Checking in on the… SEC
Posted by rtmsf on February 18th, 2009Ryan ZumMallen of LBPostSports.com is the RTC correspondent for the ACC, SEC and Big West Conferences.
The SEC standings continue to shake up as Kentucky’s loss at Vanderbilt sent the Wildcats down a few spots, but LSU remains atop the conference and is still the lone ranked team at #24. The Tigers have won six straight and look like front-runners for the title at this point, but look out for any of the next four teams – who all have the talent to challenge for the crown (if they would just stop beating up on each other). Notice, if you will, the strength of the SEC’s Eastern Division over the Western in the standings below.
- LSU (W) 9-1 (21-4)
- South Carolina (E) 7-3 (18-5)
- Tennessee (E) 7-3 (16-8)
- Kentucky (E) 7-4 (18-7)
- Florida (E) 6-4 (19-6)
- Mississippi State (W) 6-4 (16-9)
- Auburn (W) 5-5 (16-9)
- Vanderbilt (E) 5-6 (15-9)
- Ole Miss (W) 4-6 (13-11)
- Alabama (W) 3-7 (13-11)
- Arkansas (W) 1-9 (13-10)
- Georgia (E) 1-9 (10-15)
Without a doubt, any of the East’s top four could make a run at the SEC Championship in a few weeks. Tennessee has sputtered at times but was the preseason favorite and still has the tools to get it done, Kentucky will be especially dangerous if they get Patrick Patterson back to ease the pressure on Jodie Meeks, and South Carolina is as hot as anybody in the conference right now after winning 9 of their last 12. Of course, LSU is more determined than ever, having recently been ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in over two years.
Keep in mind, ten of these teams play each other tonight, so Thursday morning’s standings could look drastically different. In particular, keep an eye on South Carolina at Mississippi State in a battle of two second-place teams. We all know about the defensive prowess of MSU’s Jarvis Vanardo (to the tune of 4.9 bpg), but the Gamecocks lead the conference in scoring and will look to turn up the heat early. MSU is still trying to close the gap on LSU’s West Division stronghold, but South Carolina is pushing hard for a top two seed and this game is the first step.
According to Pomeroy, the SEC is the nation’s sixth-best conference. Not exactly enough to inspire fear in the Pitts and UNCs of the world, but certainly there is enough talent here that a deep Tourney run by at least one of the teams wouldn’t be an utter shock. Not to drink the Orange-Aid too much, but Tennessee was chosen as the conference favorite for a reason: the Vols have simply too much talent to flame out in the first two rounds. I’m circling this Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky, as both teams absolutely need the game if they’re to make good impressions on The Committee.
Florida will need to rebound from two tough losses last week – one at the hands of Jodie Meeks while the other was a demoralizing defeat at Georgia. It was the Bulldogs’ only conference win of the season, and Nick Calathes & Crew couldn’t have done much worse for themselves. Still, the Gators are the conference’s only unbeaten team at home, so don’t bet against them tonight as they host Alabama, and keep a close eye when they host Vanderbilt this Saturday.
We may find ourselves looking past the SEC as an elite conference this year, and – to an extent – with good reason after some of the stinkers that top-level teams have put up. But as the strongest contenders emerge in the next few weeks, some squads may be poising themselves for an under-the-radar postseason run. They’ve got the tools. The question is whether or not they’ll be able to put it all together when it counts.
