(1/18/00)
BATON ROUGE — With the SEC season two weeks underway, Auburn is a solid favorite for the SEC Crown. Dan Langhi has taken over the lead as the SEC’s premier player with dominating performances in upsets over Florida, Tennessee and LSU.
THE FAVORITES
SEC Champion – Auburn
Auburn took a big step towards the SEC Championship with a win over Kentucky on Tuesday night. The Tigers will have a big advantage by playing in the Western Division and only having to face Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt and Kentucky once each.
SEC West Champion – Auburn
In the Western Division, LSU and Arkansas are the only teams that has a real chance at beating Auburn this season. However, LSU has lost three conference games already, which is more than Auburn will most likely lose all season. Arkansas might have a chance to beat Auburn, but they have no legitimate chance at the West title.
SEC East Champion – Kentucky
The Wildcats showed they are for real by nearly upsetting Auburn on the road last Tuesday. But the road to the West crown will be a long one as they will have to face Tennessee and Florida twice and still have a date at Vanderbilt.
SEC Coach of the Year – John Brady, LSU
Brady has resurrected the LSU program despite NCAA sanctions. While his Tigers have lost three in a row, all three were to top 25 teams with two coming down to the final minute. His young team will continue to get better and should be dancing come March for the first time since 1993.
SEC Player of the Year – Dan Langhi, Vanderbilt
Langhi has led his team to three consecutive upsets over Florida, Tennessee and LSU. In those games he averaged over 20 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. He leads the SEC in scoring with a 22.6 points/game. Without his presence Vanderbilt would be a very average team.
SEC Freshman of the Year – Donnell Harvey, Florida
Harvey is the sixth man on a very deep Florida squad. Even though he does not start, he is ninth in the SEC in rebounding with 7.5/game. Harvey will be a superstar in this league in coming years and is already the best freshman in the conference.
THE TEAMS
1. Auburn 15-1, 3-0
With a win over Kentucky last Tuesday, Auburn made a huge stride towards its second SEC title in as many years. The Tigers have the advantage of only having to play Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt once each. They have two very winnable games this week before heading to Tennessee next week in a key SEC game.
Last Week: 1st
2. Kentucky 11-5, 2-1
The Wildcats move up despite the loss last week. They lost to the best team in the league by only three points on the road. Kentucky dropped the heartbreaker to Auburn last week because it couldnt stop Chris Porter or Doc Robinson. That is not a good sign for Tubby Smiths Wildcats who will face Vanderbilt and the SECs leading scorer Dan Langhi on Saturday. Vanderbilt will have revenge on its mind after losing to Kentucky 72-52 just two weeks ago. The Wildcats need another win against the Commodores, but must beat Ole Miss first.
Last Week: 3rd
3. Vanderbilt 12-2, 3-1
Vanderbilt had two huge wins in the SEC this past week. On Wednesday, Dan Langhi scored 31 points to rally the Commodores to a victory over in-state rival Tennessee. Three days later, Vandy held off a talented LSU team at home to score its third consecutive win over a top 25 team. This week, the Commodores will look for some revenge against Kentucky who beat them by 20 two weeks ago. With a win, the Commodores would be in the driver’s seat in the SEC Eastern Division.
Last Week: 6th
4. Florida 13-2, 2-1
The Gators remain fourth with the win over LSU this week. They were leapfrogged by a Vanderbilt team that has won three in a row, one against Florida. After hammering LSU at home last week, the Gators have had five days to prepare for the Tennessee Volunteers, who make a trip to Gainesville, Fla., this Tuesday. The Gators must have a win in this home game or will lose a valuable opportunity to go a game ahead of Tennessee in the race for the SEC East title.
Last Week: 4th
5. Tennessee 15-2, 3-1
The Vols drop three spots because of the loss to Vanderbilt. They had the game won but could not hold on against their in-state rival. The Vols led in the second half but were unable to stop Dan Langhi who scored 31 points against them. They rebounded nicely by drilling Ole Miss, but should have gone 2-0 on the week. They travel to Florida on Tuesday in a game they need to win to keep pace with the top of the pack.
Last Week: 2nd
6. LSU 13-3, 1-3
Even with two losses this week, the Tigers are still one of the top six teams in the SEC. After starting the season on fire with 13 straight wins, LSU has dropped three in a row. However, two of the losses have come in the last minute against Tennessee and Vanderbilt with the other on the road to Florida. The Tigers struggled on Saturday against Vanderbilt down the stretch, blowing a three-point lead late. They were then unable to get a shot off while trailing with less than a minute to go. LSU must get through this tough stretch and get a win at home Wednesday against Georgia if they hope to play in the NCAA Tournament this March.
Last Week: 5th
7. Arkansas 10-6, 2-1
Riding the shoulders of Chris Walker, who has led the team in scoring three of the last four games, Arkansas is 2-1 in the SEC. The Razorbacks have shown they are a good team, but havent played any of the top six teams in the league. However, a 20-point win on the road this past week at Georgia is a big step for this team. They have two games they should win this week in Alabama and Mississippi State before heading to LSU for a huge SEC West clash on January 26.
Last Week: 10th
8. Mississippi State 10-6, 2-2
A win against Auburn last week and the Bulldogs could have moved up. Mississippi State split last week with a win at Ole Miss followed by a home loss to Auburn. The Bulldogs win on the road was a big one, but they blew a golden opportunity against Auburn. Tied with just over a minute to play, the Mississippi State defense gave up two three-pointers and the offense was unable to match that. The Bulldogs go out of conference for a date with Jacksonville State on Wednesday before traveling to Arkansas for a big conference game against the Razorbacks.
Last Week: 8th
9. Georgia 8-8, 1-3
With a big win over Alabama, the Bulldogs proved they have a decent team. Now, they must gain consistency. Georgia split last week with a 20-point loss to Arkansas followed by a 16-point win over Alabama. The Bulldogs have yet to show any consistency this season which isnt a good thing for Jim Harrick, but could also spell trouble for some of the top teams in the SEC. If Georgia brings its best game, it could give anyone in the league a scare. With games at LSU and at home against South Carolina this week, the Bulldogs will most likely split again. Their 1-4 road record on the season is not a good sign for a team heading into Baton Rouge, but they should be able to knock off the Gamecocks in Athens.
Last Week: 12th
10. South Carolina 9-7, 1-2
Depite nearly stunning Syracuse last week, the Gamecocks fell back to earth with a 16-point home loss to Kentucky. This week doesnt look to be any easier as South Carolina must travel to Auburn and Georgia. There conference worst scoring offense wont have a chance against the best defense in the SEC at Auburn, but the Gamecocks could get a big road win if they play well on Saturday at Georgia.
Last Week: 9th
11. Alabama 8-7, 1-2
Playing only one game last week, the Crimson Tide was drilled on the road at Georgia 75-59. Scoring only 59 points against the SECs worst defense is not a good sign for Mark Gottfried and his team. Alabama will host Arkansas and Florida this week and needs to win one to keep hopes of a post season bid alive. But, it wont be easy as the Tide will have their hands full with Arkansas and have a very small chance against the Gators.
Last Week: 7th
12. Ole Miss 12-5, 0-4
Having lost four in a row, Ole Miss is team in desperate need of a victory. However, dont look for the Rebels to find that win this week as play at Kentucky and then host Auburn. If they want to pull off an upset this week, they must play better than their 98-60 showing at Kentucky last Saturday.
Last Week: 11th