The midseason top 25 reports have been a good opportunity to look back at our preseason top tens and see how things have changed. I did not even have my top player, Moultrie, on my also considered list when I wrote about the SEC in August. More embarrassingly, Moultrie was not selected in the subsequent mock draft. At least I knew that was a mistake. I did not think that Moultrie would be quite the force that he is, or that his teammate Renardo Sidney would eat his way out of fantasy relevance. As always with early season predictions, I was right about a few things and wrong about many others.
1. Arnett Moultrie, forward, Mississippi State Bulldogs
16.5 points, 10.9 rebounds
Moultrie was a good rebounder at UTEP, but he never scored quite as well as he has this season. He cooled off before scoring 25 points against Alabama yesterday. He is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country.
2. Anthony Davis, freshman forward, Kentucky Wildcats
13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 4.6 blocks
Davis is the conference's best weak side defender and uses his mile-long arms which make Jay Bilas salivate to his great advantage. His shot block of John Henson is the image of the season so far. His offensive game is improving.
3. Jeffery Taylor, guard/forward, Vanderbilt Commodores
16.9 points, 1.6 threes, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals
One of the best all-around performers in conference, Taylor has added defense to his repertoire this year. He had a scoring binge in December, but calmed down into a nice scorer in the teens.
4. Kenny Boynton, Jr., guard, Florida Gators
18.7 points, 3.7 threes, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists
Boynton is having a fantastic season with major bumps in shooting percentage and scoring. He scored on a variety of tough defending teams (Texas A&M, Florida State) in the non-conference and should be ready to keep the points flowing against familiar foes.
5. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, freshman forward, Kentucky Wildcats
13.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks
MKG had a huge game against Louisville with 19 points and 24 rebounds but has settled down in conference play. He doesn't have a weakness in his game and plays strong on-ball defense. His rise has cause Jones to fall.
6. Dee Bost, guard, Mississippi State Bulldogs
16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.3 steals
At this point in his career, Bost has proven that he is not a good shooter. For the second straight season, he is making less than 40% of his field goals and is now making less than a third of his threes. His assists are also down, but they should bounce back in conference play.
7. John Jenkins, guard, Vanderbilt Commodores
19.8 points, 3.9 threes, 2.8 rebounds
With all due respect to Boynton, I think Jenkins is the best shooter in the conference. He takes shots in the flow of the offense for the most part and has scored at least 11 points in every game.
8. Tony Mitchell, forward, Alabama Crimson Tide
14.5 points, 1.2 threes, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.9 blocks
The high riser has been the Tide's most consistent option. He is a poor three-point shooter, but is one of the best finishers in the SEC. He has only been held to single digits once in a game in which he did not get hurt. Mississippi State held him to eight points on Saturday.
9. Trae Golden, guard, Tennessee Volunteers
14.2 points, 1.8 threes, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists
Golden may be slightly overrated but assists are hard to come by. He was held to two points yesterday against Kentucky to snap a six-game double-digit scoring streak. He has hit 29 points twice this season and 20 or more four times.
10. Murphy Holloway, forward, Mississippi Rebels
10.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals
Holloway missed three games with a high ankle sprain and has only recently come back. He has had double-doubles in both of his games since returning and should challenge Moultrie for the league rebounding title.
11. JaMychal Green, forward, Alabama Crimson Tide
14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 blocks
Green was mentioned as an preseason All-Conference pick, but injuries have taken their toll on the senior. He is still good for above average stats, but has only provided 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in conference.
12. Bradley Beal, freshman guard, Florida Gators
14.3 points, 1.8 threes, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals
Beal will be the key member of any Gator success this year. He can play bigger than his 6-foot-3 frame and helps on the boards. Beal has scored poorly in the last three Gator losses.
13. Justin Hamilton, center, LSU Tigers
13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
In his first year in Baton Rouge, the 6-foot-11 junior has become the centerpiece of the offense. He has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and has helped the Tigers become respectable.
14. Erving Walker, guard, Florida Gators
12.9 points, 2.2 threes, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals
Say what you want about Walker's shot selection (or say that he really shouldn't shoot as much as he does), the 5-foot-8 senior is making 41.7% of his threes and is taking fewer shots than he did last year. He has improved his ballhandling a bit as well.
15. Patric Young, forward, Florida Gators
11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
Young certainly looks the part, but unlike Thomas Robinson at Kansas more playing time has not led to huge increases in production. He is dealing with a legion of shot-happy guards, but he is not an impact rebounder despite his size.
16. Kenny Gabriel, forward, Auburn Tigers
11.5 points, 1.1 threes, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 blocks
Gabriel owns the only triple-double in conference in his huge game in the last game of the non-conference slate. He can get in foul trouble, which limits his effectiveness. He is the second best shot blocker in the SEC.
17. Rodney Hood, freshman guard, Mississippi State Bulldogs
11.6 points, 1.5 threes, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists
On a different team, Hood might be a star freshman. The Bulldogs have too many other options for Hood to shine properly, but the 6-foot-8 guard has a variety of skills (sadly, none of which were on display yesterday against Alabama).
18. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, freshman guard, Georgia Bulldogs
14.5 points, 2.3 threes, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals
The player with the longest name in conference is not shy about taking shots. He has taken at least ten shots in all but two games and scored in double digits in all but two games as well (not the same games). He is an impact rebounder for a guard.
19. Terrence Jones, forward, Kentucky Wildcats
11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.8 blocks
Jones has been a disappointment. This is somewhat due to the other Wildcat forwards being so good. He is a highly talented player and will likely have some huge games against SEC competition. He should have gone into the NBA draft last year.
20. Jeronne Maymon, forward, Tennessee Volunteers
11.5 points, 7.7 rebounds
Maymon had one of the best games of the season against Memphis on Nov. 22, but he immediately got injured afterward and took more than a month to get his legs back. He has now scored in double digits and leads a nice crew of Vol forwards.
21. Doron Lamb, guard, Kentucky Wildcats
14.0 points, 1.8 threes, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Lamb has lost his spot in the starting lineup and his scoring has been limited of late. He has scored just 9.7 points in his last seven games. He is still the best three-point shooter (45.7%) on the team and will have some good games.
22. B.J. Young, freshman guard, Arkansas Razorbacks
15.0 points, 1.6 threes, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals
Young has only started two games, so he is a leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. If the conference weren't so stocked with first-year players, he may have received some attention as Freshman of the Year as well. The guard is a scoring machine.
23. Malik Cooke, guard, South Carolina Gamecocks
12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals
The Gamecocks' lone representative, Cooke is a decent scorer and rebounder. He'll likely cede some shots to Bruce Ellington, but should provide enough rebounds and steals to continue to be the main man in Columbia.
24. Gerald Robinson, guard, Georgia Bulldogs
13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists
The senior should be leading the Bulldogs, but he tends to play more of a complementary role. In conference play, he has provided 10.5 points and has missed all eight of his three-point attempts.
25. Trevor Releford, guard, Alabama Crimson Tide
12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks
Releford has become a nice third option for the Tide. He had a six-game double-digit scoring streak snapped on Saturday against Mississippi State. He isn't a good three-point shooter (25%) but can make mid-range jumpers.