Big East/SEC Challenge Wish List

The SEC and Big East announced today a two-year agreement to play one another in an annual challenge.  This follows on the heels of back-to-back seasons in which a mini-version of this challenge existed, in which four teams from each conference competed for the challenge bragging rights.  There was enough momentum from this subsample for the conferences to agree on including all members in the SEC (12 teams) against twelve (out of 16) teams from the Big East.  The twelve teams from the Big East will be chosen at a later date.

The fact that we still don’t know which Big East teams will compete makes for a great opportunity to blog.  As with any challenge it’s all about the matchups.  You have to select matchups that will ultimately be competitive but also have as much marketability as possible in order to draw the highest ratings.  I put pen to pad tonight and did my best to break down the matchups I would want to see and some logic behind the choice.  Below is my personal wish list.  The conferences are free to use this in their decision making.

Kentucky vs Syracuse

Hype factors:  Both are perennial power basketball schools; the teams met in the 1996 Championship game; they almost never meet adding to the sexy matchup factor; perhaps most importantly they are #1 or #2 in annual home attendance every year, something the announcers can hype up until you vomit; the famed Syracuse 2-3 zone defense against the Dribble Drive Motion Offense of Kentucky.

Tennessee vs Connecticut

Hype factors: I went with this matchup mainly because Tennessee has already played Pittsburgh and Villanova this year, so I feel like there’s some process of elimination here.  Next year’s matchup should have new blood.  Now that UConn has rebounded from last year’s disappointing campaign this matchup oozes excitement.  Tennessee continues to be a giant-killer with wins over several Top 10 teams in recent years.  Lets throw the Vols another chance to add a feather to the hat.

Florida vs Louisville

Hype factors:  Lock this up.  Done deal.  Ricky P vs Billy D.  Mentor vs Pupil.  Championship winning coaches.  This is long overdue.  Marketing dream.

Vanderbilt vs West Virginia

Hype factors: This is a coaching decision for me.  I appreciate what Stallings and Huggins get out of their players.  The Mountaineers stifling defense pitted against Vanderbilt’s persistent offense.  I really think this could be the best matchup of the entire challenge.  Both coaches are gracious competitors and I think they would provide a great scene for college basketball fans.

SEC East Power Rankings

If you pay any attention to college basketball then you are surely aware of how ultra-competitive the SEC East has become in recent years.  A division that was once Kentucky’s birthright has now become a division of an arms race to win championships.  Florida struck first when Billy Donovan’s teams cut the nets down in 2005 and 2006.  Tennessee struck next in hiring Bruce Pearl, who has proven time and time again since 2007 that the Vols will be one of the nation’s toughest outs.  Kevin Stallings’ Vanderbilt teams are as well coached as any in the nation, leading to unprecedented consistent success by the Commodores in post-season games.  And the old guard, Kentucky, plucked the nation’s most controversial coach from Memphis in order to restore order in the SEC East.  John Calipari did just that in year one at Kentucky last year, thanks in part to one of the greatest recruiting classes in college basketball history.

Still, even if you follow the SEC East closely, you had to be at least mildly surprised to see the most recent RPI statistics for the aforementioned teams.  In terms of Strength of Schedule (SOS) Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky are currently ranked 1, 2 and 3, respectively, in the nation.  Vanderbilt is ranked 19th.  Aggressive scheduling (oh, and winning!) has largely accounted for their current RPI ratings as well with Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida ranked 1, 4 and 6, respectively.  Vanderbilt is ranked 20th.  That’s THREE SEC East teams currently in the top 6 RPI ratings, and FOUR East teams in the Top 20.  This is a division that has been on the rise for several years–slapping conventional football wisdom in the face–which is culminating in some pretty sick national statistics in the early portion of this year’s college basketball season.

It also makes for a competitive and fun power rankings segment!

SEC East Power Rankings as of 12-12-10:

1.  Tennessee–Say what you want about Bruce Pearl’s aversion to truth-telling and the NCAA, but when it comes to his sanctuary on the court the man is getting it done.  He has reinvented Tennessee basketball with an aggressive, confident, attacking system and continues to bring in some of the better athletes around the nation.  His best trait, however, is most likely his motivational skills.  The men’s team has been on the winning end of some high profile games in recent years, including a win @ highly-ranked Memphis in 2008 and a win over #1 Kansas–without key players–last season.  This year, for an encore, Pearl’s Vols have taken down #7 Villanova and #3 Pittsburgh–both Big East contenders–in the early going.  The result thus far is a perfect 7-0 record and a spot in the #1 slot in the first edition of the power rankings.

2.  Kentucky–The Cats are not far behind the Vols, but the influx of several freshmen playing large roles has produced enough inconsistency to post two losses thus far on the season.  The good news for Kentucky is that they have managed a 7-2 record amidst a difficult schedule.  Of their nine games the Cats have played Oklahoma, Washington, Connecticut, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Indiana.  Six of nine games against power conference programs, including four against traditional power programs and/or hated rivals (UConn, UNC, ND and IU).  Calapari’s fearless approach is clearly paying off, however, as boys are turning into men.  The youthful Cats made Notre Dame’s Ben Hansbrough look like Larry Bird for one half, but rallied in the second half to play suffocating defense and pull away from the Fighting Irish.  You get the feeling watching this version of Calapari’s Cats that they are in that transitional mode of really implementing his desired offense and defense strategies.  This team has offered glimpses of greatness on both ends, but lacks the focus and consistent effort to implement it for 40 minutes.

3. Vanderbilt–This is a typical start for a Stallings Vandy club.  Very good, but not great.  They only have two losses, both by three points.  One came against a solid West Virginia team on a neutral court.  The other was an overtime loss on the road–in overtime–to #11 Missouri.  You really can’t complain about that.  Their stats across the board are outstanding.  They rank 31st in ppg, 33rd in rpg, 53rd in apg, and 39th in team field goal percentage.  Compiling that consistency against a top 20 SOS is no small feat.  This is a team that will continue to be a ridiculously tough out in Memorial Coliseum and will look to surprise on the road in conference play with a bit more consistency.  With sharp-shooter John Jenkins, they have one piece to deliver big wins this year.

4. Florida–I’ve got to be honest with you, Florida’s current played schedule doesn’t pass the “toughest in the nation” eye test.  Only two games jump out at you–Ohio State and Florida State.  But I won’t argue with the SOS assessors, as they have a lot more information than I do.  Regardless, it’s ranked #1 in the nation and the Gators have started 7-2.  I just wonder in the early going how far Florida can really go without prolific efficiency from their starting guards.  While Erving Walker is shooting at a good clip (and was last year too), he’s not a very big guard and he can easily be defended by a quicker, longer guard.  He’ll get his shots off and hit his share–he’s too good a shooter–but in crunch time can he take a game over?  Off-guard Kenny Boynton is the counter to Walker that makes their backcourt more versatile–a strong, quick guy with excellent athleticism.  So far though, I generalize his career as one in which he has settled as a jump shooter.  The problem is he didn’t shoot well but in spurts last year, and this year he’s off to a concerning start.  He’s shooting 38% overall, and a putrid 25% from three-point range.  I could analyze their front court but I truly feel a Billy Donovan system requires excellent guard play, and I question how good this year’s team can be without a significant improvement by Boynton and a Kemba Walker-like offensive contribution from Erving Walker.  One good stat the Florida team possesses is a 48.2 % team field goal percentage, good for 30th in the nation.  That suggests some good ball movement on offense, even if the long-distance shooting is not there yet.  If the 3’s start falling, look out!

5.  Georgia–I give the nod to the Bulldogs here over the Gamecocks thanks to a win over rival Georgia Tech on the road.  Georgia has started 7-2 only losing in double-overtime to a rock solid Notre Dame squad followed by a loss to a ranked Temple team.  Georgia has proven to be past disappointing losses, but without putting away the Notre Dame’s and Temple’s of the world, they remain to be noticed nationally or warrant serious consideration as a higher ranked power rankings team.  For those that predicted a breakout year from this Georgia team, the Bulldogs haven’t done anything to prove or disprove those beliefs.  Unfortunately their schedule is chalk-full of cupcakes from now until conference play begins, so gauging their competitiveness against the nation’s best will be difficult.

6.  South Carolina–The Gamecocks, impressively, are the 5th best rebounding team in the nation as of this morning.  And that includes competing against notoriously interior-tough Michigan State.  Despite that awesome stat, the Gamecocks have lost their only truly difficult test, against the Spartans.  They did, however, beat rival Clemson.  The rest of their contests have resulted in just the 90th toughest schedule in the nation, by far the worst SOS in this division. With the way the team has won rather easily against inferior competition I tend to believe that this Gamecock team is in fact dangerous, with the rebounding stat proof of a good team.  On December 18th the Gamecocks take on #2 Ohio State.  I’ll be tuning in to see how well the Gamecocks rebound against the likes of superfrosh Jared Sullinger.  The Gamecocks will certainly have their chance to impress and prove their status in the insanely competitive SEC East.

SEC East Power Rankings

Only two games left for most SEC teams in conference play.  As always Selection Sunday should be very interesting for a handful of teams hoping to hear their names called for the Big Dance.

1. Kentucky–The Cats exacted revenge on South Carolina this week before the “upset” to Tennessee in Knoxville yesterday.  Although the Cats lost, this was hardly a bad loss.  Tennessee, in the underdog role at home, plays like the Connecticut women’s team.  Also, Kentucky had a late Thursday turn around to play in a noon game Saturday–not the kind of circumstances you want walking into a death trap.  How many teams can be 19 down with 14:00 to play and come back to tie it with 2:00 remaining–on the road?  Not many.  It was a remarkable effort by the Wildcats, but not enough when Tennessee made the plays to win the game.  I see this as the proverbial “good loss” where Kentucky will use this as a wake up call.  Time to start shooting the deep ball better fellas.  By the way, I was glad to see just as many threads on messageboards making fun of the Kentucky fans that started a thread blaming the referees.  Normally, it wouldn’t be so even as most fans prefer to blame the refs for absolutely everything.  When your own coach says after the game “we had two players that were asleep out there,” you have less fouls called against you than the opponent (18 to 24), and you shoot 2-22 from 3 point range–you need to attempt to put your emotions on hold and watch the game with at least a pinch of objectivity.  Referees played a miniscule part in determining this game.

2. Vanderbilt–I’m starting to equate Vanderbilt as the SEC’s version of Syracuse.  Just without the army of bigs coming at you.  Seriously though, I think Vanderbilt is the most complete team with the best balance in this league right now.  You get consistency with Vandy.  Beal shows up and leads this team well, and they have the confident 3 point shooters that Kentucky lacks at the moment.  Ogilvy is someone that I don’t particularly care for, but he still “gets his” in this offense.  And what’s not to like about Jeffrey Taylor, the athletic wing that serves as Vandy’s Wes Johnson of Syracuse.  Call Vandy mini-Syracuse.  They can’t bring in a guy off the bench like Kris Joseph, but they play a wicked 2-3 zone like the Big Orange and they are sure to threaten the field in the NCAA tournament.

3.  Tennessee–Enter the team that could be anywhere from #1 to #4 in these power rankings.  If Tennessee could camp out on Rocky Top and play all their games they would be in business.  As is, they have suffered enough setbacks to make you question their ability to win big come tourney time.  If Tennessee is sent out to the Western bracket will they pull a no-show like they did playing @ Southern Cal this year?  I think if the Vols finish the regular season strong and either win the SEC tournament or have one those inspiring losses–like being up 12 and dominating Kentucky with 8:00 to play only to lose by a bucket at the buzzer–they will enter the NCAA tournament on a great high and a very dangerous final four sleeper.  But we just have to wait and see what this team does.  Hell, maybe they’d feel better losing their last three games and playing the tournament as a 9 seed.  Brucie knows how to play up the underdog role!

4.  Florida–I know Florida was nipped by Georgia yesterday but almost nobody escapes Athens this year with a W.  In addition, the Gators were lackluster in the first half to build a 15 pt halftime deficit only to charge back and lose by one.  I’ve been very impressed with Chandler Parsons all year.  He went from the guy who makes miraculous buzzer beaters to the do-it-all wing man that can drain 3’s on a regular basis.  In addition, I really like what Erving Walker brings to the table.  He’s fearless and he hits 3’s at a good clip.  Both 49ways and I had to disagree with an SEC coach that dismissed Walker as a guard he wouldn’t want running his team.  I totally understand the size argument, but the rest of his opinions?  I think we’ve been watching two different players.  Florida is one freakshow athlete (Corey Brewer?) away from having a much scarier, I-don’t-want-to-play-Florida type of team.

5. Georgia–In the latest edition of “who finishes next-to-last between Georgia and South Carolina?,” this decision was made easy with Georgia’s win over Florida.  I’m telling you man, you don’t want to play these Bulldogs in Stegeman.  They get all funky on you and start getting double-digit leads.  I fear for my Wildcats this week.  If you think Florida gets a big crowd turnout in Athens, wait till you see the standing room only isht when Kentucky visits.  Travis Leslie will be licking his chops to thunderdunk on someone’s head, and Patterson will be asked again to display his improved flexibility on perimeter defense by guarding talented and smooth big man Trey Thompkins.  Georgia may have caught Kentucky at a bad time–a bit grumpy coming off a loss–but if they Wildcats keep clanging long balls Georgia will pull this one out.  I suggested Mark Fox was a better coach than Kevin Stallings and 49ways completely agreed (this is not true, but it’s the only way to check and see if 49ways still reads my posts).

6.  South Carolina–Unless there is an SEC tournament miracle, the post-season Devan Downey show will have to be seen in the NIT.  IF they are invited.  After the circus called and took all of Downey’s Kentucky shots back, South Carolina hasn’t been the same team.  Maybe it was their superbowl and it felt like the team had reached the pinnacle a bit.  Or maybe it was South Carolina’s cocky student government that brought on bad karma.  Either way overcoming the loss of two starters and the obscene points per game of Downey has proven to be too much for this gritty, relentless Darrin Horn team.  When you have a guy like Downey anything can happen in the SEC tournament.  Let’s wait and see who they draw in the first round.

Vanderbilt vs Kentucky: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Vanderbilt

The Good: One word.  Defense.  49ways was dead on when he spoke of the zone we could expect Vanderbilt to utilize.  As soon as the halftime horn sounded I was floored at the defensive effort I witnessed from the Commodores.  Although Kentucky still led 27-25 at intermission, it was clear that Vanderbilt was getting the pace and halfcourt ball game that they wanted.  The traps Vandy set when the ball came into UK’s big men were often exceptional, and the helpside rotation was flawless.  Kentucky fans will likely brag about the defense of their own, but let’s be real.  If Vanderbilt is hitting open 3 pointers in that first half–and there were plenty of open shots compared to what UK was seeing–they have a nice halftime lead and the second half might have been very different.  My point: Vandy’s defense was suffocating in that first half, good enough to maintain a very healthy haftime lead if it weren’t for shooting (more on this in a minute).

The Bad: Vanderbilt’s decision making on their next to last possession.  Down 1 point, and having time to draw up a play during a timeout, Vandy took the court and looked unsure.  Beal drove the lane, getting a step on his man, but instead of taking it strong to the rack he kicked it out to the wing for John Jenkins.   On a night when Vanderbilt was 2-20 from 3 point range this was not the night to try to be a long-distance hero–especially when you’ve shot terribly all game but again, you’re only down 1!!  Jenkins threw a soft pump fake that Wall didn’t bite on, and eventually got his shot blocked and secured by Wall.  Maybe Stallings mentioned the kick out to Jenkins during the timeout.  Maybe he wanted Beal to drive the lane.  I don’t know.  Either way Beal had a look at the rim but for one reason or another kicked it out before he gave his team a high-percentage chance to win.  Bad.

The ugly:  Is there any other choice?  Vanderbilt gave Kentucky a chance to win this game in the second half by clanging more iron than a welder in the first half.  Kentucky is going to write home about playing a very good defensive game (because the stats suggest it) but in reality Vandy had great looks at threes and just did not connect.  It got so bad in the second half that normally reliable guard Brad Tinsley, coming off a screen at the top of the key, air-balled a three.  This without any real pressure to shoot quick.  How do you explain this??  As good and sound as Vanderbilt’s halfcourt defense was their 3 point shooting was equally horrendous.  Maybe they were too jacked up or maybe the length and athleticism of Kentucky, and thus the ability to close out quickly, rushed shots.  I don’t know.  But the shooting was definitely the ugly of this game.

Kentucky

The Good: Clutch play.  Again.  It’s a one-possession road game with less than a minute to play and Kentucky seems to thrive in it.  Needing a stop with only a one-point lead–in hostile territory–Wall make’s the defensive play of the game with a ridiculous, and clean, block.  To boot, he wrestles the ball away in mid-air from Jenkins, the shooter, and gets fouled trying to speed away from the scene.  The Wildcats missed several free throws in the final seconds, but the main point remains: when the game was on the line Kentucky made the plays to decide the outcome.

The Bad:  Kentucky has players that were seemingly born to fast break all day every day.  Before the rest of the nation truly grasped how terrifying Kentucky could be in that style, the Wildcats ran a few people off the court for at least segments of the game.  Since conference play started however, coaches have adjusted and fast break opportunities have been rare at best.  This has obviously forced Kentucky to handle and manage halfcourt basketball principles, and while improvement has certainly been made the Cats still have a while to go to figure it out.  Vanderbilt’s defense was scary good all game, and it forced yet another grind out low-scoring game that Kentucky had to gut out in the end.  It seems like Wall is doing his best to manage the halfcourt game, but his eyes don’t sparkle until it’s the final minutes of a game and he has no choice but to attack the basket.  All the sudden freestyle basketball takes over and half court offense takes a back seat.  If the Wildcats want to win the whole darn thing they have to embrace and get comfortable with half court basketball–because nobody is stupid enough to run up and down the court with UK.

The ugly:  Towards the end of the first half I commented that the refs were doing an excellent job, and the foul calls were even to back me up.  Eric Bledsoe, however, had to go and change that, didn’t he?  Early in the second half, for no apparent reason other than being frustrated by either the scoreboard, the pace of play, or a cheapshot by a Vandy player that nobody saw or nobody is talking about Bledsoe aggressively pushed Vandy’s Taylor while trying to create space on offense.  The shove was with both arms and to the upper chest.  At no point was either play in physical jeopardy, but it was the exact definition of “unsportsmanlike conduct” that the rulebook clearly identifies as a violation of the game.  While I do not agree with Dick Vitale that it was worthy of a flagrant foul, it was absolutely worth a foul and his bravado in Taylor’s face after the play was absolutely worth a technical foul.  I know “these kids are freshmen” but other teams have freshmen too, you know?  I know that playing aggressive is part of basketball, but those times we clap for aggressiveness usually involve great effort–such as wrestling the ball away from an opponent.  We relish those moments because they identify good character traits–effort, emotion, desire, winning attitude, etc.  That’s aggressive.  Pushing the sh*t out of somebody because things aren’t going your way is not aggressive.  It’s lame.  I hate watching it when I’m trying to root my Cats on, and I’m not going to blindly support it and look the other way just because it led to a victory.  That said, this is not a “team full of thugs” that other school’s would like to believe simply because they have some envy regarding Kentucky’ rise and the season-long spotlight.  As with most things in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle.  I want my team to play with an edge and fight hard for victory.  But I want them to leave the bush league trash talk and physical play at home.

Kentucky/Vanderbilt Preview: Two Opinions

Kentucky and Vanderbilt are set to battle in Nashville this evening and the two operators of this blog have two different gut feelings.  I have Kentucky pegged as my winner.  49ways’ gut tells him it’s Vandy.  Both of us acknowledge that either team could win by 10 or more, but the difference in our guts makes for good blog fodder.  With no real outline in mind, we give our reasonings below.

Sawdog:

I went to bed last night thinking: that my gut feeling about Kentucky winning had been reduced (Memorial Magic was starting to sink in)
I woke up this morning thinking: that the reduction in instinct had been replaced with a little more confidence in the Cats.

Reasons why Vandy could win: There are too many to list but I’ll try anyway. First, this is a home game in the nation’s quirkiest gym, where the Commodores are undefeated this season. Secondly, Vandy is experienced with several upperclassmen, not to be overlooked when a battle of this magnitude requires so much togetherness. Thirdly, Stallings is an excellent coach and I have no doubt he learned plenty from the loss to UK three weeks ago. Lastly, it might just be time for Kentucky to lose. I mean, the 95-96 Kentucky team had two losses and that is regarded as the best team in NCAA history. Let’s not kid ourselves into thinking Kentucky will finish the season with only one loss.

Reasons why my gut says Kentucky anyway: Vanderbilt came into Rupp Arena three weeks ago riding a ten game winning streak. They were a half-game ahead of Kentucky with a chance to pad their East Division lead. What proceeded was a Kentucky obliteration, where Kentucky went on cruise control the entire second half. You can flip that script and say “yeah, but Vandy is at home this time” so it’s totally different. I must admit, freshmen playing in Memorial Gym is not a great recipe for success. I just tend to think that Kentucky is psychologically ready for this game. They were tested at USC and lost. When they were tested again in a violent road atmosphere at Mississippi State (probably the highest octane crowd “The Hump” has ever seen) they came back from 7 points down with under 3 minutes to play to win in overtime. They even seemed to thrive on the crowds angst. It’s one thing to play timid on the road. It’s another to have the kind of character on your team that wants to face beast that is a rowdy road atmosphere. I think UK turned the corner psychologically, and when you combine that with the knowledge that they beat a hot Vandy team once already….well, you can see why my gut feels the way it feels.

Pick: Kentucky 75, Vanderbilt 70

49ways:

I need to get this out quickly before the game starts.  Obviously, both of these teams are very good.  They’re well-coached, and they have excellent talent.  Honestly, this game could go either way, but my money is going with Vanderbilt.  Looking at stats, anyone would go with Kentucky.  But this contest features two things way more important than stats – the Memorial Gymnasium crowd and the incredible mind of Kevin Stallings.

Why I like Vandy:  It’s no secret that Kevin Stallings is my favorite college basketball coach (well, maybe second favorite, but we’ll save that for another article).  This man knows how to get the most out of his players as he has earned their respect in such an admirable way.  He knows how to strategize and for the most part, he gets his players to execute his game plan.  And that’s where I think he will excel today.  I fully expect Stallings to implement  a game plan to exploit the Wildcat’s weaknesses.  Look for a 3-2 zone defense, and look for Vandy’s guards to not hit the offensive glass with the intention of slowing down Kentucky’s transition offense.  Offensively, I think Vandy will try to spread the floor with two things in mind: bombard Kentucky with deep balls (Kentucky struggled early in the season guarding the three) and create enough space to penetrate and get Big Blue in foul trouble.

And of course, you can’t overlook the aura of Memorial Gymnasium.  Teams simply don’t like playing there.  The benches are in quirky positions, and it gets LOUD.  Certainly, one of college basketball’s most unusual venues, and Vanderbilt takes full advantage of it as they are undefeated at home this year.

Why Kentucky can win:  Because they’re freakin good, that’s why.  I still maintain that this is the most talented team in America.  They have excellent depth, superb athleticism, two big men who can control the paint, and two guards who are freakishly fast, quick and athletic.  On top of that, throw in a ridiculous coaching staff, and what you have is a team that will be well-prepared for any match up.  Notice how I said coaching staff. If you know anything about basketball, you’ll realize that it’s Rod Strickland who molds these point guards into fine NBA players (a tribute for him is coming soon).

Kentucky just needs to keep doing what is does.  Get out in transition, dump it into Cousins, defend the lane, and score lots of points!  But they have to be careful to not let the Memorial crowd get in their heads.  Play with composure.  Forget about turnovers.  Ignore the referees.  Tune out the crazy fans.  For Kentucky, this game may be more mental than physical.  How will they respond to their most hostile environment to date?

Pick: Vanderbilt 68, Kentucky 61

SEC East Power Rankings

We’re over the midway hump in conference play now, so teams that find themselves 2 or 3 games back in the standings better start reeling off the W’s. Here are the latest power rankings.

1. Kentucky–The story of Kentucky’s team hasn’t really changed.  Most of us know they are loaded with talent, and most of us understand that the talent are freshmen.  So what you get is mind-boggling turnovers followed by athletic moves that many teams can’t make.  Tennessee’s zone took DeMarcus Cousins out of his offensive game and the Cats struggled for more than 30 minutes to find a way to get some offense.  Only when Wall got loose on a couple of fast breaks late–finally–did UK put together a knockout run.  In this week’s action Kentucky did not do enough to convince me or America they are as close to their full potential as Kansas but you watch Kentucky because you understand that if it all comes together it could be frighteningly good.

2. Vanderbilt–The race for the SEC East title is shaping up to be a very good one.  Vandy sits one game back of Kentucky as I type, and has an upcoming home contest against the Cats’ to get even on the season.  Vandy’s final stretch is tough–probably tougher than any stretch of the year–but Kentucky’s seems tougher.  That is mucho gusto for Vandy and their fanbase, and it certainly gives them plenty of hope they can catch the Wildcats.  So this stretch run is compelling because it pits experience vs raw talent, Vandy vs Kentucky, Memorial Magic vs Blue Mist.  While Vandy struggled to put away a horrible LSU team yesterday, they did pummel Tennessee earlier in the week.  Not much to complain about if you’re 8-2 in league play and 1 game out of first place.

3. Tennessee–The Vols jump ahead of the Gators once again, thanks in large part to a hearty effort in Lexington for Gameday last night.  There is no doubt this team plays better when the chips are against them as evidenced by their efforts against Kansas (suspensions) and Kentucky (injuries and sickness).  Pearl got his team to play a very active zone last night that had UK’s players confused and silenced Rupp Arena.  I have never seen Pearl want a game as bad as he wanted the game last night against UK.  He was as intense as I’ve ever seen him.  At one point I thought he turned into his alter ego the Incredible Hulk, but even a highlighter orange blazer can stop a muscle building contraction in its tracks.

4. Florida–Sadly, the Xavier win in Gainesville yesterday put some perspective on the quality of the SEC this year.  It wasn’t that Xavier won–it’s the fact that they were up big in the first half and then, when challenged and tied late, still had more than enough to pull ahead and squash the Gators.  I consider this to be a setback for not only the Gators but the league as a whole.  You just can’t get punched in the face in a home game against an Atlantic 10 team at a time during the season when you should be clicking as we build towards tournament time.  Xavier impressed me big time.  I immediately put them on the list with Texas A&M of teams that are dangerous come tourney time that nobody seems to notice.

5. Georgia–I jumped Georgia ahead of South Carolina last week and they went ahead and proved me right by defeating the ‘Cocks in Athens yesterday.  I don’t have a whole lot to say even though I watched this game.  49ways will tell you that this one was a pretty good snoozer.  Leslie added another thunderdunk to his C/V, and the announcers were touting him as a more complete player–something College Courtside has noticed for quite some time now.  I will say this (and I said it yesterday to 49 ways):  I love watching this Georgia team compete.  They work very well together and play with a lot of heart.  Georgia will continue to be very tough to beat in Athens.

6. South Carolina–When you’re in 6th place in the power rankings and you lose to #5–yeah, you pretty much sit your butt back down in #6.  They did beat Florida at home before the loss to Georgia on the road, so this was a 50/50 week for USC.  This pretty much emphasizes what I wrote about both Georgia and South Carolina last week–they can win at home but they aint got the goods on the road.  So I kept UGA ahead of South Carolina because of a win in their head to head match up.

Don’t Forget About Vanderbilt

Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi State have taken the Southeastern Conference headlines during the off-season and preseason.  All three teams either return all five starters from a year ago, or picked up some unbelievable freshmen.  I think the SEC is a top 3 conference for a number of reasons.  I won’t get into all of them, but what I want talk about is the Vanderbilt Commodores.  Vanderbilt is my team to watch for the 2009-10 basketball season.

You’ve probably already heard that Vanderbilt blasted North Carolina in a closed scrimmage.  If this is true and both teams were at full strength, take heed when I say Vandy will be dancing in March.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Vandy finished as high as 2nd in the SEC, contrary to what Gary Parrish predicts.

Vanderbilt pretty much returns everyone from last year’s roster.  George Drake has graduated which means the Commodores have 92.3% of their scoring back on the hardwood.  And it gets better – they signed high-scoring guard

Vanderbilt Head Coach Kevin Stallings

John Jenkins in November 2008.  In his senior season, Jenkins scored 60, 57, and 47 points on different occasions.  Jenkins will no doubt add to Vandy’s scoring average, and from what I’m reading, Kevin Stallings has himself another dead-eye shooter.  Jermaine Beal (40.3% 3fg) and Brad Tinsley (41.1% 3fg) are the other sharp shooters.  I can only imagine what’s going through Stallings’ mind as far opening up the offense, creating low post kick-out opportunities, and flare screening opponents to death.  He’s probably begging teams to go zone against him!

I see Vanderbilt as a complete team in terms of having no question marks at any position.  If Stallings wants to go small and fill it up from downtown, he’ll use Beal, Tinsley, and Jenkins.  If he needs to go a little bigger (which he may do most of the time), he’ll turn to standout sophomore Jeffrey Taylor (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 50.2% fg) to continue his fine career at small forward.  Sophomore Lance Goulbourne can play either forward spot, and Andre Walker returns at small forward after playing only three games last year.  Steve Tchiengang, Darshawn McClellan, and Festus Ezeli all saw valuable minutes last year and should provide the man in the middle, A.J. Ogilvy, plenty of support in the paint.  Ogilvy will continue his solid play (15.4 ppg, 7.1 rpb), but I just hope he remains healthy.  Sounds like his heel issue won’t completely go away, and recently, he suffered a concussion and was held out of practice for a few days.  Vanderbilt cannot afford to miss Ogilvy for any extended period of time as he is such an important part of this program.

Vanderbilt is not team that will blow you away with talent like Villanova or Texas.  But what they will do is apply solid pressure defense with good help side principles, exploit their opponents’ weaknesses, and play within their limits and strengths.  Kevin Stallings has shown me over time that he is one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball.  And this past summer, he has shown me that the team is the most important thing, period.  Learn from him, young Jordan.  What a tremendous sacrifice he demonstrated by giving up $100,000 of his salary so his players could travel to Australia (the trip wasn’t in the school’s budget).  If that doesn’t send chills through your body….  I actually teared up when I first read about it.  What a selfless act by a true leader!  I guarantee this intangible gesture will remain in his players as they battle this season.

The Commodores first game is November 16th against Lipscomb.  They will be tested early on as they face Cincinnati, Missouri, Western Kentucky, and Illinois.