LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some people have made the argument the Southeastern Conference is the best men’s basketball league in the country this season.
Joe Lunardi placed six SEC programs in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field in his latest bracketology.
But the strength of the SEC is at the top, with four programs (Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas) all ranked in the top 14 in the latest AP Top 25.
The bottom of the SEC is fairly dismal. Georgia is on track for a 1-17 finish. Ole Miss, the team Kentucky will play Tuesday to finish the Wildcats’ home season, is marginally better, tied with Missouri for 12th place.
Time: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Rupp Arena, Lexington.
TV: ESPN — Kevin Fitzgerald, play by play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst; Marty Smith, sidelines.
Records: Ole Miss is 13-16 overall and 4-12 in the SEC; The Wildcats are 23-6, 12-4, tied with Tennessee and Arkansas for second in the SEC, trailing only Auburn.
The Last Time: The teams have not played this season. The Rebels defeated UK, 70-62, in Oxford last March 2.
The Ratings: Ole Miss ranks No. 103 in Ken Pomeroy’s computer power formula and No. 110 in NCAA Net rating. UK ranks second in KenPom and No. 5 in NCAA Net.
The Quote: After Ole Miss lost to Texas A&M on Saturday for its sixth defeat in the last seven games, Rebels’ coach Kermit Davis Jr. talked like a guy who had seen enough:
“I take full responsibility because that was embarrassing. I didn't come to Ole Miss to put that kind of product on the floor.”
The News: It’s Senior Night in Lexington, and the Wildcats have a pair of fifth-year players — Kellan Grady and Davion Mintz — who have been major contributors and will participate in the pre-game ceremony.
The Matchup That Matters: Kentucky can’t lose track of Jarkel Joiner, a 6-foot-1-inch guard who leads the Rebels with a 14.1 scoring average. Joiner scored 33 points against Alabama three weeks ago.
Strengths: The Rebels can get hot from the three-point line. They rank fourth in the SEC in three-point percentage, making 34.6% of their attempts in league games. Kentucky leads the SEC in offensive efficiency and three-point shooting.
Weaknesses: Ole Miss is a bad defensive team, ranking 13th in 2-point field goal percentage and 12th in defending the three. UK’s worst SEC offensive category is free throw rate. The Wildcats get to the line at the 11th-best rate in the league.
Tasty Tidbits: With 445 rebounds, UK forward Oscar Tshiebwe needs 15 rebounds (his average) to overtake Bob Burrow (459, 1955) for the third-best single season rebounding performance in UK history. The two players ahead of him are Cliff Hagan (528 in 1952) and Bill Spivey (567 in 1951). The Wildcats are guaranteed a top-four seed and double bye for the SEC Tournament in Tampa, Florida next week. A victory would give the Wildcats a 17-0 home record, their 14th perfect home season in 46 years at Rupp Arena.
Prediction: Kentucky 83, Ole Miss 64.
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