SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of March 3

1. (unanimous). Florida Gators 70
2. (unanimous). Mizzou Tigers 65
3. Kentucky Wildcats 59
4. Alabama Crimson Tide 55
5(t). Ole Miss Rebels 47
5(t). Tennessee Volunteers 47
7. Arkansas Razorbacks 41
8. LSU Tigers 33
9. Georgia Bulldogs 30
10. Texas A&M Aggies 28
11 (unanimous). Vanderbilt Commodores 20
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 13
13. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 9
14. Auburn Tigers 8

Full poll and comments can be found here. My ballot is here.
TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of March 3rd

1. Florida - Getting Yeguete back is huge. We'll know just how much this year's Gators are ready for the NCAAs when they go to Rupp this weekend.
2. Missouri - A sexy dark horse pick going into the SEC tournament, the Tigers need to play more disciplined defense if they are to do anything other than show up for the NCAA tourney.
3. Kentucky - Even Cal doesn't know what to expect from his team. How am I, a mere blogger, supposed to say anything sage?
4. Alabama - The Tide needs a strong SEC tournament showing to be assured of not suffering through another miserable Selection Sunday.
5. Ole Miss - Go home, Ole Miss. You're drunk.
6. Tennessee - Still happy for Georgia to be Reasons 1 and 1A for the Vols going from 'sexy bubble pick' to 'what were we thinking.'
7. Arkansas - The Razorbacks can show they have postseason potential by showing up against Mizzou this week. Based on this year's history, take the Tigers.
8. Georgia - Young Dawgs are showing heart after a tough road trip. Still, they could finish tied for 4th or having to play the first night of the SEC tournament. They have the toughest closing week in the conference (vs. UK, @'Bama), to boot.
9. LSU - A tough closing week for LSU. They are in danger of having to play the opening night of the SEC tourney.
10. Texas A&M - Has their been a more disappointing team in the SEC this season, I mean besides those three clown shows at the bottom?
11. Vandy - I could make the argument that Vandy should be 8th, but of the teams ranked 6-11, they have had the most luck of any team.
12. Mississippi State - NOT NUMBER 14! NOT NUMBER 14! NOT NUMBER 14!
13. South Carolina - [insert Frank Martin hates America line here]
14. Auburn - Kind of beautiful symmetry that Toomer's Oaks, the football team, and the basketball team all have been dug up and carted off this year.

As it stands, the SEC is a three bid league. It is going to take some serious last week/conference tourney mojo for Ole Miss or Alabama to play their way into the tourney. Hell, Kentucky could be on the bubble before this is over with.

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot, Week of Feb 17

1. Florida - Not the best team in their state, but still could make a deeper run in the NCAA than any other team in the South, including Duke and Miami.
2. Ole Miss - At some point, Ole Miss is going to run into officials that see everything from the other side. When they do, the Rebels are in deep, deep trouble.
3. Kentucky - Was Nerlens Noel really that good?
4. Missouri - The Tigers need a good win to solidify their place in the NCAA tournament. Beating Florida would count.
5. Arkansas - Great win over Missouri isn't enough to make up for 20 point losses to South Carolina and Vandy.
6. Alabama - Will likely end up with 13 conference wins and no NCAA tourney bid.
7. Georgia - Could rank the Dawgs 10th as easily as 6th. Based on how they have played against superior teams recently, I'm ok with this spot.
8. Tennessee - Nearly moved them up based on the win over Kentucky, but I wanted to see what the Wildcats do moving forward. For now, they still look like they are playing Buzz Peterson basketball: talented but underwhelming.
9. LSU - Laissez les bons temps rouler! Baseball season is here.
10. Texas A&M - At least they aren't Vandy....wait....they lost to Vandy?
11. Vandy - Even 1982 Dean Smith thinks the Vandy style of offense is plodding.
12. Auburn - Attendance is up with Cam Newton sitting in the student section, so they've got that going for them.
13. South Carolina - 0 for February. At some point, Frank Martin has got be thinking about trying to piss off Ray Tanner, right?
14. Mississippi State - State: Doing even less with less in '13.

Not an easy week with the crazy upsets (think Tennessee manhandling Kentucky) and close games (Ole Miss/Georgia and Arkansas/Missouri). I used to be secure in Mississippi State being the worst team in the conference, but South Carolina's suckitude is getting to those levels.

The only thing I am sure about is the top place in the poll.

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of Feb 10

Note, the ballots were due right about the end of the Georgia game (11pm) last night.

1 (unanimous). Florida Gators 84
2 (unanimous). Kentucky Wildcats 78
3. Missouri Tigers 70
4. Ole Miss Rebels 68
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 58
6. Arkansas Razorbacks 52
7. Georgia Bulldogs 49
8. Texas A&M Aggies 41
9. Tennessee Volunteers 35
10. LSU Tigers 34
11. Vanderbilt Commodores 24
12. Auburn Tigers 19
13 (unanimous). South Carolina Gamecocks 12
14 (unanimous). Mississippi St. Bulldogs 6

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot, Week of Feb 10th

Well, Florida lost one. So did everyone else but Kentucky and Georgia. The Mississippi State race to the bottom of the RPI continues.

1. Florida - The loss at Arkansas wasn't nearly as big as the loss of Yeguete. We'll see just how good the Gators are when they have to improvise on defense.
2. Kentucky - Not exactly optimal for Calipari's young squad to have to go to Gainesville when Donovan has a couple things to motivate with.
3. Missouri - The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde award winner for the season. I'm still picking them to lose to Mississippi State, since the game is on the road.
4. Ole Miss - Someone guard Marshall Henderson or he'll end up Pope.
5. Alabama - [insert Nick Saban doesn't have time for the NIT joke here]
6. Georgia - Quietly playing their way into post season discussion. They are two baffling losses (Youngstown and Miss State) from being an NCAA bubble team.
7. Arkansas - If the Razorbacks could get all of their games within walking distance of a Doe's Eat Place, I'd bet on them to be a final four team.
8. Texas A&M - What goes up, must come down.
9. Tennessee - It almost feels like Buzz Peterson is coaching this bunch.
10. LSU - The only way they'd have an interesting game was if Les Miles live Twittered it.
11. Vandy - Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't heard more Kevin Stallings dropping MF-bomb stories this season.
12. Auburn - The Tigers have already assured themselves of a higher winning percentage than their football team this season.
13. South Carolina - I bet Frank Martin wishes he'd gotten better marks for playing well with others at Kansas State now.
14. Mississippi State - Meanwhile, on Sean Peyton's yacht in the Bahamas, Rick Stansbury has just ordered another piña colada and put another pin in his Scott Striklin voodoo doll.

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of Feb 3rd

Full poll here.


1 (unanimous). Florida Gators 84
2. Kentucky Wildcats 76
3. Ole Miss Rebels 74
4. Missouri Tigers 65
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 61
6. Arkansas Razorbacks 52
7 (t). Georgia Bulldogs 42
7 (t). Tennessee Volunteers 42
9. Texas A&M Aggies 39
10. LSU Tigers 34
11. Vanderbilt Commodores 22
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 19
13. Auburn Tigers 14
14. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 7

Dawgs up to being tied for 7th with Tennessee   The ballots were due before Georgia took care of business in Knoxville.
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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot

1. Florida - In the running for a number one seed, but it depends on how they finish out...and how bad the rest of the conference gets.
2. Kentucky - From 'who are these guys' to a defensive machine. Calipari gonna Calipari.
3. Ole Miss - Still very much in the tournament, but can't afford to loose too many more games, as their triple digit SOS is just killing them. By the way, that won't get better in the conference.
4. Missouri - I predict the Tigers will play in Dayton the first week of the NCAA tournament.
5. Alabama - I predict the Tide will be the first team out of the NCAA conference.
6. Arkansas - If only all of the Hog's games were at home....
7. Tennessee - A listless loss to Arkansas has the Volunteers looking for offensive answers.
8. Georgia - Dawgs could legitimately finish in the top half of the conference and still have a losing record on the season.
9. Texas A&M - Going backwards faster than a French army tank.
10. LSU - Showing some fight with back to back wins. Still a punchers chance at making some NIT noise.
11. Vandy - Is it football season yet?
12. South Carolina - When your best win is LSU, you've got issues, brother.
13. Auburn - The only redeeming thing about their season is they finish the season with Mississippi State.
14. Mississippi State - That 2-0 start in the conference sure was a long time ago.

(Ed. note: Compiled and completed before Florida shit pants themselves against Arkansas Tuesday night)

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of Jan 27

Full poll here.

1 (unanimous). Florida Gators 84
2 (unanimous). Ole Miss Rebels 78
3. Missouri Tigers 71
4. Kentucky Wildcats 63
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 60
6. Arkansas Razorbacks 49
7. Tennessee Volunteers 47
8. Texas A&M Aggies 37
9. South Carolina Gamecocks 34
10. Vanderbilt Commodores 32
11. Auburn Tigers 30
12. Georgia Bulldogs 20
13. LSU Tigers 16
14 (unanimous). Mississippi St. Bulldogs 6

Nothing too surprising. I still stand my my thought that the SEC is a three bid conference, at best.

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot, Week of Jan 27th

My ballot:

1. Florida - The Gators are so much better than the rest of the conference that they face the real possibly of losing a 2 seed just because of how bad the rest of the conference is.
2. Ole Miss - They'll only go as far as their shooting allows. That means they could be an Elite 8 team or they could end up losing to Lehigh in the first round as a 5 seed.
3. Missouri - After the beat down by Florida, the Tigers are firmly ensconced as the third best team in the conference, with no real hope of moving up.
4. Alabama - Welcome to the bubble, we've got fun and games.
5. Texas A&M - Going backwards faster than the Republican Party.
6. Kentucky - Good news for the Wildcats. LSU is coming to town.
7. Arkansas - There is a good joke somewhere here about Mike Anderson turning down the Georgia job after losing to South Carolina by 20.
8. Auburn - YOU MAD, BRO?
9. Vandy - A watershed week awaits the Commodores if Stallings' team is to make any sort of post-season tourney.
10. Tennessee - Not sure what is going on with the Vols. On one hand, there is talent there. On the other, they just can't seem to put the pieces together.
11. Georgia - A road win for the Dawgs against a more talented team. Who knows what craziness Georgia will pull next?
12. South Carolina - By whipping the crap out of Arkansas, the Gamecocks prove that teams 7-12 are just the same teams in different jerseys.
13. LSU - Well, they are better than Mississippi State right now.
14. Mississippi State - Yeah, but I bet Rick Stansbury would be 6-11 right now.

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Week of Jan 21

Florida and Ole Miss are unanimously at the top. Surprisingly, LSU didn't get unanimous honors for the bottom of the heap.

1. (unanimous). Florida Gators 84
2. (unanimous). Ole Miss Rebels 78
3. Kentucky Wildcats 71
4. Missouri Tigers 66
5. Alabama Crimson Tide 59
6. Texas A&M Aggies 56
7 (unanimous). Arkansas Razorbacks 48
8. Tennessee Volunteers 37
9. Vanderbilt Commodores 34
10. Auburn Tigers 32
11 (t). Misissippi St. Bulldogs 21
11 (t). South Carolina Gamecocks 21
13. Georgia Bulldogs 13
14. LSU Tigers 10

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SEC Hoops Power Poll ballot, Jan 21

The only thing for sure is that the Gator are asserting themselves as THE best team in the conference...and possibly the nation.

1. Florida - Not just the best team in the conference right now.
2. Ole Miss - Keep on winning. Looks like the folks in Oxford has a legit NCAA caliber team on their hands.
3. Mizzou - Gave Florida a few minutes of tough basketball bracketed by 17 minutes of beat down on either side.
4. Kentucky - No doubt there aren't 5 first rounders on this team, right?
5. Alabama - Alabama looking more and more like an NIT team.
6. Texas A&M - A&M looking more and more like an NIT bubble team.
7. Arkansas - Is the CBI good enough for 'Hog fans?
8. Tenneessee - I don't know what to do with the Vols. On one hand, they are good enough to beat any team above them. On the other, they are inconsistent enough to lose to any team below them.
9. Vandy - Good job. Good effort.
10. Miss state - Yeah, so about that hot start...
11. South Carolina - The 'Frank Martin, Basketball Savior' tour continues...
12. Auburn - This is the Auburn basketball team we were waiting to see.
13. UGA - Hey, a conference win. Look for Fox to get an extension.
14. lsu - The tigers don't deserve capitalization.

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Jan 12

The poll is in. Florida and Ole Miss are unanimous 1 and 2. Georgia is not unanimous #14. There is a definite drop off after Kentucky in confidence.


1 (unanimous). Florida Gators 98
2 (unanimous). Ole Miss Rebels 91
3. Missouri Tigers 82
4. Texas A&M Aggies 75
5. Kentucky Wildcats 74
6. Arkansas Razorbacks 59
7. Alabama Crimson Tide 50
8. Auburn Tigers 45
9. Tennessee Volunteers 41
10. LSU Tigers 34
11. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 31
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 29
13. Vanderbilt Commodores 18
14. Georgia Bulldogs 8

Got to give Mississippi and Vandy some credit. Ole Miss for over coming a tough game shooting wise to win; Vandy for playing tough against a better team at home.

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SEC Hoops Blog Poll, January 13

A couple of surprises (Mississippi State and Texas A&M) and a couple of surprising 0-2 and we have a bit of clarity.

1. Florida - Head and shoulders above everyone else right now.
2. Ole Miss - We won't know much more about the Rebels after this week, but 2-0 and the whipping they put on Missouri has me believing for now.
3. Texas A&M - The win at Rupp is something, but it is hard to say just how good Kentucky is right now. The Aggies are showing some promise, but they've got to put some more room between them and their OOC debacles.
4. Missouri - It'll be interesting to see how Missouri matches up against Georgia this week. Win by 30 and I move them up. Win by less and they are pretenders to Florida's throne.
5. Kentucky - Needed a huge break to win over a fairly bad Vandy team. Calipari has his work cut out for the Wildcats to be a lock to make the NCAA tourney right now.
6. Arkansas - Mike Anderson's 40 minutes of hell looked more like 40 minutes of scornful silence against Texas A&M.
7. Alabama - Gutty win at Tennessee gets the Tide pointed in the right direction. Now to not lose by 7 to   Mississippi State.
8. Tennessee - Martin's team might be the most quixotic in the conference. Looked terrible at home against Mississippi; looked competent on the road against Alabama. 
9. Auburn - Ok, I'll admit that 2-0 record is pretty, but their wins are 3am bar close pretty, not daytime pretty.
10. LSU - We'll find out who is king of the dipshits with LSU taking on South Carolina and Georgia this week. Put your money on LSU.
11. Vandy - There is room for improvement for the Commodores, but relying on officials against Kentucky isn't Stallings' best coaching move.
12. Mississippi State - Enjoy it state fans. You have won your two conference games this season.
13. South Carolina - Luckily, for the Gamecocks, Georgia is on the schedule twice.
14. Georgia  - Is it signing day yet?

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SEC Hoops Power Poll, Jan 6th

My ballot is here. These votes were cast before last night's games. Due to the BCS NCG on Monday, we moved the voting deadline to Tuesday. Going forward, we'll vote on Mondays and post on Tuesdays.

1. Florida Gators 109
2. Missouri Tigers 100
3. Kentucky Wildcats 96
4. Arkansas Razorbacks 88
5. LSU Tigers 74
6 (t). Ole Miss Rebels 68
6 (t). Tennessee Volunteers
8. Alabama Crimson Tide 59
9. Texas A&M Aggies 50
10. South Carolina Gamecocks 45
11. Georgia Bulldogs 36
12. Vanderbilt Commodores 31
13. Auburn Tigers 26
14. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 10

Looks like the groupbrain had the same problems with Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama and A&M I did.

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot, Jan 6th

Once again, I'm participating in the SEC Hoops Power Poll. With the SEC being so [insert your own snark about college football power and not being good at basektball  here].

Yeah, going to be a long season of trying to decide who's suckitude means more. For the first poll, though, I get to make some educated guesses, since there have only been out of conference games. Some teams play decidedly stronger OOC games than others. Of course, some schedule patsies and still lose. I looking at you Mississippi State.

So on to my ballot:

1. Missouri - The Tigers are rapidly trying to overtake Kentucky as the SEC's basketball program. Sorry, y'all. You'll have to suck just a bit more at football for that to happen.
2. Florida - Losing to Arizona by one and Kansas State by six isn't that big a deal. The Gators are looking like the team that'll run all over the SEC only to lose to Denver in the first round of the NCAA.
3. Kentucky - Really struggled here as I didn't want to over rate them for being Kentucky. 
4. Texas A&M - Those good wins are not as blinding as that loss to Southern.
5. LSU - I see you LSU. Pointed in the right direction. Can they keep it up?
6. Arkansas - The win over Oklahoma looks good. They could end up being one of the surprises of the season. The game against TAMU will end up being a quite a test for them.
7. Tennessee - Probably just the median team in the SEC, which means they'll end up losing a game to Georgia and Vandy before it is over with.
8. Alabama - Who knows. Honestly, who? Alabama is emblematic of the SEC right now. A big win here and there peppered with head scratching losses.
9. Mississippi - Not sure if I can make any distinctions between TAMU, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Tennessee.
10. South Carolina - Yeah, I know the Gamecocks are 10-3. So is over half of the country. Their best win is Arkansas-Little Rock. The best opponent (and loss) is Elon. Think about that.
11. Vandy - Marist. Losing to Marist. Really?
12. Georgia - Dawgs have started winning games they should be winning. The next step is being the team that should win games instead of lose games.
13. Auburn - The only difference between Auburn and South Carolina is that the Gamecocks have a few more wins. 
14. Mississippi State - I'd like to say there is something positive for MSU basketball. Oh, I got one: They don't play Missouri but once this season.

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Blogger Round Table

The voters of the SEC Hoops Power Poll do a round table at the end of the season. Below are our selected collective thoughts. 

1) Who is the player of the year? Coach of the year? Why?

Player of the year:  Anthony Davis, Kentucky - Unanimous pick
Anthony Davis is the player of year, perhaps not only for the conference but for the nation. His game-in, game-out performance is simply phenomenal; he's averaging nearly a double-double, and he has a simply unbelievable .66 FG%. As if those stats didn't say enough, he tends to play his best in big games, such as his 28-point, 10-11 (!!!) shooting performance in the recent game against Vanderbilt. Just an astoundingly good player who has the look of a Final Four MVP. - Garnet and Black Attack

Davis has distinguished himself in the SEC by being the single most important player on a team of superior players.  Without Davis, the Wildcats would be a very good NCAA caliber team.  With him, they are almost unbeatable.  Even if Davis doesn't score a point, he is worth about 8-10 points defensively with the way he blocks, challenges, and changes shots.  He is the all-time SEC leading shot blocker in a season, and affects the game in so many ways that his true value is difficult to accurately discern. - A Sea of Blue

Coach of the year:   John Calipari, Kentucky 
I don't know if Calipari's one and done strategy will pay off in the long run with Coach K like multiple national championships or Tom Izzo like Final Four appearances, but the one thing he has done is mold four new and very talented players into an already loaded roster and made them better as the season has gone on. This is his best coaching job in his first three seasons as the Wildcats are considered near locks to make it back to the Final 4. An impressive feat in today's world of roster turnover. - ACC and SEC Blog

Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee 
Martin has taken a team that looked like they were going fold like fresh laundry and gotten them on the precipice of the NCAA tournament. With all of the non-sense that has gone on in Knoxville over the past year, including the home loss to Austin Peay, it would be easy for Martin to label this a rebuilding year and focus on next. Instead, he has kept a very young team focused on doing things the right way and fighting through adversity. Yes, UT still loses games they should win, but they are definitely playing much better than they should be. Martin is a very big part of that. - Georgia Sports Blog

Anthony Grant, Alabama
The argument against him is that Alabama was supposed to be good all along, but I've been impressed by how Grant was able to pull the Tide through a disappointing stretch and get his team in gear for a tourney run. You could also easily go with John Calipari here, who has managed to pull off the difficult feat of exceeding expectations with a team that was expected to challenge for a national title, but I feel Grant has had the tougher job this year, and he's done well with it. - Garnet and Black Attack

2) Who is the breakout player of the year? Why?

Breakout player of the year: Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
The junior ranks 4th in the SEC in scoring at 16 ppg and is also pulling down nearly 11 rebounds per night. Moultrie coming off a transfer year from UTEP where he averaged 10 and 9 ppg in his first two seasons so the fact that he has raised his scoring and rebound average in a tougher league impresses me. - The ACC/SEC Blog

Patric Young, Florida
I think a lot might say Arnett Moultrie, which is my second choice, but Young was totally over matched as a freshman and has the chance to be dominant in the future at UF.  He had a better "breakout" than Moultrie did, since Moultrie is older and had contributed at UTEP. - And The Valley Shook

Justin Hamilton, LSU
Hamilton, an Iowa State transfer, has been one of the conference's more steady big men, and he's made a major difference for an LSU team that struggled last year without him. He's qualifies as a great breakout player in my book. - Garnet and Black Attack

Jeffrey Taylor, Vanderbilt
Why:  Taylor has become an extremely dangerous perimeter player, and combined with his remarkable athleticism and improved ballhandling, may have played his way into the 2012 draft lottery.  Taylor keeps proving to everyone that he still has plenty of room to improve, and considering the outstanding player he has become, that's saying something. - A Sea of Blue

3) What team is the biggest surprise (good or bad)?

Biggest surprise:  Tennessee Volunteers
Why:  Seriously? They were picked to finish 11th in the conference. Now, they are sitting out the Thursday games in New Orleans. With the hearings and the players sitting out and the early season schadenfreude losses and a new coach, it was easy to write them off. They have quietly become a team that has potential to sneak into the NCAA tournament with a strong SEC tourney run. I'd also give Mississippi State a dishonorable mention for their late season swoon, but if you've watched the Bulldogs for the last several years, you'd know to expect it. - Georgia Sports Blog

I think you could say both LSU and Tennessee.  I don't think anyone thought they would be fighting for the 5th spot in the league at any point in the season, least of all the final week.  Combined they are 11-3 in February, which is definitely shocking since they had 22 combined losses going into February. - And The Valley Shook

4) Nationally, the SEC is viewed as top heavy, but weak below about team #3. What are your thoughts on the conference's performance in the national view?

A Sea of Blue:
I think the national view has been accurate this year.  Alabama has disappointed, as has Mississippi State.  Vanderbilt has not been as good as advertised, and Florida, despite showing some great early prowess, seems to have peaked too early, plus suffered a key injury that may have them stumbling into a lower seed in the NCAA tournament.

The SEC had high hopes this year, but outside of Kentucky, you'd have to say it was a bit disappointing, if not a total bust.

ACC/SEC Blog:

With Kentucky being so dominant, the SEC will always be in the news. But after that Florida and Vanderbilt have been very inconsistent and the West is largely mediocre again. I look at it how ACC Football was in the early 2000s when FSU was competing for national titles every year and a Clemson or Georgia Tech may have a good season here or there but largely the league was mediocre.

The reason is simple. The fan support just isn't there for basketball in the SEC. The league does have a chance to get better by being able to spend more money on new coaches (and more importantly fire any coach) than any other conference. But until that money turns into wins the SEC will not be in the B1G/Big East/ACC yearly debate for best conference.

Garnet and Black Attack:

I think the SEC is underrated. It's not the best conference, but it's solid. Yes, the top three teams are head and shoulders above the rest, and Kentucky is head and shoulders above Vandy and Florida. That said, Alabama, Mississippi St., LSU, and Tennessee are all solid teams. I could see 'Bama or MSU surprising and making it into the Sweet 16 or so, and LSU and UT are good threats to win the NIT. That's not bad depth at all.

And The Valley Shook:

I think that is actually a fair view.  In fact, I think the national view is correct with the SEC this year.  It's an OK league that will get a decent amount of teams into the tournament, but didn't have the kind of year in out of conference play to support it as one of the top 3 leagues.

Georgia Sports Blog:
Part of the national view is shaped by the awful early season losses by Tennessee (Oakland, Austin Peay and College of Charleston), LSU (Coastal Carolina), South Carolina (Elon and Providence), and Vandy (Indiana State).  It also didn't help that Kentucky lost a buzzer beater to a very good Indiana team on national TV. 

Overall, that view is right. Outside of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, there is no other team that folks would be terribly nervous about playing on a neutral court. Until Florida gets their crap together, you can't put them in that group. Alabama and Tennessee are dangerous, but green. Arkansas has shown they can do it, but are playing like the Michigan win was their championship game. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are talented, but lack team unity.  As for the rest of the conference, you pretty much can say they are safe senior day schedule fillers.

5) What teams will make the NCAA tourney? Any surprise runs forthcoming?
Everyone has Kentucky (duh), Vandy and Florida as locks. There is a consensus that Alabama will make it as well. We all agree that Mississippi State and Ole Miss have to make runs in the SECt to get a bid. A couple of us think Tennessee will make it with a couple of wins.

And The Valley Shook:
Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Mississippi State.

Surprise: Kentucky will not only lose the SEC tournament, they will lose before the finals.

Garnet and Black Attack:
Kentucky, Vandy, Florida, and Alabama are more or less locks, although 'Bama could miss out if it totally collapses in the last couple of games. Mississippi St. has a good chance if it wins a few games down the stretch. LSU might have a chance if it makes the finals of the SEC Tournament or so. Past that, I don't see anyone making it without winning the SECT. Tennessee has the look of a team that might be able to pull off the surprise and do that. In March, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Vandy makes a run to the Elite Eight. They're playing really well right now and have the kind of balance and depth that oftentimes serves a team well in the Tournament.

ACC/SEC Blog:

Kentucky, Florida, and Vanderbilt are in. I feel pretty good about Alabama too. After that I think Miss State or Ole Miss has a chance if they can win get to the Finals in the SEC Tournament and the small conference tourneys go to form and don't take away their spots. I am still waiting for the Vandy we thought we would see all season long, but I don't see a run considering Stallings recent NCAA history.

A Sea of Blue:
Making the grade:  Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi St., Alabama, and going out on a limb here and predicting a couple of SECT wins, I say Tennessee sneaks in.

Many thanks to the participating bloggers and to Garnet and Black attack for hosting the poll this season.
TD 

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SEC Hoops Blogger Roundtable - My Thoughts

Each year, the voters of the SEC Hoops Power Poll do a round table at the end of the season. We have a few questions, each give our answers and then compare those answers. I am hosting the round table, which should appear tomorrow here.  

Here are my answers to the questions:

1) Who is the player of the year? Coach of the year? Why?

Player of the year:  Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Why: It isn't even close. He is leading the conference in FG%...by over 10%. He is nearly averaging a double-double on the season. There is no surprise that in Kentucky's only loss on the season (at Indiana), he 'only' played 24 minutes and was in foul trouble early. Kentucky is a very good basketball team without him. With him, they not only take their style of play to the other team, they impose their will on other teams.   Kentucky doesn't need Davis to be great, but they are great because he is the best player on the court anytime Kentucky suits up. 

Coach of the year:   Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee 
Why:  Martin has taken a team that looked like they were going fold like fresh laundry and gotten them on the precipice of the NCAA tournament. With all of the non-sense that has gone on in Knoxville over the past year, including the home loss to Austin Peay, it would be easy for Martin to label this a rebuilding year and focus on next. Instead, he has kept a very young team focused on doing things the right way and fighting through adversity. Yes, UT still loses games they should win, but they are definitely playing much better than they should be. Martin is a very big part of that.

2) Who is the breakout player of the year? Why?

Breakout player of the year: Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi State
Why: Sitting out last year after transferring from UTEP, Moultrie has become an offensive constant for Mississippi State. He leads the conference in rebouding, is second to Anthony Davis in FG% and is playing over 36 minutes per game. He's projecting a first round draft pick. Not bad for a guy who averaged less than 10ppg at UTEP two years ago.

3) What team is the biggest surprise (good or bad)?

Biggest surprise:  Tennessee Volunteers
Why:  Seriously? They were picked to finish 11th in the conference. Now, they are sitting out the Thursday games in New Orleans. With the hearings and the players sitting out and the early season schadenfreude losses and a new coach, it was easy to write them off. They have quietly become a team that has potential to sneak into the NCAA tournament with a strong SEC tourney run. 

I'd also give Mississippi State a dishonorable mention for their late season swoon, but if you've watched the Bulldogs for the last several years, you'd know to expect it.

4) Nationally, the SEC is viewed as top heavy, but weak below about team #3. What are your thoughts on the conference's performance in the national view?

Part of the national view is shaped by the awful early season losses by Tennessee (Oakland, Austin Peay and College of Charleston), LSU (Coastal Carolina), South Carolina (Elon and Providence), and Vandy (Indiana State).  It also didn't help that Kentucky lost a buzzer beater to a very good Indiana team on national TV. 

Overall, that view is right. Outside of Kentucky and Vanderbilt, there is no other team that folks would be terribly nervous about playing on a neutral court. Until Florida gets their crap together, you can't put them in that group. Alabama and Tennessee are dangerous, but green. Arkansas has shown they can do it, but are playing like the Michigan win was their championship game. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are talented, but lack team unity.  As for the rest of the conference, you pretty much can say they are safe senior day schedule fillers.

5) What teams will make the NCAA tourney? Any surprise runs forthcoming?

Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, and Alabama are locks.  I think Mississippi State has to win at least one SECt game to get in. Tennessee has to win at least one, and maybe two, to get in. I'm predicting a UGA upset on Thursday night in New Orleans, spelling an NIT bid and the end of the Stansbury era in Starkville. I think Tennessee gets at least one win and will get a bid to the NCAA, although it is dependent on upsets around the mid-majors and no deep conference tournament runs by teams like Ole Miss, Illinois, Northwestern, NC State, BYU, or Seton Hall.  

If Tennessee gets in, watch out. They'll be seeded 11th or so, putting them against a middle of the road Big 10/Big East team or a mid-major at large. Don't be surprised about the Vols making a Sweet 16 run.  

As for Florida/Vandy/Alabama, Vandy and Alabama are possible Sweet 16 teams, but it is hard to say they will get there with the inconsistency they have shown. Florida is in trouble and could be a first game upset.  

Anything short of a National Championship will be a huge disappointment for Ketucky. As usual. 

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll - Week of February 26th

Read it in all its glory here.

Or just look at the list below. Whatevs.


1. Kentucky Wildcats 72
2. Vanderbilt Commodores 64
3. Florida Gators 62
4. Alabama Crimson Tide 52
5. Tennessee Volunteers 46
6. LSU Tigers 39
7. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 36
8. Mississippi Rebels 31
9. Arkansas Razorbacks 30
10. Georgia Bulldogs 17
11. Auburn Tigers 14
12. South Carolina Gamecocks 6

No surprises. Kentucky is unanimously number 1. South Carolina is unanimously voted off the island.

TD

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of February 26th

Interesting week.

1. Kentucky - The Cats are looking stronger and stronger. Anything short of losing in the championship of the SEC tourney before the Final Four will be a huge downer for Kentucky.
2. Vandy - Probably could put them 3rd, but until Florida shows improvement in their new line up, Vandy is better.
3. Florida - Not sure what the new lineup will do after playing together a few games, but they have some work to do to get back to where it was.
4. Alabama - Quite a turnaround from two weeks ago. Three straight wins and now we are looking at a solid lock for the NCAA tournament.
5. Tennessee - Not sure how, but the Vols are threatening to make the NCAA tournament.
6. Mississippi State - No truth to the rumor that Houston Nutt will succeed Stansbury as the basketball coach.
7. Ole Miss - Is there a worse 16-12 team in the nation?
8. LSU - Five wins in a row go out the window with that flaming pile of poo they left on the floor in Oxford.
9. Arkansas - I was prepared to put them 10th until they pulled out the road win at Auburn.
10. Georgia - Huge win for the Dawgs over Florida, but it just illustrates the maddening inconsistency with which this team plays.
11. Auburn - Hey, I heard Cam Newton was in town last week. At least they've got that.
12. South Carolina - Yay! It is baseball season!

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SEC Hoops Power Poll Ballot - Week of February 19th

1. Kentucky - A conference loss might help the Wildcats, or their coach, going into the NCAAs.
2. Florida - Are we to the point of buying Florida's ability to make a tourney run? At least they won't face the Vols there.
3. Vanderbilt - Kevin Stallings re-ups his hair club for men subscription after getting the road monkey off his back this week.
4. Alabama - Not sure why, but I think the suspensions might actually help Grant's team.
5. Mississippi State - I have them too high, but no one below them has me convinced they are better.
6. Mississippi - Did not compete, at all, last week. Seriously, did they send anyone to those games?
7. LSU - Might go 10-6, might go 8-8, might go 6-10. Hard to tell with this group.
8. Tennessee - They might be the best .500 team in the nation.
9. Arkansas - I've got nothing, much like Arkansas does on the road.
10. Auburn - Auburn might actually make the NIT, which is change I can believe in.
11. Georgia - Youth + no inside offense=SEC fail.
12. South Carolina - I know they beat Georgia. I know they beat Georgia. I know they beat Georgia. They are still worse. (See RPI, bad losses, no good wins).

I took all the 6-6 teams and went straight by the RPI. I am sure I saved plenty of brain cells and my reasoning is as sound as any. Also, I know South Carolina beat Georgia. I just couldn't find myself putting Georgia back at the bottom (I did so two weeks ago), considering the body of work between the two. I had Georgia last until I looked at the RPI and the wins vs. losses.

TD

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