1. (LW-1) #3 Kentucky 9-1 (defeated Chattanooga 87-62): Easy week for the Wildcats as they jumped out to a 13-0 lead against Chattanooga and never looked back. Marquis Teague is starting to excel in his role as Kentucky point guard and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be the best player on roster. Terrence Jone’s hand problem is troubling, but he won’t be needed this week. THIS WEEK: 12/20 vs Samford, 12/22 vs Loyola MD
"#8 Missouri 11-0 (defeated Kennesaw State 104-67, defeated William and Mary 94-56) Yea, I know. Missouri has one of the softest schedules, but they are flat out waxing people and have not been tested yet. That should all change this week and we can see what Mizzou is made of. Marcus Denmon is putting up gaudy numbers this year. THIS WEEK: 12/22 vs #19 Illinois"
2. (LW-3) #13 Florida 8-2 (defeated #25 Texas A&M 84-64): I am actually becoming a believer of Florida now after they totally dismantle Texas A&M. When you look at Florida’s roster, they look soft in the front court, but is the 19th best rebounding team in the country. They are getting it done. Aside from Kentucky, the Gators are the most athletic team in the SEC. THIS WEEK: 12/19 vs Mississippi Valley State, 12/22 vs FSU
3. (LW-2) #16 Mississippi State 11-1 (defeated Florida Atlantic 75-68, defeated Detroit 80-75): Have to admit that I am not that impressed with the 7 point win over 4-6 FAU. Keep in mind, MSU won with Brian Bryant still on suspension and Arnett Moultrie out with knee tendonitis. However both players were on the court for the 5 point win over Detroit. Not a good week for the Bulldogs even with two wins. THIS WEEK: 12/22 vs Northwestern State
4. (LW-4) Mississippi 9-2 (defeated Louisiana Lafayette 66-54, lost to Southern Mississippi 86-82): The Rebels get a break this week as everyone around them lost this week as well. They lost on the road by four to a 8-2 Southern Miss team. I’m not going to be that brutal about that loss. I still think this team is playing over their heads now, but you can not complain about 9-2. THIS WEEK: 12/21 vs MTSU
5. (LW-7) LSU 7-3 (defeated UC Irvine 66-59): The Tigers are another team that are taking advantage of an early cupcake schedule. They have won six out of seven and have held their last four opponents under 60 points. Scoring is at a premium for this team though and I have a feeling reality is about to set in. THIS WEEK: 12/19 vs #11 Marquette, 12/22 vs North Texas
"#25 Texas A&M (lost to #13 Florida 84-64): The Aggies were down 25 at the half to the Gators and I got the feeling this could have been an even bigger blowout. The Aggies are not a good scoring team and their defense is going to get exposed by teams with athletic guards. THIS WEEK: 12/22 vs Rice"
6. (LW – 5) #21 Alabama (defeated Detroit 62-54, lost to Kansas State 71-58): It’s a slow steady fall from grace for Alabama who has lost three of four and not one of those games were to a ranked team. Kansas State is 7-1 on the year, but it is troubling that Alabama can’t beat teams it should. They are not a good scoring team and they seem to have lost their defensive intensity from last year. Not a good combination. THIS WEEK: 12/21 vs Oklahoma State
7. (LW – 9) Auburn 6-1 (defeated South Florida 52-40, defeated North Florida 84-71): With their tour of Florida directional schools over, the Tigers are looking good with a couple of double-digit wins and a 6-1 record. Are they peaking in December? Probably. But they are putting away teams that have beaten them the last couple of years and we recognize improvement. THIS WEEK: 12/19 vs Florida A&M, 12/23 @ Hawaii
8. (LW – 8) Arkansas 6-3 (defeated Southeastern Louisiana 62-55): Can’t get too excited about scoring 62 points against a 5-4 Southland Conference team, but a wins a win. THIS WEEK: 12/20 vs Eastern Kentucky, 12/22 vs Louisiana Tech
9. (LW-6) #25 Vanderbilt 6-4 (lost to Indiana State 61-55): So tell me again when Vandy is going to live up to their preseason #5 ranking? You have to feel bad for John Jenkins and Jeffrey Taylor as the Commodores have just two players showing up to play. The savior Festus Ezeli has been unimpressive in his two games back and at this point, you wonder if Vandy will ever get it together. THIS WEEK: 12/19 vs Longwood, 12/21 vs Lafayette
10. (LW -11) South Carolina 4-6 (defeated Presbyterian 66-58, lost to #2 Ohio State 74-66): I’m going to be nice and move the Gamecocks up a spot because they gave #2 OSU all they wanted and even led at half. Plus they beat a Presbyterian team that has already knocked off Cincinnati. I don’t know if they think they are playing for Van Horn’s job, but this is a tough team to beat on the road. THIS WEEK: 12/21 vs Southeastern Louisiana
11. (LW-10) Georgia 5-5 (defeated USC 63-59): This one goes in the “win is a win” catergory. USC is pretty bad and a four point win does not impress. Georgia currently ranks 311th in FG percentage and 313th in scoring. This is not a good team. I am officially putting them on upset alert versus Mercer. THIS WEEK: 12/20 vs Mercer, 12/23 vs Furman
12. (LW-12) Tennessee 3-6 (lost to Charleston 71-65): It’s already a long season for the Vols as they have lost four in a row and six of seven, but it will be longer. Thing is, the overall numbers are respectable — the Vols are 41st in scoring — but this is a team with no chemistry and no ability to execute when they need to. THIS WEEK: 12/20 vs North Carolina Asheville, 12/22 vs East Tennessee State