Hey guys this is my first time doing Power Rankings for any sport other than football so I am going to be tweaking this throughout the season. I will also come out with my Mid Season All NBA team during the NBA All Star game. So get excited (Haha). Anyway guys as with my picks and posts please let me know what you think.
SEC Men's Basketball
1. Kentucky Wildcats 20-1 (5-1)
Why: #1 (SEC) Points/game, #1 (SEC) Rebounds/game, #2 (SEC) FG%, #5 (SEC) Opp Points/game, #2 (SEC) Opp Rebounds/game, and #2 (SEC) Opp FG%. Despite their Tuesday road loss at South Carolina, the real questions are can anyone stop Kentucky from being the #1 seed in the East? and who are they going to face in the SEC Tournament Championship game?
2. Tennessee Volunteers 16-4 (4-2)
Why: Don't get me wrong I'm not a Volunteer fan but even without Tyler Smith the Volunteers keep winning close games. A loss to Georgia and Vanderbilt (in Knoxville) don't look pretty but this short handed team is just getting it done elsewhere in crunch time. I mean there is no obvious weakness on this team. I don't know how long they'll stay at #2 but they are definitely a solid basketball team and I am really impressed with Head Coach Bruce Pearl up to this point of the season.
3. Vanderbilt Commodores 16-4 (5-1)
Why: There is not a better example of team basketball in the SEC. I mean who is the star player? Vanderbilt does not have single player in the top ten (SEC) in Points/game, Rebounds/game, or Assists/game. They are the only team in the SEC that is like that. And they are tied for 1st place in the SEC East.
4. Ole Miss Rebels 16-5 (4-3)
Why: The Rebels may be the most improved team in the SEC as for once they are not at the bottom of the SEC in rebounding and defense. I mean they are still near the bottom on defense but not at the very bottom. A road win over Auburn gives Ole Miss their first back to back road win since 2001 but for the 2nd time in the last 3 games they lost at home. If they can take care of things at home they can contend for the West.
5. Mississippi State Bulldogs 16-5 (4-2)
Why: Miss State got upset by Arkansas, and than put walloped LSU this past week but the real problem with the SEC's #1 scoring defense is that it's offense relies too heavily on the 3. Vanardo is one of the nation's elite post players but he's not a real scoring threat. They need to find a consistent way of scoring that doesn't involve tossing up a ridiculous amount of 3s a game.
6. Florida Gators 15-6 (4-3)
Why: I feel like the talent is their for the Gators but I am not seeing the production. This team was ranked pretty high at one point this season, #11 I believe, but since have been rather inconsistent. The post play of Alex Tyus and the Guard play of Erving Walker are great but I'm lost on why this team is 4-3 in the SEC. They should have lost to South Carolina a couple of weeks ago but made their second game winning 3 pointer. This past week they handled Georgia at home and than took Tennessee down to the wire before losing by 1.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide 13-8 (3-4)
Why: One of the better defensive teams in the SEC the Crimson Tide is an Offense away from being an Elite team in this conference. Problem is that their offense has really struggled this season. 10th (SEC) in Points/game and dead last (SEC) in Rebound/game. Perfect example: Holding LSU to 13 points in the 2nd Half and 38 for the game in their 57-38 win and than holding the #5 scoring offense in the SEC, Auburn, to 58 points but only scoring 57 on the SECs worst scoring defense.
8. South Carolina Gamecocks 13-8 (4-3)
Why: Devan Downey has to be the leader for SEC player of the year as he is single handedly carrying the Gamecock basketball team on his back, leading an upset of #1 Kentucky and making the game winning basket to beat Georgia. At 4-3 South Carolina might be able to make a run at the #2 Eastern Division spot in the SEC tournament.
9. Arkansas Razorbacks 10-11 (2-3)
Why: Arkansas was a joke heading up to this past week, getting blown out by Kentucky last two Saturdays ago by 31. But this past week they get Star G Courtney Forston back and he has helped spark two 2nd Half comeback upsets over Mississippi State and ranked Ole Miss. With Forston hot are the Hogs starting a turnaround?
10. Georgia Bulldogs 9-10 (1-5)
Why: These guys are much better than their 1-5 SEC record indicates competing in every game they've been in. They faced 2 road games this past week and even though they got handled by Florida they did take South Carolina to the wire, Losing to SEC Player of the Year Candidate Devan Downey on a game winning layup. They have upset Tennessee, and played Ole Miss and Kentucky close.
11. Auburn Tigers 11-11 (2-5)
Why: While yes the Tigers did upset rival Alabama at home, by 1, their only other conference win is against LSU, and their 11th (in the SEC) scoring defense, and 12th (SEC) in opponents FG%. If they don't fix their defense soon their already fading season may not even have a chance to make the NIT?
12. LSU Tigers 9-12 (0-7)
Why: The Bayou Bengals of LSU have still yet to win a conference game and I don't know if there is any reason of hope for this season but something that Bengal fans may like to hear is that LSU is playing some solid defensive basketball?
NBA
1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Atlanta Hawks
4. Orlando Magic
5. Denver Nuggets
6. Utah Jazz
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. Boston Celtics
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Toronto Raptors
14. Memphis Grizzlies
15. Phoenix Suns
16. Miami Heat
17. Houston Rockets
18. Chicago Bulls
19. New Orleans Hornets
20. Milwaukee Bucks
21. Los Angeles Clippers
22. Philadelphia 76ers
23. New York Knicks
24. Detroit Pistons
25. Sacramento Kings
26. Golden State Warriors
27. Indiana Pacers
28. Washington Wizards
29. Minnesota Timberwolves
30. New Jersey Nets
NHL
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Washington Capitals
4. New Jersey Devils
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Vancouver Canucks
7. Los Angeles Kings
8. Phoenix Coyotes
9. Colorado Avalanche
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
11. Nashville Predators
12. Detroit Red Wings
13. Ottawa Senators
14. Calgary Flames
15. Anaheim Ducks
16. Philadelphia Flyers
17. Minnesota Wild
18. Dallas Stars
19. St. Louis Blues
20. Boston Bruins
21. Florida Panthers
22. Montreal Canadiens
23. New York Rangers
24. New York Islanders
25. Tampa Bay Lightning
26. Atlanta Thrashers
27. Columbus Blue Jackets
28. Carolina Hurricanes
29. Toronto Maple Leafs
30. Edmonton Oilers
Alright guys as always let me know what you think.
Lakers at the top! lol Predators at number 11 and bama 7th is your power rankings...question given that this is AG first year at alabama what do you think will happen once he brings in the players he wants...maybe something like what saban has dont with the football program? i mean at least take us back the the elite 8, just a thought----john muhlhauser
ReplyDeleteHaha yeah I mean as good as the Cavaliers are I need to see a better Post Game out of them before I can agree that they are the #1 team in the NBA. Anderson Varejo and Shaq just don't do it for me. The Preds would've been in the top ten if they hadn't lost 5 in a row before ending that streak last night. Grant is doing a pretty good job right now but it's like I said he needs to get some better offense going. Basketball is the sport that can be turned around the quickest. So most of the time the damage you see from a Basketball coach can be seen in his first 2 seasons. He is bringing in the #11 (ESPN) PG in Trevor Releford and #38 (ESPN) SG in Charles Hankerson. That should help ease the loss of SR Guards Mikhail Torrance and Anthony Brock. Will that take you back to the Elite 8? I don't know. If you show some improved offensive play from now until the end of the season maybe. But that has to be your key right now to move on. Bama plays great defense, and Defense Wins Championships, I fully believe that. But in basketball there will be nights when some teams are just shooting lights out. And if you don't have the offense to compete you are going to be in trouble. A big example of your offense came this past weekend against Auburn, the worst scoring defense in the SEC. Holding them to 58 and LOSING was rough. That being said bringing in Releford and Hankerson I think he will have the program headed in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThanks For Reading
MSU would be behind Ole Miss after beating them on the road.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous^
ReplyDeleteI realise that Miss State beat Ole Miss at Oxford.. I painfully watched that game.. but Offensively State just seems one sided.. If they go cold behind the Arc they lose.. Ole Miss scores in the paint and from behind the arc, they are #1 and #3 in rebounding in the SEC (msu>miss) and while Ole Miss is #9 (SEC) in opponents points/game they are also #4 (SEC) in opp fg%. If State had more of an offensive gameplan other than hope the 3 works tonight than they certainly would be higher.