Each team’s depth in talent is one of many reasons why the SEC pushes for the highest number of NCAA participants in college basketball history.
Throughout this column, I’ll pick my first and second SEC squads, as of now, and these players’ contributions in Saturday’s action.
No. 1 Auburn won the first SEC matchup between No.1 and No. 2 teams as the Tigers took a 94-85 win over No. 2 Alabama in Coleman Coliseum. It was Auburn’s record-setting seventh SEC road win of the season.
The Tigers held the Crimson Tide to 5-of-26 from the three-point line, where Alabama usually makes 10 per game (10th/CBB). Auburn also held the Tide to 39.6 percent from the field, while Alabama found its usual 70 field goal attempts.
First-teamer Johni Broome recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as he once again hovered around a triple-double.
Broome, who is clearly the National Player of the Year, turned his already-injured left ankle on a layup with about seven minutes remaining. He came back into the game as Chad Baker-Mazara and Dylan Cardwell had already fouled out while Broome led six Tigers in double figures.
Baker-Mazara, who should be at least second-team All-SEC, and Cardwell excel as leaders with their energy combined with output in each game. He and freshman Tahaad Pettiford made a pair of threes to give Auburn a 75-68 lead after Alabama tied the game twice.
Denver Jones scored 15 points, had three triples, and played super defense against talented Alabama guard Mark Sears.
“He made catches tough, stayed down,” said Auburn’s Bruce Pearl. “How do you stay in front of Mark Sears? Hardly anyone can. Denver Jones did.”
Pearl became the first coach in college basketball history to take two different No.1 teams into games against the team which was No. 2 and win both of those. He led Tennessee past Memphis in 2009, as the other win.
“They did a great job on the offensive end trying to take away our threes,” said coach Nate Oats. “We didn’t shoot it very well. They contested them. They did a good job contesting our shots at the rim, too.”
Alabama out-rebounded Auburn, 49-40, and the two teams tied with 52 points each in the second half.
Sears, a first-team performer, leads the Tide in scoring and is one of the top playmakers in the college game. Auburn’s defense held Sears to 4-of-17 and 2-of-11 from three. He played 31 minutes, but was able to get to the line, bottoming 8-of-11 free throws.
No. 3 Florida has been hit with injuries, as have Auburn and Alabama, but depth is a tremendous factor with these three teams.
The Gators held South Carolina to five free throws in an 11:30 period after they trailed the Gamecocks, 29-28 with 8:14 remaining in the first. Will Richards’ jumper ended the 21-5 sprint and gave Florida a 49-24 lead with 16:38 left.
“In the beginning of the second half, we got off to that good run where we had some clean rebounds, and we had some transition opportunities,” said head coach Todd Golden. “I think that’s, you know, the moment in any game for this team where we can really get going is when we really dig down and guard.”
With second-team forward Alex Condon and Sam Alexis out in the post, forward Thomas Haugh once again rose where he scored 20 points with six rebounds and three assists. He flanked guard Denzel Aberdeen who led Florida with 22 points and made five threes as both players had potentially their best games as Gators.
Center Micah Handlogten was finally able to return after recuperating a broken leg which occurred against Auburn in the SEC Championship Game last March. He scored on a move into the middle and posted five assists and grabbed three boards in 20 minutes.
Guard Alijah Martin returned from a hip injury and scored 11 points with three assists.
First-teamer Walter Clayton, back from an ankle injury, had 10 points and eight assists in 30 minutes. He was a facilitator who could set up the offense or swing the ball as the Gators shot 60 percent from the floor while making 14-of-28 three-pointers.
Condon is the go-to guy in the post with his transient abilities and injured his ankle in the first minute of the Gators’ win over Mississippi State on Tuesday. Going into the game, he was 14-of-21 from the floor in two wins over Auburn and Vanderbilt. He also garnered 19 boards and averaged 18 points in the two games before his injury.
Zakai Zeigler, first-team guard, scored 22 points and had eight assists as Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt, 81-76. The Vols trailed by as many as 16 before Zeigler took the game over in the first part of the second half where he scored 12 points in the first 11:03 and gave Tennessee it’s first lead at 57-55 on a triple with 8:57 to play.
Tennessee made 29-of-52 shots and Chaz Lanier followed Zeigler with 21 points.
Vandy scored 12 triples against the vaunted Vols defense, as the Commodores shot 46 percent from the floor.
First-teamer Mark Mitchell and second-teamer Tamar Bates have led Missouri into a position where the Tigers post as a 3-seed.
The two combined for 27 points in the Tigers’ 87-74 win over Georgia. Bates made three triples, while Mitchell made 6-of-10 shots from the floor.
Missouri is a deep team that is known for its three-ball and ability to score in the open court. The Tigers have taken nine more free throw attempts than their opponents and force 10 steals per night.
Wade Taylor, III, is the fourth player on the second-team All-SEC team, leading the 2-seed Aggies at 15.1 points while distributing 4.5 assists. Taylor is an experienced quarterback on the basketball court with his playmaking skills.
He is also a streak shooter/scorer who gets to the basket with his quickness or nails the three-ball. The Aggies continue to run under the radar while Taylor is the focal point of most game plans.
Vanderbilt scorer Jason Edwards rounds out second-team with his 17.6 points which leads Commodores scoring. Edwards can invent with the ball in his hands and he posted 24 points in 26 minutes as he led Vanderbilt in a competitive loss at Tennessee.
Texas guard Tre Johnson posts the Newcomer of the Year in the league. He leads the conference in scoring with 19.8 points, while he shoots 37.3 percent from three.
The Longhorns sit as a No. 6 seed after trimming Kentucky behind 32 points in 36 minutes by Johnson. Tramon Mark flourished in the backcourt where he netted 26, while the Longhorns scored 21 points off of 15 Wildcats’ turnovers.
So, let’s review.
ALL-SEC, FIRST TEAM: Johni Broome, F, Auburn; Walter Clayton, G, Florida; Mark Sears, G, Alabama; Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee; Mark Mitchell, F, Missouri.
ALL-SEC, SECOND TEAM: Tamar Bates, G, Missouri; Chad Baker-Mazara, G, Auburn; Jason Edwards, G, Vanderbilt; Wade Taylor, IV, G, Texas A&M; Alex Condon, F, Florida.
This week’s NCAA Tournament seeding profile: 1-seeds: Auburn, Alabama, Florida; 2-seeds – Tennessee, Texas A&M; 3-seed: Missouri; 5-seed: Kentucky; 6-seed: Mississippi State; 7-seeds: Vanderbilt, Ole Miss; 8-seed: Texas; 11-seed: Oklahoma; Last Four in: Arkansas, Georgia.
