Five of the first 19 teams in this week's AP Top 25 for college basketball belong to the SEC.
No. 11 Auburn is 11-1. No. 14 Tennessee is 9-2. No. 16 LSU is 12-0 and No. 3 in the NCAA NET rankings. Kentucky is No. 18, and No. 19 Alabama knocked off No. 3 Gonzaga in Seattle. This isn't just a football league.
But as conference play begins Wednesday night at various spots around the SEC, no doubt the league is paying close attention to the program that has won 49 regular season league titles and 31 conference tournaments.
Never mind that Kentucky went 9-16 overall last year and 8-8 in the SEC. Never mind that John Calipari's club was bounced in the first round of the league tournament and feasted on a candy-coated non-conference schedule to start out 2021-22.
"After we lost at Notre Dame," UK forward Jacob Toppin said Tuesday of the Cats' 66-62 loss in South Bend on Dec. 11, "Coach really emphasized the word swagger. Everyone's confidence is building off that. We found a way to translate that into the game."
Did they ever. Down went North Carolina. The Tar Heels went down hard, losing 98-69 to Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas on Dec. 18. Four days later, down went Western Kentucky. The Cats trounced the Hilltoppers 95-60 on Dec. 22 at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky looked like a totally different team in those two games. For starters, the Cats passed the ball. Twenty assists vs. North Carolina. Twenty-seven assists vs. Western Kentucky. As the passes popped, the shots dropped. UK shot 54.2 percent against North Carolina; 55.9 percent against Western Kentucky.
"They were the best team in America today," said WKU Coach Rick Stansbury after the game last Wednesday.
The SEC has some of the best teams in America, too. Despite that dark NCAA cloud hanging over his head, LSU's Will Wade can coach. The Tigers are the nation's best defensive team, according to numbers guru Ken Pomeroy. Tennessee is fresh off a win over then No. 6 Arizona in which the Vols led 22-7 after the first eight minutes. Auburn boasts one of the nation's best freshmen in Jabari Smith. Alabama boasts a terrific mix of veterans and youth. Tide freshman JD Davison has the best hair in all of college hoops.
"What's happening in this league is really special," Calipari said Tuesday.
The Cats shouldn't have much trouble with Missouri in Wednesday night's league opener at Rupp Arena. And that's not just because Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin did not make the trip after testing positive for COVID. Mizzou has been a mess so far, counting blowout losses to Florida State (81-58), Kansas (102-65) and Illinois (88-63) among its six defeats.
In his fifth season in Columbia, Martin is still looking for his first NCAA Tournament win as the Missouri coach. Mizzou fans are no doubt concerned about the state of the basketball program. But Martin is a proven coach who won at Tennessee (63-41 in three seasons) and California (62-39 in three seasons). He also has a Top 50 commit for next season in 6-foot-8 forward Aidan Shaw out of Stilwell, Kansas.
This year, the Tigers got caught in between. Dru Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon are in the G League. Mitchell Smith is playing overseas. Xavier Pinson transferred to LSU. Mark Smith transferred to Kansas State. So far, their replacements haven't had the same impact.
It's a different story at Kentucky, where transfers Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia), Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia) and Kellan Grady (Davidson) have combined with a freshman, TyTy Washington, and a veteran, Keion Brooks, to turn the program's fortunes around. In a hurry.
Time will tell, but this looks like the makings of a very good Kentucky basketball team ready to prove its wares in a very good league
Said Washington on Tuesday, "Every night is going to be a really good game and anybody can beat anybody. So you've got to stay sharp and stay on your A-game."
