STF Conference Reports: SEC 1/15

Well folks, the first week of the SEC did not disappoint. But what did we learn? Well, we learned that young Gators can be good Gators; we learned Ole Miss could very well be for real after a tough road loss in Knoxville last Tuesday; we learned that UK still has some pride and finally, we learned Auburn and LSU appear to bringing up the rear of the SEC West... at least for now.

However, did these things signify coming trends or did a team like Kentucky just happen to catch Vanderbilt on a bad day (you have no idea how weird it feels even suggesting that) when they ended the Commodores' winning streak?

Also, how good are the Gators really? Can Billy Donovan's young team keep their hot start up (15-2) or will SEC road woes catch up with them? Well, if their game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier last week was any indication, the Gators are going to be a tough team for all opponents. On with the report:

Team of the Week - Tennessee Volunteers
Bruce Pearl's team started the week with a tough match-up against Andy Kennedy and his Ole Miss Rebels, a team that began the season by going 13-0. Many people undoubtedly started the game wondering if the Rebels were for real, but after their 85-83 loss, these questions have quited.

Now with the Volunteers, their hot start seems to validate Tennessee's preseason rankings. Pearl has his team playing good basketball and with the talent they have, the Vols should be in a position to make a deep run when tournament time arrives. Besides beating Ole Miss, Tennessee traveled to South Carolina and beat them by the score of 80-56. Tennessee is currently 2-0 in SEC play. Can it continue?

Worst Team of the Week - Auburn, LSU, and South Carolina
Why three? Because all of the above teams saw the beginning of their SEC play tip-off with a roaring 0-2 start. LSU lost at Ole Miss Saturday by the score of 74-71, but their most damning result was last Tuesday when they lost to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, at home, by the score of 61-39. South Carolina had losses on the road at Vanderbilt and at home to Tennessee. Rounding out this designation is Auburn, who lost at home to Arkansas and on the road to Florida. Injuries have absolutely killed the Tigers.

Player of the Week - Nick Calathes
This week, the POW award is a little bit of a toss-up. The SEC officially selected JaJaun Smith of Tennessee and there is absolutely no argument here. Smith averaged 18 points for the Vols during last week's two-game winning streak. However, Bruce Pearl has a lot of talent at his disposal and furthermore, anytime a team relies on a freshman to help them win, especially on the road, said freshman gets the nod from me.

In two game last weeks (both wins for UF), Calathes posted averages of 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists. In the Gators' win against Alabama last Tuesday (kicking off SEC Conference play), Calathes had 21 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Games to Watch:
01/15 - Kentucky at Mississippi State (ESPN) - 9:00pm
01/16 - Florida at Ole Miss
01/17 - Vanderbilt at Tennessee (ESPN) - 7:00pm
01/19 - Mississippi State at Alabama
01/19 - Ohio State at Tennessee (CBS) - 3:30pm
01/19 - Kentucky at Florida (ESPN) - 9:00pm