Lovell’s Notebook: Sexton shines, Kentucky’s fine, etc.

By
Blake Lovell
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It’s been a successful start to the 2017-18 season for the SEC, and there are plenty of takeaways from the action we’ve seen thus far.

And while it’s too early to know how things will look once conference play rolls around, it seems clear that the league will be just as competitive as we thought it would be.

We’ll find out more about several of these teams this week as the competition continues to pick up a bit.

Let’s dive into today’s notebook.

– I said in yesterday’s predictions post that I didn’t agree with the thought that Kansas would wipe the floor with Kentucky. Sure, the young Wildcats suffered through some bumps in the road in their first two games, but there’s still simply too much talent on the roster for this team to get blown out of the gym. And instead of the predicted blowout, what we got was Kentucky battling the Jayhawks the entire way and having opportunities to win the game. John Calipari may not have a dominant, undefeated in the SEC type of team this season, but he still going to be a very good one that no one will want to play in March.

– Collin Sexton made his long-awaited debut for Alabama last night, and he’s already showing why he can make the Crimson Tide an SEC title contender. Watching Sexton on a fast break really is a thing of beauty, and because Alabama has so much athleticism in the frontcourt and backcourt, it makes it easy for the talented young freshman to get everyone involved. He pushed the pace with a fury against Lipscomb, which will continue to make this Tide offense a must-see attraction.

– However, what wasn’t a must-see attraction was Alabama’s free-throw shooting. Avery Johnson saw his team go just 12 of 32 from the charity stripe after going 19 of 28 in the opener against Memphis. While it’s early and things like that tend to work themselves out as the season progresses, it’s at least worth noting when you consider that this team finished 322nd nationally last season in that category.

– Tennessee used a 30-0 run to score its second straight 30-plus point victory to start the season. That type of run is impressive no matter what Division I team you’re playing, and the Vols are clearly riding a lot of momentum early on. Admiral Schofield has been a huge reason for that, as he continues to show why he’s one fo the most undervalued players in the SEC. The competition picks up dramatically next week when Tennessee plays Purdue at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

– Georgia struggled a bit against USC Upstate, but here’s what the Bulldogs have that no one else does: Yante Maten. Even in games where Mark Fox‘s team is considered a significant underdog this season, the fact that Maten is on the court will give Georgia a chance to win the game. He’s posted back-to-back double-doubles to open up the season.

– Egor Koulechov had a debut for the ages in Gainesville on Monday in dropping 34 points. While I know some people are acting like this came out of nowhere and that no one has been talking about the impact this kid could have on Florida, we talked about him all offseason here at Southeast Hoops. He is absolutely the real deal and gives the Gators a second dynamic scorer to go along with KeVaughn Allen, and I still think Florida is the SEC team that’s best built for a Final Four run.

– Should Vanderbilt fans be concerned after Monday’s loss at Belmont? Yes and no. The reason for concern is that the Commodores have yet to find their identity on offense, which staff writer Robbie Weinstein wrote about in an in-depth column on Tuesday. The reason fans shouldn’t be concerned is that Belmont is a difficult place to play, and the Bruins have only lost two home games since December of 2015. It’s too early to read a ton into this loss, but it’s clear that Bryce Drew has some tweaks to make to help this team find its rhythm.

– Speaking of Drew, is he really going to land three of the Top 11 players in the 2018 class? That’s the big question, but he’s already lured in one in Darius Garland, and I’d be very surprised at this point if big man Simi Shittu doesn’t join him. As for Romeo Langford, it’s perhaps too early to tell, but I think Vandy has certainly seen its chances increase following Garland’s commitment.

– Your weekly reminder that Andy Kennedy still doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s done at Ole Miss:

https://twitter.com/OleMissMBB/status/930591338382446592

– Considering what Indiana State did to Indiana in Bloomington, Auburn’s game against the Sycamores on Thursday is very intriguing. Indiana State went a blistering 17 of 26 from beyond the arc, and while duplicating that will be nearly impossible, the Tigers haven’t exactly shown consistency in defending the perimeter. This will be the game that tells us a lot about the mindset and direction of this team going forward, especially if Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy continued to be sidelined.

– When will Michael Porter Jr. play? I have no idea, but I do know that Missouri has looked pretty good thus far even in his absence. Kassius Robertson is fitting in nicely, and the Tigers are getting good scoring balance all the way around. Thursday’s game at Utah may be challenging without Porter.

– Is the PK80 here yet? I’m ready to see how Arkansas fares in a loaded field. Mike Anderson‘s squad was the team I was most impressed by on opening weekend, and they’ll play Fresno State on Friday to tune up for next week’s PK80 opener against Oklahoma.

– Robert Williams will finally step on the court for Texas A&M on Friday, and it’s scary to think how much better that makes the Aggies after they already dominated West Virginia without him.

– Samford gets another shot at pulling an SEC road upset when it travels to LSU on Thursday. But the Tigers were tremendous in their home opener, and it’s clear that Tremont Waters can be a special player. This game will likely be a bit closer than the Bulldogs’ visit to Fayetteville on opening night.

– It might take a while to get a great grasp on what to expect from Mississippi State considering the Bulldogs don’t play a game away from home until the trip to Cincinnati on December 12. However, there are potential challenges before that against teams like Stephen F. Austin, Jacksonville State, and Dayton. Ben Howland‘s team is still young, and finding ways to win close games will be essential to being a potential NCAA Tournament team.

– South Carolina tips off against Illinois State in Puerto Rico tomorrow, and looking at the field, the Gamecocks appear to be the best team in the field. While I still have my questions about consistency and depth, Frank Martin already has this team defending at a high level, which should surprise no one.

– My new weekend college basketball radio show in Nashville is scheduled to start around the first of December. We’ll talk plenty of SEC, so you’ll want to stay tuned for more details on that.

– Want more SEC hoops discussion? Just follow me on Twitter.