Even SEC soccer is jealous of what SEC basketball is doing proper now.
The league went 14-1 this weekend and has been so dominant that you simply’re going to listen to quite a lot of “The SEC is the primary league to (fill within the clean)” for the subsequent few months. My High 25 poll this week contains 10 SEC groups, with 5 within the prime 10. Three others — Missouri, Arkansas and Texas — have arguments to be included. Simply going by the numbers, Auburn could possibly be the very best group at this level of the season within the final decade. (Extra on the Tigers beneath.)
Bear in mind all of that preseason speak about what number of Massive 12 groups have been within the prime 10 and the way ridiculously good that league was going to be? Effectively, the SEC is strolling the stroll.
That is going to be one enjoyable league race to observe.
Reminder: Under my High 25, I give nuggets on an unspecified variety of groups every week. So when a group seems within the desk however not within the textual content beneath, that’s why. Scroll on for notes on Auburn, Tennessee, Iowa State, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, Texas A&M and Dayton.
1. Auburn
How good has Auburn been? After operating beforehand High 25 Ohio State off the ground in a 91-53 win in Atlanta on Saturday, Auburn now has an effectivity margin of 35.01 at KenPom. KenPom has this enjoyable sorting instrument that means that you can see the scores at any level within the season courting again to the 2011-12 season. Seems, Auburn is his database’s finest group on Dec. 15 within the final 14 seasons — by so much.
Now, you’ll discover that the very best group at this cut-off date doesn’t all the time win the nationwide championship. Three of the final 14 groups that have been No. 1 on Dec. 15 went on to win all of it: 2011-12 Kentucky, 2017-18 Villanova and 2022-23 UConn. What we will assume is that Auburn might be going to have a No. 1 seed; 2016-17 Duke is the one group with a plus-30 effectivity margin at this snapshot in time that didn’t find yourself a No. 1 seed.
You’ll additionally discover this yr’s Tennessee and Duke groups are additionally on this top-10, which is one other manner of claiming that in nearly another yr, these groups could be No. 1 at this level.
So, Auburn has been actually, actually, ridiculously good this season. I’m not going to argue towards anybody rating Tennessee No. 1, particularly after the Vols gained at Illinois on Saturday. However the Tigers have been traditionally dominant to this point.
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2. Tennessee
The Vols began to shut the resume hole with Auburn in a 66-64 win over the Illini in Champaign. (The one factor Auburn is lacking is a formidable street win. Technically, beating Houston in Houston didn’t depend as a result of the sport was performed on the Rockets’ area.)
Tennessee confirmed the worth of a robust bench in its win at Illinois. Its finest two gamers, Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, each fouled out. Zeigler barely performed the second half. Beginning middle Felix Okpara was additionally restricted to 9 minutes due to foul hassle, and he simply didn’t actually match on this recreation. The Vols nonetheless discovered a manner, largely as a result of sixth man Jordan Gainey stepped as much as rating 23 factors, together with the buzzer-beating recreation winner.
[Fran Fraschilla voice] A lesson for younger guards: Be capable of drive both route. Gainey has had 12 drives to the bucket this season — seven to the best, 5 to the left — and has now transformed 4 out of the 5 occasions he’s gone left. This play was going to permit him to go both route. The Vols positioned Cade Phillips close to the highest of the important thing and had him attempt to set a butt display screen. He didn’t make any contact, nevertheless it was simply one other impediment for the protection. Illinois was in a difficult spot from the beginning, with Gainey getting a operating begin and Kasparas Jakucionis backpedaling and ultimately opening his hips when Gainey hit him with an in-and-out dribble.
Ideally, Illini massive man Tomislav Ivisic would have tried to contest this shot, however he stopped to field out Phillips, who is among the finest offensive rebounders within the nation. If the Illini had it to do over once more, Kylan Boswell in all probability would have plugged that hole since he’s guarding Jahmai Mashack, whom the Illini cheated off all night time. It’s laborious to make these fast choices in such a busy setting, and credit score to the Vols for understanding precisely what they wished and executing it. That’s why you observe particular conditions. (Additionally, credit score to Rick Barnes for the play name, one he obtained from legendary highschool coach Morgan Wootten.)
Iowa State’s offense continues to hum alongside as the most effective in faculty basketball, which isn’t one thing most had on the preseason bingo card. One massive increase to the Cyclones has been the passing of energy ahead Joshua Jefferson, who had a season-high seven assists to go together with 19 factors and 10 rebounds in a 89-80 comeback win over Iowa on Thursday.
Jefferson is such passer as a result of he stays composed in visitors and understands passing angles. Iowa was doubling the publish, and Jefferson was welcoming that double. Watch how he takes a large step to his left to tug the second defender additional up the ground and create a greater angle to feed Dishon Jackson.
This inbound is an instance of a busy state of affairs that needed to go off-script. This appeared prefer it was designed to go to Jefferson, however he wasn’t in a position to get it as simply as a result of Drew Thelwell (No. 3) was not the place you’d anticipate him to be. Jefferson realized Iowa’s protection was misaligned, appeared center to evaluate after which made the skip move to Nate Heise.
Jefferson all the time has nice consciousness of the place the assistance is coming from. This was a sensible and well timed lower from Heise, as nicely.
This ultimate Jefferson help iced the sport for the Cyclones. Iowa’s Josh Dix noticed the quick roll develop and got here down from above the 3-point line to tag Jefferson. Once more, Jefferson calmly assessed the ground, realized the place Dix got here from and obtained Curtis Jones a wide-open look:
Florida is the top-10 group you can most simply argue towards as a result of its schedule doesn’t examine to the others on this vary. However the Gators have been dominant sufficient to justify their placement, off to a 10-0 begin with each win by double-digits, and so they have a star rising in Walter Clayton. Averaging 23 factors over the past 4 video games, Clayton is among the scariest quantity scorers within the nation as a result of he can shoot with vary and get it off rapidly. Throughout that four-game stretch, he has made 19 of 47 from 3-point vary. Getting off 47 3s in 4 video games and knocking them down at higher than a 40 p.c clip is a formidable feat.
A be aware to future opponents: Don’t play a 1-3-1 zone when Clayton is within the recreation. Arizona State tried that twice on Saturday. This occurred the primary time:
And this occurred the second time:
Clayton, by himself, is a zone buster.
6. Kentucky
Kentucky level guard Lamont Butler is arguably the group’s most vital participant as a result of the Wildcats play sooner when he’s on the ground. It is a group that thrives in transition: Kentucky scored 28 factors on 14 transition alternatives towards Louisville and is now scoring 1.32 factors per transition alternative, which is third-best within the nation (per Synergy).
Butler is nice at pitching it forward, and he places stress on the protection together with his pace, getting fast paint touches like this one which normally finish in a straightforward bucket.
With Butler on the ground, Kentucky has an efficient discipline aim share of 61.1 p.c, per CBB Analytics. That’s increased than any eFG share within the historical past of KenPom, which dates again to 1997. In different phrases, Kentucky is a traditionally nice offense with Butler on the ground.
Kansas appeared like Kansas once more in its win over NC State on Saturday. And if there’s a key to KU wanting top-10 good in comparison with no matter it was towards Creighton and Missouri, it’s Dajuan Harris Jr. and Zeke Mayo taking part in with confidence and making pictures. Groups are normally prepared to let Harris shoot, however the scouting report has been to attempt to remove Mayo. The Jayhawks want to seek out methods to get the South Dakota State switch 3-point seems to be as a result of in video games when he has tried 5 or extra 3s — which has occurred towards NC State, Furman, Oakland, North Carolina and Howard — he has shot a stable 15 of 36 from 3 and KU has an effectivity of 123.3 in these video games. That’d be the sixth-best offense in faculty hoops.
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13. UConn
Seems the Huskies weren’t cooked. They now have three consecutive wins over top-40 KenPom groups (Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga), and that alone is High 25 worthy. UConn is considered one of seven groups with not less than three prime 40 wins, becoming a member of Auburn (5 wins), Marquette (4), Alabama (three), Kansas (three), Texas A&M (three) and Purdue (three).
For the reason that day after the Maui Invitational, UConn is the fifth-best group in faculty basketball, in response to barttorvik.com. The schedule might additionally permit for the Huskies to maintain climbing within the rankings over the subsequent month-plus. They may possible be favored of their subsequent 10 video games. Credit score to Dan Hurley and his gamers for turning issues round so rapidly. That Hurley swagger seems to be again.
14. Texas A&M
Nobody in faculty basketball is best through the one or two seconds {that a} shot is within the air than Texas A&M. The Aggies, who’re the very best offensive rebounding group within the nation, must be the betting favourite to stay in that spot all season. Watch their effort when the shot is within the air:
Solomon Washington went about 40 ft to chase that board down, and regardless that the Aggies didn’t find yourself scoring, they took 45 seconds off that clock in that one possession, basically icing the sport. Regardless of the place that ball bounced, the Aggies had somebody in place to seize it. Whether or not it’s high-pointing a ball within the air or chasing down a protracted rebound, Buzz Williams has guys with the athleticism and need to go get it.
Anthony Grant has had some nice offensive groups at Dayton, however normally it’s the capturing that’s the separator. This group is sweet in that class — rating twenty fourth in efficient discipline aim share — however these Flyers deal with the basketball higher than any of his earlier groups. They’re turning it over on solely 13.1 p.c of their possessions, and their aversion to turnovers helped them knock off Marquette on Saturday. Solely three groups have had a turnover price beneath 20 p.c towards the Golden Eagles this season. Dayton had the bottom (11.3), and Marquette is now 1-2 in these video games.
Dropped out: Clemson, Wisconsin, Penn State.
Keeping track of: Memphis, Utah State, Drake, San Diego State, St. John’s, West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati.
(Picture: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photographs)
