   4:00p

Florida at Vanderbilt                                                                 SEC Network                4:30p

Georgia at #13 Auburn                                                             SEC Network                6:30p

Missouri at LSU                                                                            SEC Network                8:30p

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