Even SEC soccer is jealous of what SEC basketball is doing presently.
The league went 14-1 this weekend and has been so dominant that you simply’re going to listen to a bundle of “The SEC is the first league to (fill in the blank)” for the nearest few months. My Supremacy 25 poll this hour comprises 10 SEC groups, with 5 within the height 10. 3 others — Missouri, Arkansas and Texas — have arguments to be incorporated. Simply going via the numbers, Auburn may well be the most productive group at this level of the season within the utmost decade. (Extra at the Tigers under.)
Keep in mind all of that preseason speak about what number of Fat 12 groups had been within the height 10 and the way ridiculously excellent that league was once committing to be? Neatly, the SEC is strolling the journey.
That is committing to be one amusing league race to look at.
Reminder: Beneath my Supremacy 25, I give nuggets on an unspecified choice of groups every hour. So when a group seems within the desk however no longer within the textual content under, that’s why. Scroll on for notes on Auburn, Tennessee, Iowa Surrounding, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, Texas A&M and Dayton.
1. Auburn
How excellent has Auburn been? Then working up to now Supremacy 25 Ohio Surrounding off the ground in a 91-53 win in Atlanta on Saturday, Auburn now has an potency margin of 35.01 at KenPom. KenPom has this amusing sorting software that permits you to see the rankings at any level within the season courting again to the 2011-12 season. Seems, Auburn is his database’s ideal group on Dec. 15 within the utmost 14 seasons — via a bundle.
Now, you’ll understand that the most productive group at this level in future doesn’t at all times win the nationwide championship. 3 of the utmost 14 groups that had been Disagree. 1 on Dec. 15 went directly to win all of it: 2011-12 Kentucky, 2017-18 Villanova and 2022-23 UConn. What we will think is that Auburn is most definitely committing to have a Disagree. 1 seed; 2016-17 Duke is the one group with a plus-30 potency margin at this snapshot in future that didn’t finally end up a Disagree. 1 seed.
You’ll additionally understand this era’s Tennessee and Duke groups also are on this top-10, which is otherwise of claiming that during almost about any alternative era, the ones groups can be Disagree. 1 at this level.
So, Auburn has been truly, truly, ridiculously excellent this season. I’m no longer committing to argue in opposition to somebody score Tennessee Disagree. 1, particularly upcoming the Vols gained at Illinois on Saturday. However the Tigers were traditionally dominant up to now.
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2. Tennessee
The Vols began to alike the resume hole with Auburn in a 66-64 win over the Illini in Champaign. (The only factor Auburn is lacking is an notable street win. Technically, beating Houston in Houston didn’t rely since the match was once performed on the Rockets’ enviornment.)
Tennessee confirmed the price of a robust bench in its win at Illinois. Its ideal two avid gamers, Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, each fouled out. Zeigler slightly performed the second one part. Inauguration heart Felix Okpara was once additionally restricted to 9 mins on account of foul hassle, and he simply didn’t truly are compatible on this match. The Vols nonetheless discovered some way, most commonly as a result of 6th guy Jordan Gainey stepped as much as ranking 23 issues, together with the buzzer-beating match winner.
[Fran Fraschilla voice] A lesson for younger guards: Be capable to power both course. Gainey has had 12 drives to the bucket this season — seven to the precise, 5 to the left — and has now transformed 4 out of the 5 instances he’s long gone left. This play games was once going to permit him to advance both course. The Vols positioned Cade Phillips close the height of the important thing and had him effort to i’m ready a butt display. He didn’t build any touch, nevertheless it was once simply some other impediment for the protection. Illinois was once in a difficult spot from the beginning, with Gainey getting a working get started and Kasparas Jakucionis backpedaling and ultimately opening his hips when Gainey accident him with an in-and-out dribble.
Preferably, Illini weighty guy Tomislav Ivisic would have attempted to duel this shot, however he blocked to field out Phillips, who is without doubt one of the ideal offensive rebounders within the nation. If the Illini had it to do all over again, Kylan Boswell most definitely would have plugged that hole since he’s guarding Jahmai Mashack, whom the Illini cheated off all evening. It’s dry to build the ones fast selections in any such stressful atmosphere, and credit score to the Vols for understanding precisely what they sought after and executing it. That’s why you follow particular statuses. (Additionally, credit score to Rick Barnes for the play games name, one he got from legendary high school coach Morgan Wootten.)
Iowa Surrounding’s offense continues to hum alongside as one of the crucial ideal in faculty basketball, which isn’t one thing maximum had at the preseason bingo card. One weighty spice up to the Cyclones has been the passing of energy ahead Joshua Jefferson, who had a season-high seven assists to advance together with 19 issues and 10 rebounds in a 89-80 comeback win over Iowa on Thursday.
Jefferson is any such excellent passer as a result of he remains composed in site visitors and understands passing angles. Iowa was once doubling the submit, and Jefferson was once welcoming that double. Supervise how he is taking a large step to his left to drag the second one defender additional up the ground and build a greater perspective to feed Dishon Jackson.
This inbound is an instance of a busy condition that needed to advance off-script. This appeared find it irresistible was once designed to advance to Jefferson, however he wasn’t ready to get it as simply as a result of Drew Thelwell (Disagree. 3) was once no longer the place you’d be expecting him to be. Jefferson discovered Iowa’s protection was once misaligned, appeared center to evaluate and nearest made the skip go to Nate Heise.
Jefferson at all times has admirable consciousness of the place the backup is coming from. This was once a intriguing and well timed scale down from Heise, as neatly.
This ultimate Jefferson help iced the sport for the Cyclones. Iowa’s Josh Dix noticed the trim roll manufacture and got here ailing from above the 3-point layout to tag Jefferson. Once more, Jefferson frivolously assessed the ground, discovered the place Dix got here from and were given Curtis Jones a wide-open glance:
Florida is the top-10 group you want to most simply argue in opposition to as a result of its agenda doesn’t evaluate to the others on this area. However the Gators were dominant enough quantity to justify their placement, off to a 10-0 get started with each win via double-digits, and they have got a celebrity rising in Walter Clayton. Averaging 23 issues over the utmost 4 video games, Clayton is without doubt one of the scariest quantity scorers within the nation as a result of he can blast with area and get it off briefly. All through that four-game stretch, he has made 19 of 47 from 3-point area. Getting off 47 3s in 4 video games and knocking them ailing at higher than a 40 % clip is an notable feat.
A notice to year combatants: Don’t play games a 1-3-1 zone when Clayton is within the match. Arizona Surrounding attempted that two times on Saturday. This took place the primary future:
And this took place the second one future:
Clayton, via himself, is a zone buster.
6. Kentucky
Kentucky level defend Lamont Butler is arguably the group’s maximum noteceable participant since the Wildcats play games quicker when he’s at the ground. This can be a group that flourishes in transition: Kentucky scored 28 issues on 14 transition alternatives in opposition to Louisville and is now scoring 1.32 issues in keeping with transition alternative, which is third-best within the nation (in keeping with Synergy).
Butler is admirable at pitching it forward, and he places force at the protection together with his pace, getting fast paint touches like this one who normally result in a very simple bucket.
With Butler at the ground, Kentucky has an efficient farmland objective proportion of 61.1 %, in keeping with CBB Analytics. That’s upper than any eFG proportion within the historical past of KenPom, which dates again to 1997. In alternative phrases, Kentucky is a traditionally admirable offense with Butler at the ground.
Kansas gave the impression of Kansas once more in its win over NC Surrounding on Saturday. And if there’s a key to KU having a look top-10 excellent in comparison to no matter it was once in opposition to Creighton and Missouri, it’s Dajuan Harris Jr. and Zeke Mayo enjoying with self belief and making photographs. Groups are normally prepared to let Harris blast, however the scouting document has been to effort to remove Mayo. The Jayhawks wish to to find techniques to get the South Dakota Surrounding switch 3-point appears as a result of in video games when he has tried 5 or extra 3s — which has took place in opposition to NC Surrounding, Furman, Oakland, North Carolina and Howard — he has shot a cast 15 of 36 from 3 and KU has an potency of 123.3 in the ones video games. That’d be the sixth-best offense in faculty hoops.
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13. UConn
Seems the Huskies weren’t cooked. They now have 3 consecutive wins over top-40 KenPom groups (Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga), and that unwanted is Supremacy 25 valuable. UConn is one in every of seven groups with no less than 3 height 40 wins, becoming a member of Auburn (5 wins), Marquette (4), Alabama (3), Kansas (3), Texas A&M (3) and Purdue (3).
Because the generation upcoming the Maui Invitational, UConn is the fifth-best group in faculty basketball, in keeping with barttorvik.com. The agenda may additionally permit for the Huskies to retain hiking within the ratings over the nearest month-plus. They’re going to most likely be appreciated of their nearest 10 video games. Credit score to Dan Hurley and his avid gamers for turning issues round so briefly. That Hurley swagger seems to be again.
14. Texas A&M
Nobody in faculty basketball is best throughout the only or two seconds {that a} shot is within the wind than Texas A&M. The Aggies, who’re the most productive offensive rebounding group within the nation, will have to be the having a bet favourite to stay in that spot all season. Supervise their aim when the shot is within the wind:
Solomon Washington went about 40 toes to chase that board ailing, and even supposing the Aggies didn’t finally end up scoring, they took 45 seconds off that clock in that one ownership, necessarily icing the sport. Regardless of the place that ball bounced, the Aggies had any person in place to clutch it. Whether or not it’s high-pointing a ball within the wind or chasing ailing an extended rebound, Buzz Williams has guys with the athleticism and need to advance get it.
Anthony Handover has had some admirable offensive groups at Dayton, however normally it’s the capturing that’s the separator. This team is excellent in that division — score twenty fourth in efficient farmland objective proportion — however those Flyers take charge of the basketball higher than any of his earlier groups. They’re turning it over on best 13.1 % in their possessions, and their aversion to surrenders helped them knock off Marquette on Saturday. Best 3 groups have had a submit fee beneath 20 % in opposition to the Yellowish Eagles this season. Dayton had the bottom (11.3), and Marquette is now 1-2 in the ones video games.
Dropped out: Clemson, Wisconsin, Penn Surrounding.
Preserving an vision on: Memphis, Utah Surrounding, Drake, San Diego Surrounding, St. John’s, West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati.
(Picture: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Pictures)
