Lovell’s Notebook: SEC continues its rise with challenge win over Big 12

By
Blake Lovell
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The SEC won its first ever challenge against the Big 12 on Saturday, and that sound you hear is people jumping on the league’s bandwagon.

Of course, winning the challenge didn’t tell us anything that we didn’t already know.

All season long, the SEC has been worthy of being in the discussion for the best conference in America. And even if you want to argue in favor of another conference, you’d be hard-pressed to find another conference that’s as competitive from top to bottom.

Auburn’s big win over LSU was only the third SEC game this season (out of 56) that has been decided by more than 19 points, with nearly 50 percent of conference games decided by seven points or less.

The depth in the SEC is real, and it’s spectacular.

Let’s dive into today’s notebook.

– The SEC’s best team didn’t take part in the challenge, and instead, it spent its Saturday showcasing why it is indeed the class of the conference. Auburn put on one of its most dominant performances of the season in a 25-point win over LSU, which sent Bruce Pearl‘s team to 19-2 overall on the season. I don’t value polls a lot since the overall method has its flaws, but Auburn looks like one of the 10 best teams in the country. So, for those that still use “weak” non-conference schedule argument as a reason for not buying this team as a contender, it may be time to focus your energy elsewhere.

– Entering Saturday’s action, I thought there was a good chance Kentucky would get beat by double digits at West Virginia. But instead, the Wildcats scored what may turn out to be a season-altering victory after trailing by 17 in the second half. Kentucky showed a toughness down the stretch that we haven’t seen from this particular squad, and Kevin Knox‘s 34-point performance was simply a joy to watch. And in case people forgot: John Calipari is a pretty good coach.

– Alabama’s win over Oklahoma surprised a lot of people, but maybe it shouldn’t have. When the Crimson Tide move the ball and commit on the defensive end of the floor, they can beat anyone in the country. There was little standing and watching on offense, and that resulted in a more free-flowing attack with many players getting in on the action. Alabama had six players finish with at least eight points, and that’s the type of balance that makes this team very dangerous.

– When Florida’s top four offensive weapons all score in double figures, it’s tough to beat take down Mike White‘s squad. Baylor ran into that problem, as Chris Chiozza, Jalen Hudson, Egor Koulechov, and KeVaughn Allen all hit that mark in helping the Gators go 14 of 25 from 3-point range. This was the type of performance you wanted to see from Florida after suffering the home loss earlier in the week to South Carolina, and I still buy the Gators as a potential Final Four team if the consistency is there.

– For those that weren’t aware: Hilton Coliseum is a difficult place to play. But apparently Tennessee didn’t get the memo, as the Vols went in and handed Iowa State a 23-point loss. The victory marked Tennessee’s seventh win away from home this season, which is wildly impressive when you consider that this team is ranked 263rd nationally in experience. There are some SEC teams that are hard to trust, but the Vols aren’t one of them.

– It’s easy for Vanderbilt fans to want to hit the fast forward button and zoom ahead to next season. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that replacing Jeff Roberson and Riley LaChance will not be a simply task. The two seniors fueled the Commodores’ surprising victory over TCU, as they combined for 44 of the team’s 81 points and shot 17 of 26 from the field. But what’s been just as impressive from these two is their continued determination and leadership. These two have led by example, and they’ve been the model seniors during what’s been a challenging season in Nashville.

– Arkansas may not be blowing people out these days, but what the Razorbacks are doing is winning close games. Saturday’s victory over Oklahoma State was Arkansas’s third straight win, with all three of those coming by four points or less. What has really helped this team turn the corner is the added production around the big three, but three straight 20+ point games from Daryl Macon has certainly been a huge boost as well.

– Where do we go from here with Texas A&M? Losing at Kansas is never considered a bad loss, and the Aggies still sit in the top 40 of the RPI despite losing seven of their last nine games. This no longer looks like a team on a mission, and that lack of a sense of urgency has landed this team in a danger zone. The problem is, things don’t get any easier from here, as Texas A&M’s next six games look like this: vs. Arkansas, vs. South Carolina, at Auburn, vs. Kentucky, at Missouri, at Arkansas.

– South Carolina came up short in its challenge game against Texas Tech, and the Gamecocks ran into a couple problems in trying to pick up the win. For starters, Keenan Evans was spectacular with a 31-point effort. And then there was South Carolina’s struggles from 3-point land, as the home team shot just 5 of 26 from beyond the arc after hitting 10 or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games. But even when the Gamecocks run into these types of problems on offense, this is still a team that will have a chance to win games due to its toughness and physicality on defense.

– Georgia and Ole Miss suffered road losses in the challenge, continuing theme of both teams’ issues away from home. The Bulldogs have gone 1-5 on the road since a December 2 win at Marquette, while the Rebels remain winless in true road games this season. Georgia is obviously closer to an NCAA Tournament berth at this point, and the Bulldogs are gonna need to get back on track away from Stegeman Coliseum to feel good about their chances. After hosting Florida on Tuesday, the Bulldogs will go to Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, with both being winnable games.

– Mississippi State kept rolling right along at home, with the Bulldogs sending Mizzou to its fifth loss in its last seven games. This particular loss would keep the Tigers out of the NCAA Tournament if it started today, but the positive is that it doesn’t. Mizzou will have two big-time quality win chances coming up this week when it travels to Alabama and hosts Kentucky. As for Mississippi State, the Bullodgs have been their usual selves at home, but will need to turn things around on the road to find their way into the discussion.

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