Skimming scores at halftime last night, I had a sense the SEC was going to endure Too Close Tuesday.
LSU only led by four.Kentuckyonly led UT-Arlington by nine. Bama ledGeorgiaStateby eight. OnlyMississippiState,Auburnand Texas A&M had double-digit leads trotting to the locker room.
Perhaps NorthwesternState’s second-half blitz of Auburnlingered too long. Or maybe it was watching LSU’s malaise-ridden victory against UNO. There’s still this nagging sense that when the conference’s middle class and paupers take the hardwood, nothing is certain.
I tend to hew, though, to a case laid out by ESPN’s Eammon Brennan: November and December have their own bear traps that can be hidden. And for a conference as top-heavy as the SEC, that needs to be stated constantly.
But I heard a salient point made after LSU wrapped up: Imagine if the game was 30 minutes.
- Butler 57, Vanderbilt 43
- Kentucky 71, UT-Arlington 49
- TexasA&M 54, Prairie View A&M 38
- Alabama 59, Georgia State 38
- Auburn 58, Jacksonville State 32
- Mississippi State 64, MVSU 52
- LSU 55, UNO 43
Now, Vanderbilt rallied to force overtime. UKdid what it was supposed to do. Yet A&M, State and LSU took until the final 10 minutes to finally blow open games against a trio of foes sitting No. 325 or worse in KenPom’s ratings.
Should we chalk that up to a lack of focus against lackluster foes? Is it something more? Or am I simply groping for too many insights too early? I can’t be certain. And with that, on to your links.
Alabama
- Guard Rein Obasohan’s scored 18 points, but his four steals and three blocks showed his hustle. Bama needed them in its 75-58 victory afterGeorgiaState narrowed the lead to two.
Auburn
- After NorthwesternStateburied them with three-pointers, the Tigers’ almost-exclusive focus paid off in a victory overJacksonvilleState.
- Auburn forward Chris Griffin, a junior college transfer, is taking an indefinite leave to deal with a “family situation,” the program said before Tuesday’s game.
Florida
- The Gators got good news about freshman point guard Kasey Hill, who went down with an ankle injury Monday against Southern.
Kentucky
- Freshman James Young pumped in 26 points, including five three-pointers, against Texas-Arlington and atoned for a poor shooting night versus Robert Morris.
- A scary notion: UKisn’t flexing all its muscles right now, the Herald-Leader’s John Clay writes.
- Specifically, coach John Calipari wasn’t happy with the Cats’ efforts on the glass in the first half.
Mississippi State
- Gavin Ware put together an efficient night as the Bulldogs rolled over an in-state foe inMississippiValleyState.
Missouri
- The Columbia Daily Tribune’s Steve Walentik writes the SEC is still having trouble shaking its national perception.
Texas A&M
- Yes, the Aggies got by Prairie View A&M, but they looked merely average. What could help? Getting suspended guard J-Mychal Reese back in the fold.
Vanderbilt
- Vandy couldn’t escape Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse with an overtime victory. The reason: The Bulldogs’ Khyle Marshall.
Miscellaneous, potpourri, lagniappe, etc.
- OklahomaStateguard Marcus Smart, lost in the shuffle amid an influx of talented freshman, reminded folks of his impressive skills in the No. 7 Cowboys’ rout of 11th-rankedMemphis.
- CBS’ Jeff Borzello writes Smart set the tone for a night that was all about veterans around college basketball.
- It seems as if Syracusealmost contracted a case of SEC Basketball Fever in an ugly, late victory over St. Francis (N.Y.).
- Seton Hall (yes, the Pirates) have some momentum coming off an elite recruiting class and head to Brooklyn this week to see if it’s simply a fever dream.
- And don’t feel bad SEC fans, at least Mike Slive didn’t call his collection of programs the strongest group ever assembled and see it slip to the 10th in the RPI. Nope. ACC commish did it. And his league hasn’t backed up the boast, The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes writes.
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