The SEC has become a great conference to write about. Whatever the topic, the SEC comes through. I think coach John Calipari should get a lot of credit for bringing the SEC back. There are other teams that have made excellent coaching choices as well like Anthony Grant at Alabama and Mark Fox at Georgia. The Bulldogs haven't taken off yet and perhaps that is somewhat disappointing, but I tend to be more patient that most when it comes to coaches. Fox had a great run of success in Nevada, so he should be given some time at UGA. The conference has plenty of legitimate disappointments. Such as....
Terrence Jones, forward, Kentucky Wildcats
Jones surprised some by returning to the WIldcats for his sophomore season. He expressed interest in improving his draft stock (something I think that never works) by returning to a crowded frontcourt in Kentucky. He has had his moments this season. In the game against North Carolina, Jones looked like the brightest of all the stars in the first half. He had one particular move in which he faked John Henson out of his shoes and just moved around him to the basket. He disappeared in the second half and had 28 quiet minutes in the upset loss to Indiana. What happened? I am not sure, but Jones doesn't look like he will equal his statistical production from his freshman season. He should be the top star on the team and will still be a mid-round NBA draft pick because he is very talented, but I think there are some appropriate concerns about his attitude.
Renardo Sidney, forward/center, Mississippi State Bulldogs
It would be easy to look at Sidney and be disappointed. He is a basketball player and he is not in shape. Because he is so fat, he can't play more than a minute or two at a time. I watched the Bulldogs' win over Florida Atlantic earlier this week and I paid particular attention to the "270 pounder." He isn't able to play hard for more than a moment or two. He can't jump for rebounds and I saw him looking at the clock to see when the next TV timeout was. Sidney does have a nice touch around the basket and he has showed some range to his jumper. He is clearly talented, but he needs to lose about 50 pounds. He is still young enough to still get it, but you shouldn't expect big fantasy numbers from him.
Ralston Turner, guard, LSU Tigers
Turner and Andre Stringer were high usage freshmen and the hope was that they would mature and get better as sophomores. Prior to getting knocked out of the lineup by fainting at practice, Stringer looked like he was heading in the right direction. Turner, the taller of the two sophomores, was not a good shooter as a freshman. He has been even worse this year. He was just 2-for-17 in last night's win over UC-Irvine, which lowered his field goal percentage to 30.8%. The 6-foot-6 Alabama native has only hit two of his last 13 three-point shots and has only attempted four free throws in his last four games. Stringer is averaging just 9.8 points and may need some time on the bench.
Johnny O'Bryant, freshman forward, LSU Tigers
Just a week after expressing hope for O'Bryant in my freshman column, I feel like I am ready to throw in the towel. The 6-foot-9 freshman joined the starting lineup at the end of November, but his numbers have not improved. He has a pro body, but I think there are a combination of factors working against him. None of the Tiger guards are very adept at passing and O'Bryant hasn't quite learned how to use his muscle in the paint. He will be a work in progress this year while he plays next to Justin Hamilton. If I were in a keeper league, I'd think about keeping him because he may put the pieces together next season. For this season, I wouldn't expect much more than the 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds he is averaging.
Brad Tinsley, guard, Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodore point guard may get back to his passing ways yet, but he hasn't been able to provide points and assists in the same game this season. Perhaps he tried to shoot more while Festus Ezeli was out and the 6-foot-3 senior did not provide more than four dimes in the first six games of the season. He followed up with a combined 12 assists against Xavier and Louisville, but only scored 12 points in the pair of games. In his most recent game, Tinsley had eight points and five rebounds, but just one assist in an 87-83 win over Davidson. Other than the decrease in assists, Tinsley's numbers aren't far removed from those from his junior season. I just hope he gets back to playmaking rather than brickmaking.
Terrance Henry, forward, Mississippi Rebels
It bugs me when big guys can't rebound. Sometimes they have hands of stone, but most of the time they learn that that sweet swish of a three-point shot is a siren song. Henry is a 6-foot-10 senior who is averaging 4.4 rebounds. His scoring has increased marginally from his junior season to 10.5 points, but he is taking a quarter of his shots from outside of the perimeter. Henry is making just 25% of his three-pointers and has seen his field goal percentage tumble to 42.5%. Part of the reason for his decline is the presence of Murphy Holloway who is snagging 9.8 rebounds, but Henry seems to fallen out of the habit of banging in the paint. Get back in there, big fella, and you'll get back into my good graces.
Erving Walker, guard, Florida Gators
If forwards that can't rebound annoy me, then tiny guards who aren't good at passing drive me crazy. While I am sure Walker is a nice person (or maybe not, who knows), he teased me into thinking he might be a pass-first guy. He opened the season by taking less shots and getting more assists. He is still averaging a career-high 5.1 assists, but his shooting percentages have descended to career norms. The overtime win against Arizona was particularly troubling. The Wildcats had no answer for Patric Young, but Walker continued to chuck up bad shots and finished the game 3-for-16 on field goals, including 1-for-9 on threes. Kenny Boynton, Jr. was also 2-for-11 from the field against Arizona. Other than the Wildcats, Florida has not beaten anyone of note and I continue to be pessimistic about their four-shooting guard attack. Tomorrow's game against Texas A&M will be a great test.