Rush The Court

Every week, the SEC microsite will post a composite power ranking list for the league’s performances coupled with a short commentary justifying each team’s specific ranking. Week two’s SEC Power Rankings:

1. Florida – Florida continues to roll, and it’s partially because it has more opportunities to score than its opponents. The Gators currently sit in the top 15 in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 42.9 percent. UF grabbed 17 offensive rebounds against Savannah State, and then another 19 against Central Florida. Center Patric Young has 14 offensive boards in the Gators’ five games this season. If Florida can commit to defensive rebounding the way it has on the offensive end, then the Gators may stay at the top of the charts.
2. Kentucky – Ryan Harrow returned to be with the team on Sunday, so this is officially a new team. Most will point to his effect on the offensive end, but the Cats need his help the most on defense. Last year’s national championship squad didn’t allow a team to shoot over 40 percent from the field until North Carolina squeaked by at 41.8 percent in the eighth game of the year. In five games so far this season, three teams (Duke, Lafayette, LIU) have connected on over 40 percent of its shots. Improvement in this area can’t be placed solely on Harrow, but if he can stop penetration in the lane then that could be a good start to becoming a better overall defensive club.
3. Missouri – Missouri had a tough loss to Louisville, and followed that up with a good win over VCU. The Tigers desperately need Michael Dixon to return. Dixon possessed an impressive 56.6 effective field goal percentage last season, which is significant because if the Tigers don’t plan on guarding anyone then the next best plan is to try and outscore their opponents in a shootout. Mizzou is seeing the effects of being a couple of years out of the Mike Anderson era at this point. Last season, the Tigers forced a turnover percentage of 21.6 percent, but that number is down to just 18 percent this year.
4. Alabama – Who are these shooters that are connecting on over 40 percent from beyond the arc? Aren’t these the same guys who shot 28.9 percent from three-point land last year? The Crimson Tide had a stifling defense in 2011-12, but shot their way out of entirely too many games. Alabama needed consistency from the outside, and now it has that in Trevor Releford and Trevor Lacey. Whatever they’re doing in Tuscaloosa should continue.
5. Ole Miss – Ole Miss returned seven of its top nine returners and four starters, but it has a couple of newcomers leading the way right now. Transfer Marshall Henderson is averaging 17 points per game and freshman Derrick Millinghaus put up 19 points in the last game he played. But right now, we need to see the Rebels face a true test and Rutgers may present a challenge on Saturday.
6. Tennessee – Oklahoma State picked the Vols apart, but Tennessee rebounded to beat UMass and Oakland in the aftermath. Big games coming up in the next couple of weeks (Georgetown, Virginia, Wichita State) will tell us a lot about Cuonzo Martin’s team this year. We know UT will keep fighting.
7. LSU – LSU is undefeated, but we would like to see a quality win before moving the Tigers any higher in the rankings. A close win over Northwestern State and a victory over Mississippi Valley State won’t move the needle around here.
8. Arkansas – Arkansas shouldn’t lose to Arizona State. And it definitely shouldn’t lose to the Sun Devils by 15. As expected, BJ Young is playing well, but who else is stepping up for the Razorbacks? Young and head coach Mike Anderson need another consistent option to emerge.
9. Texas A&M – The Aggies are the talk of the football world, but the basketball team won’t likely be part of the hardball chatter. Not with a 70-49 loss (albeit it to a very good Saint Louis team) on the books. This just doesn’t look like an NCAA Tournament team. And it also doesn’t look like a team that can break into the top half of the SEC standings.
10. Georgia – UGA’s losses aren’t bad. The Bulldogs played Indiana close and UCLA, Southern Miss, and Youngstown State are not terrible teams. Okay, maybe the Bruins are, but none are these are crippling defeats. Georgia has an opportunity to prove itself, but needs more offense from players not named Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. KCP has 29 percent of his team’s overall points and is shooting over 36 percent of the Bulldogs’ shots. Somebody else needs to step up.
11. South Carolina – The Gamecocks are 5-1, have Frank Martin roaming the sidelines, and their starting point guard hasn’t even made it to the court yet. South Carolina has some bright spots to look forward to, but beating Missouri State and Arkansas-Little Rock aren’t exactly reasons for celebration.
12. Auburn –  Well, at least Auburn didn’t lose to Rhode Island in regulation. It took two overtimes for the Tigers to finally give up against the Rams. Tony Barbee’s squad is decent defensively. Offense? Not so much.
13. Vanderbilt – Vanderbilt scored just 33 points in a game against Marist. No, not in one half. In a full game. Needless to say  those 33 points didn’t result in a winning effort. Kedren Johnson is giving it everything he’s got, but the Commodores’ offense needs much, much more. Johnson is currently the only ‘Dore with above a 100.0 offensive efficiency rating. Dai-Jon Parker can’t come back soon enough.
14. Mississippi State –  Man, things are bad in Starkville. As if it couldn’t get any worse, the Bulldogs lost one of the few players who could put the ball in the basket in sophomore guard Jalen Steele for six weeks with a wrist injury. The only positive is that the likes of Alcorn State, UT-San Antonio, Central Arkansas, and Alabama A&M don’t represent a murderer’s row of non-conference opponents.

Brian Joyce is a writer for the SEC microsite and regular contributor for Rush The Court. Follow him on Twitter for more about SEC basketball at bjoyce_hoops.