1. Kentucky’s Terrence Jones was named SEC Player of the Week. Jones helped the Wildcats with a 26-point, nine-rebound and four-block performance against St. John’s. He followed that game up with 14 first half points against fifth-ranked North Carolina. Jones finished the week averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, 3.5 blocks and three steals. Ole Miss’ Jarvis Summers was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Summers averaged 19.5 points, three rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals this week. He finished with a career high 27 points in a win against Penn State, and had 12 points, three assists and two steals in a close win at DePaul.
2. The Tennessee compliance office sent out a one-page letter to local car dealerships to remind them of the potential dangers that can arise from giving student-athletes improper benefits. “As part of The University of Tennessee’s NCAA rules education efforts, the Compliance Office is reaching out to local car dealers to remind you of the potential dangers in running afoul with NCAA rules when dealing with student-athletes,” the letter reads. “We want to ensure that your business does not receive unwanted attention due to a potential NCAA rules infraction.” If only Tennessee had taken this proactive stance when Lane Kiffin and Bruce Pearl were employed at the university. It is, however, an interesting development that athletic departments now feel the need to educate the community and local businesses from committing infractions that could severely affect the institution.
3. The Big East got the best of the SEC in the first complete Big East/SEC Challenge. The Big East finished with an 8-4 advantage, while the SEC secured victories from Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU and Ole Miss. Coming into the series, both conferences were seen by some to be the top two conferences in college basketball, but this proved that the SEC has a long way to go if it seeks to take over as the nation’s elite conference. The top four teams in the SEC might be among the best any conference has to offer, but they weren’t able to prove it in this event. Alabama lost to Georgetown, Vanderbilt lost to Louisville and Florida dropped a close one to Syracuse.
4. Florida‘s loss to Syracuse last week makes the Gators’ upcoming matchup with Arizona even more critical. Billy Donovan’s squad has lost to both #2 Ohio State and #3 Syracuse. While the Gators have tested themselves with tough true road games, they have yet to come up with any quality wins. Florida’s best RPI win up until this point has been a 91-55 victory over North Florida, a team with an RPI of 135. Arizona has since fallen out of the Top 25, but remains a good team with an RPI of 30. The Gators need to get consistency from center Patric Young in order to take some pressure off their talented guards. Young played in only 25 minutes and contributed just six points in the loss at Syracuse.
5. Kentucky Sports Radio found a great piece from Hoopspeak U on the experience of being in Rupp Arena as a North Carolina fan.  The author, Danny Nowell, recounts the hospitality of Kentuckians, the atmosphere in Rupp Arena and the sheer madness of Kentucky fans. There’s not much of a recount of the game, as it didn’t exactly turn out as Nowell had hoped, but this story isn’t about the game. It’s about Nowell’s experience, and it’s  a clever and interesting read. So go ahead and give it a gander because we know you need a different perspective on the Kentucky and North Carolina clash.

SEC Set Your TiVo will take a look ahead at each week’s key games. See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

Two days. The SEC has given us two whole days of no basketball action. Take Monday and Tuesday to spend time with your significant other and/or children. Tell them you love them and that you enjoy their company. Then on Wednesday night, you have a choice: Shall you spend an unprecedented third day with the people-that-you-love-the-most-after-March? Or is there a game that needs to be seen?

Arizona at Florida – Wednesday, December 7, 7 PM on ESPN3 (***)

Arizona is still trying to figure things out this season. Sean Miller has started eight different players, most recently removing center Kyryl Natyazhko from the starting lineup. In Saturday’s 53-39 win over Northern Arizona, the Wildcats featured a three-guard set featuring Kyle Fogg (11 PPG, 41.4% 3FG), Jordin Mayes (7.4 PPG) and Nick Johnson (10.8 PPG, 46.4% 3FG). That leaves 6’7″ Jesse Perry (10.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG) and 6’6″ Solomon Hill (12.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.1 assists per game) in the frontcourt.

Patric Young identifies aliens and subliminal advertising using the eyewear provided by Billy Donovan (Photo via John Raoux / AP)

In the paint, Arizona may find themselves outmatched. 6’9″ Patric Young and 6’7″ Will Yeguete played up to their size in a losing effort against Syracuse. If 6’10” forward Erik Murphy can contribute — he’s been cleared to play — Arizona will have a tough time covering all the locations from which Murphy can score. Arizona must not over-commit to interior defense or else Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal and Erving Walker will bomb away. Arizona has one of the best three-point defenses in the country even though they allowed 8-12 3FG shooting in a 61-57 loss to San Diego State.

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In order to beat the Syracuse system, Florida needed to come out guns blazing. Specifically they needed their big forward Patric Young to be enough of a post threat to score and draw collapsing Orange defenders. They also needed their collection of long-range snipers — both old (junior Kenny Boynton, senior Erving Walker) and new (junior Mike Rosario, freshman Brad Beal) — to exploit the seams in Agent Orange’s zone defense.

Boynton (22 points) and Walker (17 points, five assists) did their part. Young (six points, five rebounds) was pinned down, controlled by Syracuse’s interior defenders and played just 25 minutes. Rosario (six points) and Beal (seven points on 2-9 FG, 0-5 3FG) just didn’t bring enough bullets. The Syracuse defense bent and contorted, wasting Florida possessions (20 turnovers) and forcing the Gators to withdraw in defeat.

Syracuse wins 72-68. Tell me, Mr. Donovan, what good is good defensive pressure when you are unable to three?

To preview the match-ups in the Big East/SEC Challenge, the Big East & SEC Microsites are facing off in conversational analysis. Gerald Smith and Patrick Prendergast are going one-on-one to break down Florida facing Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

Patrick Prendergast: In the battle for the right to wear bright orange where ever one goes and, oh yeah, to solidify a position near the top of the national rankings, #10 Florida (5-1) will take on #3 Syracuse (7-0) in a heavyweight battle at the Carrier Dome tonight. Syracuse has proven as tough and focused as they are deep, remaining undefeated despite the significant distractions created by the ongoing Bernie Fine controversy. The schedule for the Orange has not been all soft and doughy either. They took home the NIT Season Tip-Off title with victories over two good squads in Virginia Tech and Stanford. The Orange are lauded as one of the deepest teams in the country led by reigning Big East Player of the Week, 6’7” senior forward Kris Joseph (14.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG). The Gators have lost some experience and depth due to an injury to junior forward Erik Murphy.

How does Florida cope with Syracuse’s depth?

The Gators might bite off more than they can chew with Syracuse's Kris Joseph. (Photo via Bill Kostroun/AP))

Gerald Smith: One of Florida’s coping mechanisms will be stretching and distorting Syracuse’s zone. Florida has a collection of guards that can shoot from deep: junior Kenny Boynton (18.5 PPG, 48.9% 3FG), senior Erving Walker (13.7 PPG, 33% 3FG), freshman Bradley Beal (17 PPG, 35.3% 3FG) and junior Mike Rosario (12 PPG, 48.6% 3FG). The Orange have way too much length and athleticism, though; Florida can’t settle for just shooting over the 2-3 zone. The Gators will have to attack the zone with drives and make jumpers in the few open areas. That might compact the Orangemen’s defense just enough to get a few open three-pointers — and just a few might be enough for Florida’s sharpshooters.

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Brian Otskey is the Big East correspondent for RTC and a regular contributor. You can find him @botskey on Twitter. See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

As we move into December, the first big Saturday of the year (highlighted by the battle in Lexington) is now upon us. Not to mention we get a nice preview of things to come on Friday evening.

#6 Florida @ #3 Syracuse – 7 PM EST Friday on ESPN (*****)

• Syracuse has three distinct advantages in this game despite playing a top ten opponent. One is home court, two is height, and three is depth. The Orange have taller players at every position, one through five, and Jim Boeheim can go a legitimate ten deep into his bench. Against a Florida team that will be without forward Erik Murphy, Syracuse may be able to overwhelm the guard-heavy Gators. The key for the Orange will be defense. The 2-3 zone creates a fantastic match-up given Florida’s preferred style of offense, shooting lots of threes. If the Orange can be active and extend the perimeter of the zone, Florida will have a tough time.

• The key for Florida is simple: make threes. To do that however, the Gators must establish Patric Young early and often. Playing without Murphy, Young is Florida’s only reliable post player. If he can’t get going, Syracuse won’t have to worry about extending the zone and leaving holes in the middle. If Young gets off to a fast start, the Orange will have to respect his presence by packing its defense in a bit more inside the arc. That will give Florida’s dynamic guards the opportunity to make shots. With Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario both shooting almost 50% from deep and two other Gators lurking as potential snipers, Syracuse doesn’t want to be forced to do that.

Can UF Establish Patric Young Inside To Give Its Shooters Room?

• It’s always fun when a team that relies heavily on guards and the three point shot gets together with a team that plays almost exclusively zone. The Syracuse defense will tempt Florida to shoot the deep ball all night but Florida must work for open shots by establishing Young and some sort of an inside-out game. Keeping the zone off balance and moving the ball effectively are always keys to finding open shots. Defensively, Florida has to do better. Syracuse is much more efficient on that end of the floor while the Gators rank a pedestrian 52nd in the nation. Although three point shooting is the big key in this game, Florida’s defense could cost them in a tight game.

1. Alabama‘s Tony Mitchell was named SEC Player of the Week after averaging 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. The Crimson Tide won the Puerto Rico Tip-Off classic with wins over Maryland, Wichita State and Purdue, and also beat Oakland earlier in the week. Mitchell scored 26 points in the win over Wichita State, but his evening was highlighted with two monstrous dunks showcasing his amazing athletic ability. Mitchell’s play has elevated Alabama to not only one of the best teams in the SEC, but in the nation as well. Mississippi State freshman Rodney Hood was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Hood contributed to wins over #19 ranked Texas A&M and #15 ranked Arizona with 9.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. The freshman has drawn the praise of coach Rick Stansbury and will continue to see increased playing time with efforts like this week. Hood may be on his way to winning the award again next week as he added a career-high 20 points last night in Mississippi State’s game against Louisiana-Monroe. Congratulations to both players for their outstanding play this week.
2. The SEC has already won four preseason tournaments so far this month. Kentucky won the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off with a blowout win over Penn State and a tough victory over Old Dominion. Alabama won the Puerto Rico Tip-Off with impressive wins over Maryland, Wichita State and Purdue. Mississippi State upset two ranked opponents in No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 15 Arizona on their way to win the 2K Sports Classic. Finally, Vanderbilt won the TicketCity Legends Classic on Monday night with a wins over Oregon State after beating North Carolina State over the weekend. After a couple of surprising early season losses, the SEC has recovered to play solid basketball over the past week. Ironically, a couple of those losses belong to Mississippi State (against Akron) and Vanderbilt (against Cleveland State) and would have kept them from winning their tournaments if it was a true win and advance style of play.
3. In a win over Wright State, Florida center Patric Young sat out most of the game with a swollen right eye. Young was poked in the eye in the first half. He was limited to 21 minutes in the game, and did not start the second half. With their lack of depth on the inside, the Gators cannot afford to lose Young’s scoring and rebounding. Florida beat Wright State 78-65, but the game was much closer than expected as result of Young’s absence from most of the game. Luckily for the Gators, Young is okay and will return to full strength (and increased minutes) for Florida’s next game against Jacksonville on Friday.
4. With Young playing limited minutes, Florida was forced to again rely heavily on their outside shooting. This strategy is not much different from previous games as Florida is a guard-oriented team that plays primarily on the perimeter. Florida hit double-digit threes for the fourth consecutive game this season. They are shooting over 43% on the season from beyond the arc. While they are extremely proficient shooting from distance, the Gators will have to develop an inside game to take the pressure off their erratic guards. Young is key to the Gators’ success, and will have to be more of a factor going forward.
5. The injury bug hit Mississippi State even harder, as both Renardo Sidney and Arnett Moultrie were held out of action against Louisiana-Monroe. Sidney was sidelined with a sprained left hand and Moultrie had tendinitis in both knees. The Bulldogs have dealt with Sidney being out of action as he was hampered by a groin injury against South Alabama. Mississippi State had difficult without their low-post threats against ULM before pulling away for a 15-point win. The Bulldogs need to put everything (and everyone) together before a big match-up in Starkville with West Virginia on December 3.

Breaking Down the Play will be a regular feature during the season to provide in-depth analysis on the Xs and Os of an SEC team.

Florida has some of the most talented guards in the country. But last night in an 81-74 loss to the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes, the guards reverted back to their old ways and forced the Gator offense into too many one-on-one scenarios. UF held the ball entirely too long and displayed extremely poor shot selection. They only worked the ball inside once in the first half to center Patric Young. Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and company failed to take advantage of the pick-and-pop scenario that they created with Erik Murphy. Murphy was 4-4 from beyond the arc, but the Gator guards didn’t exploit the Buckeyes’ failure to rotate and close out on the 6’10” shooter.

Here are three consecutive Gator possessions displaying what I think went wrong with Florida’s offensive execution:

Play 1 (11:16 remaining in second half)

In the first play, Boynton runs a pick and roll with Young at the top of the key.

Boynton and Young in a pick and roll scenario

Young does exactly what he is supposed to do, as he rolls off of William Buford and heads straight towards the basket.

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1. Kentucky looked a little rusty on offense in the first half against Kansas on Tuesday night. There might be a good reason for that. Calipari says the Cats have just gotten around to installing necessary things like out-of-bounds and late-game plays. This doesn’t seem that unusual as practice time is limited, and games seem to be sneaking up earlier and earlier in the calendar each season. After watching the Wildcats dismantle a good KU team last night, however, it is scary to think how dominant this team can be with some additional time together.
2. Jay Bilas went all access with Kentucky as the Cats and head coach John Calipari prepared for Kansas. Calipari spoke about his winning ways at Kentucky, competing at the highest level and getting the most out of his freshmen. This video included a good scream from Cal about poor defense and even a threat to put one of his players on a treadmill at 14 miles per hour. And now we now how Cal motivates his players at halftime.
3. Florida coach Billy Donovan felt the Gators should have passed the ball down low to sophomore Patric Young more in the first half of last night’s game against Ohio State and standout center, Jared Sullinger. According to Gainesville Sun writer Kevin Brockman’s tweet last night, Donovan thought Young could have gotten Sullinger in foul trouble had the guards better fed the post. The Gators only passed the ball inside to Young once in the first half. Florida adjusted at halftime, and Young finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds while limiting Sullinger to only 16 points.
4. Vanderbilt came up with a win against Bucknell, but it didn’t come easily. The Commodores played without leading scorer John Jenkins who was out with a sprained right ankle. Jenkins tweaked his ankle in the loss to Cleveland State, and his injury, along with the absence of Festus Ezeli, makes it two all-SEC players on the sidelines for the ‘Dores. And with starting point guard Brad Tinsley also nursing a wrist injury, Vandy needs to get healthy as quickly as possible. Vanderbilt will play in the TicketCity Legends Classic on Saturday against North Carolina State, and then face either Texas or Oregon State on November 21.
5. The hot seat got hotter for a couple of SEC coaches with bad losses last night. Darrin Horn and South Carolina lost to Elon by the score of 58-53, while LSU and  Trent Johnson fell to Coastal Carolina 71-63. The SEC has lost a couple of unlikely games to mid-majors already this season, but these losses will impact the job security that both coaches feel going forward. Both came into the season feeling a bit insecure about their job prospects, and no doubt both are likely feeling quite a bit hotter under the collar at this point.

Brendon Mulvihill is an RTC contributor. You can find him @themulv on Twitter.  See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.

Twenty-four straight hours of college hoops is the dream scenario for those of us who are diehard fans of the sport.  Fortunately, it’s not a dream as ESPN brings back its Tip-Off Marathon for the fourth consecutive season.  Games got started at 12:01 AM EST this morning and go all the way till approximately 1:00 AM EST later tonight.  If you can’t sit in front of your TV for all twenty-four plus hours, then make sure you at least watch these four games.

Belmont @ #14 Memphis – 12:00 PM EST on ESPN HD (***)

Expectations are high for Memphis and Josh Pastner

• Memphis brings high expectations into the 2011-12 season (Coaches Poll #9).  They return all five starters from last year’s team, several key reserves, and add McDonald’s All-American Adonis Thomas.  Josh Pastner has put together an incredible amount of talent that is going to get a stiff test in its first game of the season against an experienced Belmont team.  The Tigers need to greatly improve their turnover percentage (21.9% in 2010-11), three point shooting (32.9% in 2010-11), and defensive rebounding percentage (34.3% in 2010-11) in order to live up to those lofty expectations this season.  Pastner’s squad showed promise on the defensive end last year ranking 23rd and 25th in block percentage and steal percentage, respectively.  They need to maintain that defensive toughness while still trying to improve on the offensive end.
• Belmont gave Duke all it could handle last Friday night in the opener at Cameron Indoor Stadium, losing 77-76.  Turnovers (17), missed threes (6-19), and the Blue Devils’ Mason Plumlee’s great work on the defensive glass (10 defensive rebounds) proved to be the difference.  Still, the Bruins showed excellent offensive balance in the loss with five players scoring in double figures.  Although the FedEx Forum is another difficult place to play, it’s a bit closer to home for Rick Byrd’s team and they have already experienced the ruckus of the Cameron Crazies.  Belmont needs to get off to a better start from the three-point line and limit turnovers to have a chance in this one.
• This game will hinge on turnovers and second-chance points.  Belmont forced Duke to turn the ball over 19 times in the first game and ranked second in the nation last season in defensive turnover percentage.  As previously mentioned, Memphis turns the ball over a lot.  Memphis guard Joe Jackson in particular turned the ball over on 29.1% of his possessions last season.  Look for the Bruins to put all kinds of pressure on a still-young Tigers team to create easy baskets.  At the same time, Belmont relies heavily on second chance points.  The addition of the 6’7” Thomas to the Memphis lineup should certainly improve their defensive rebounding percentage.  If Thomas and the rest of the team can hit the glass hard in his first game, it will limit Belmont’s chances to pull an upset on the road.

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1. We are in the midst of the 24-hour hoops marathon, a must for all serious college basketball fans. If you are loaded up on coffee, Mountain Dew, and multiple bags of chee-tos then it is likely you have made it through the entire night. Congratulations. But if not, don’t worry. There is still plenty of great hoops remaining. RTC has your guide to all the top games. Oh, maybe it’s not proper etiquette to link to your own website. Well, NBC Sports has a great breakdown of all the best action, as well as a live chat for the entire 24 hours. Seriously, they are going to try and make it through the whole marathon. Should be worth a stop by for the comedy alone. Are you hitting that wall and not sure you can make it any longer? Here are five steps to survival. Read them now. Before you fall asleep. And then come back to reading the Morning Five. This definitely won’t make you snooze.
2. The Florida Gators are preparing for its Top 10 matchup with #3 Ohio State on Tuesday night by talking about the key matchup at the center position. Sophomore Patric Young recorded the first double-double of his career in the Gators’ season opener against Jackson State, but he wasn’t doing battle in the post with first team All-American Jared Sullinger either. “His size is a really big advantage that he has. He has a really big butt,” Young said of Sullinger. “It really helps him. He gets really good position. Once he ducks you in, you can’t get around him.” Sullinger has a big butt. So many jokes… so little time.
3. Kentucky coach John Calipari announced today via his website that 6’4″ sophomore guard Stacey Poole will transfer. ” We do everything we can to make sure no one is lost in the shuffle because this program is about every player from top to bottom,” Calipari said. “In Stacey Poole’s case, I feel if he would have stayed, eventually he would have had a breakthrough and had his opportunity.” In a program the magnitude of Kentucky, transfers of seldom-used role players will occur. Although Kentucky’s players and coaching staff are upset about losing a member of the team, this loss will not result in any change on the court. Poole was not likely to play this year, and with the addition of another strong recruiting class imminent at UK next year, he likely would not have seen much action then either.
4. The fallout from Vanderbilt‘s loss to Cleveland State over the weekend continues, as ESPN.com’s Eamonn Brennan questions why the Commodores didn’t fall further in the polls. The ESPN/USA Today poll, released on Monday, has Vandy ranked #20. Brennan’s dispute with the ‘Dores ranking has as much to do with the teams below Vandy in the polls as it does with its terrible play against CSU.  Or maybe Vandy’s clinging to the Top 25 could be “more a sign of respect for a tough Cleveland State team,” per Brennan. Regardless, there was no more polarizing team in the preseason than the Vanderbilt Commodores, and with play like what we witnessed on Sunday, it is tough to argue that the ‘Dores should have a spot at all in any poll. Vandy looks to rebound tonight at home against Bucknell.
5. The Mikan Drill has a great breakdown of one reason why Vanderbilt struggled against Cleveland State. Many questioned how Vanderbilt would play with the absence of a post game until Festus Ezeli returns, but the offense struggled in part due to the frustration that the Viking defenders caused Commodore star John Jenkins. Jenkins was fronted by the defense the entire game. Cleveland State even gave up the occasional backdoor cut to Jenkins in order to limit his outside shooting. When Jenkins struggles to get an open look from outside, the entire Vandy offense has difficulty establishing a good rhythm. Check out the X’s and O’s breakdown for more on the defensive strategy CSU employed in containing Jenkins.