by Scott Dean
Special to LSUsports.net
BATON ROUGE — As the 2000 Southeastern Conference season gets underway, take a look at Scott Dean’s early-season picks for the men’s title.
With the SEC season a week underway, Auburn looks to be the favorite with Tennessee a close second. The Volunteers have already passed a major test by winning at LSU while Auburns only conference victory has come against Georgia. LSU looks to be in the running for the SEC West title and possibly the SEC Championship with a little success in the upcoming week.
The Favorites
SEC Champion – Auburn
SEC West Champion – Auburn
SEC East Champion – Tennessee
SEC Coach of the Year – John Brady, LSU
SEC Player of the Year – Stromile Swift, LSU
SEC Freshman of the Year – Donnell Harvey, Florida
1. Auburn 13-1, 1-0
The defending SEC Champions returned four of five starters from a year ago and only lost one reserve. Add that to a 12-1 record this season with the only loss coming to top-ranked Stanford and Auburn looks to be in good shape. All-American Chris Porter is averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while Mamadou NDyiaye is among the SEC leaders in rebounds (9.1) and blocks (2.0). The Tigers are tops in the league only giving up 56 points per game on defense. However, their 43% field goal percentage could come back to haunt them. Their first real test comes Tuesday against Kentucky.
2. Tennessee 13-1, 2-0
They are the defending SEC East champions, but this year the Volunteers have what may be their best team ever in Knoxville. Rolling through their non-conference schedule with only one loss (Tulsa, 88-68), Tennessee is a team to be reckoned with. Led by Tony Harris on the perimeter and C.J. Black inside, the Volunteers have as potent an inside-outside attack as anyone in the nation. Their one draw back could be an SEC worst 19.1 turnovers/game. A win over LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night shows exactly how good Tennessee really is.
3. Kentucky 10-4, 1-0
Kentucky faced a pre-conference schedule that featured more games vs. ranked opponents that the rest of the SEC combined. Early losses on the road to Indiana and Maryland, accompanied with defeats to Arizona and Dayton, dropped the Wildcats from the top 25 for the first time in nearly seven years. However, riding a five-game win streak that features a win over Michigan State, Kentucky has confidence and momentum on its side heading into league play. Low scoring games will be the style head coach Tubby Smith hopes Kentucky can win with as the team is a dismal 11th in the SEC in scoring (67.4 pts/game) but ranks 2nd in scoring defense (57.9). Tayshaun Prince is the Wildcats only go-to player, averaging 14.3 points , 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. The win over Vanderbilt in the conference opener sets up a showdown with fourth-ranked Auburn on January 11. A win over the Tigers would make Kentucky the early favorite for the SEC title.
4. Florida 12-2, 1-1 SEC
Led by Mike Miller and the conferences top scoring offense (89.4 points/game), Florida has all the talent to contend for and win the SEC Championship. However, the Gators youth has shown in the teams two losses, vs. Purdue and at Vanderbilt, while their best win was a blowout over in-state rival Florida State. With games against LSU and Tennessee in the next ten days, Florida will have the chance to climb back in the hunt for the crown, as well as make a big statement. After surviving against Ole Miss in Oxford, the youthful Gators should be ready for a dogfight in Gainesville against the surprising LSU team on Wednesday.
5. LSU 13-1, 1-1
The Tigers boast the best field goal percentage in the SEC (51.5%) and the second best scoring offense in the conference (84.2). And the Tigers have what is arguably the best frontcourt in the SEC, and maybe the nation in Jabari Smith and Stromile Swift. Smith is the senior leader on a youthful team while Swift is the early frontrunner for SEC Player of the year, averaging 19.2 points/game (2nd in the SEC), 8.4 rebounds/game (4th) and 2.9 blocks/game (1st). But the thing that makes this Tiger team special is its balance and explosiveness on offense. Perimeter players Torris Bright, Lamont Roland and Brian Beshara have had season highs of 21, 22, and 27 points respectively. A win on the road this week (at Florida, at Vanderbilt) would give LSU a real shot at its first SEC Championship since 1991.
6. Vanderbilt 10-2, 1-1
Next to LSU, Vanderbilt is the biggest surprise in the SEC to date. With an upset win over Florida, Vandy proved they will have to be dealt with this year. Unfortunately for the Commodores, they have the toughest five-game stretch of anyone in the SEC to begin the conference season. After its superhuman effort in the win over Florida and a loss at Kentucky, Vanderbilt will look forward to a trip to Tennessee on the schedule, only to have that followed by home dates with LSU and a Kentucky team that has beaten Vandy by 20 already this season. A 3-2 record coming out of the stretch and Vanderbilt will be punching its ticket to March Madness. But for that to happen Dan Langhi must continue is outstanding play (23.6 points/game) and Vandy must improve on its rebounding which is 11th best in the SEC.
7. Alabama 8-6, 1-1
Without Jeremy Hays inside, Alabama is an average team at best. The 6’10” center adds a force inside for them and will help them combat their undersized line up when he returns. Without him the Tide has dropped games to the likes of Delaware and Northern Iowa as well as being embarrassed by nearby Samford. However, Alabama has shown signs of life by beating Louisville and played well for most of the LSU game before being overmatched by the Tigers size and explosiveness. The win over Mississippi State on Saturday helps the Tide gain momentum that is desperately needs heading into the rugged SEC schedule.
8. Mississippi State 9-5, 1-1
The Bulldogs opened the conference season with a win over Georgia before falling to Alabama in an overtime heartbreaker. State now faces the daunting task of the Auburn Tigers, on January 16, who are likely to exploit the SECs 10th rated defense and look for Chris Porter to shut down Tang Hamilton who is Mississippi States go-to player. The Bulldogs should battle with Arkansas and Alabama for the third spot in the West behind Auburn and LSU. They must avoid losing games they should win, like the early season losses to Valparaiso, Rutgers and Montana State.
9. South Carolina 9-5, 1-1
South Carolina is attempting to rebuild their team to the SEC championship squad of a few years ago. The Gamecocks have a big road win at Virginia while three of their losses are to ranked opponents. Their league worst 67 points/game will not help them much in the SEC season. They lost to Tennessee in the conference opener but rebounded nicely with a win at Arkansas. If anyone overlooks Eddie Foglers team this season, they could find themselves with a loss at the end of the evening.
10. Arkansas 9-6, 1-1
Nolan Richardsons Razorbacks are not packing the same punch as Arkansas teams of past this season. They have lost three times on the road this year and are lacking the standout player that Arkansas teams are accustomed to having. However, you can never count out the Hogs when it comes to the SEC . In their first test, they knocked off Ole Miss who had only one loss coming into the game. Without a real test until they visit LSU on January 26, Arkansas could pick up some wins and gain momentum as the season moves closer to March. Richardson will have to find a way to overcome a -3.5 rebounding margin, last in the SEC, and a dismal 43.3 field goal percentage to keep his team in the running for the SEC West championship.
11. Ole Miss 12-3, 0-2
Ole Miss is a very unproven team. They are 12-3 on the year but their biggest win was over Memphis and their two losses have come on the road at Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Rebels could cause a stir in the SEC, but most likely wont win a road conference game on the season. The only thing on their side is that they have the highest rebounding margin against their opponents in the conference. Despite the fact that it has come against a weak schedule, rebounding is something that will keep the Rebels in some games. The Rebels put up a fight against Florida on Saturday, only to come up short at home.
12. Georgia 7-7, 0-2
Georgia is attempting to make up for the loss of last years SEC leading scorer in Jumaine Jones. However, no one player has stood out for the Bulldogs and new coach Jim Harrick who took the reigns after a successful stint at Rhode Island. Harricks Bulldogs are 7-7 after playing some decent competition and have big wins over rival Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. However, the Bulldogs have not been able to come up with an SEC victory early in the conference season.