ESPN Men's Basketball

1. The National Association of Basketball Coaches' board of directors is meeting in Indianapolis on Thursday, with the issue of transfers and how to handle the requests as a primary agenda item. The board has some notable names, including Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, who was involved in a high-profile case in which the player was initially restricted from transferring to a number of schools; Michigan State’s Tom Izzo; Pitt’s Jamie Dixon; Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim; Notre Dame’s Mike Brey; and NC State’s Mark Gottfried, among others. The NABC doesn’t have legislative power but does serve as a lobbying group to the membership -- and can also influence other coaches on how to handle a transfer situation.

2. The men's NCAA tournament basketball selection committee will also meet Thursday in Indianapolis. The primary agenda item, according to incoming chair Mike Bobinski of Xavier, is to determine the 2013 East Regional site. The finalists are expected to be Syracuse and Brooklyn (Newark, N.J., is still technically in, but it would be a surprise since the regional was there in 2011). Bobinski said it is unusual for the site still to be unknown less than a year before the event. The dismissal of former NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen apparently contributed to the site selection delay; Shaheen’s replacement, Mark Lewis, will be at the meeting. The original plan was for the tourney’s 75th anniversary to have a presence at Madison Square Garden. But the NCAA couldn’t make a commitment before the Garden had to turn in its Knicks and Rangers schedules to the NBA and NHL, respectively. The 2013 Final Four is in Atlanta. The other regional sites are set in Los Angeles (Staples Center), Dallas-Fort Worth (Cowboys Stadium) and Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium)

3. New Illinois coach John Groce has added two transfers in Rayvonte Rice from Drake and Sam McLaurin from Coastal Carolina. The Illini are also busy finalizing their last major non-conference game. Illinois will play Auburn on Dec. 29 at the United Center in Chicago to fill the final significant game on the schedule.

According to Yahoo Sports, the FBI is investigating suspended Auburn point guard Varez Ward for alleged point shaving.

Kentucky’s undefeated run through the SEC has to go down as one of the most impressive feats in the league’s history.

The Wildcats were pushed at times, but there was more dominance than anyone would have predicted in the preseason. Now the Big Blue move into the SEC tournament as the favorite en route to a likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

On to the final conference power rankings:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to handle every road challenge in the SEC, the final one coming Sunday at Florida. Not to worry. Just another double-digit win. Hey, even Anthony Davis made a 3-pointer. Scary.

2. Tennessee: The Vols swept Florida and then handled rival Vanderbilt at home Saturday. It says here that UT is the second-best team in the SEC and a deserving at-large candidate in the NCAA tournament. If John Calipari is SEC Coach of the Year, then Cuonzo Martin must be 1A.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores lost on the road at rival Tennessee, but they still finished in a tie with the Vols and Florida for second place. Vandy is flawed and has a weak bench, but the Commodores have done enough to be considered a top-three SEC team.

4. Florida: UF played well in spurts against Kentucky on Sunday, but once again couldn’t close it out against an elite team. Still, the Gators will do well in the NCAA tournament if they make 3s. It’s that simple for Florida.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide finished 9-7 in the SEC and have consistently been one of the top defensive teams in the league. But Bama struggles to score and that won’t be solved this week in the conference tournament.

6. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy should get plenty of credit for rallying the Rebels despite a number of setbacks, including losing two key rotation players and being on the wrong end of a few blowouts. Ole Miss still found a way to finish 8-8 in SEC play.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are one of the more enigmatic teams in the country. The talent says this team should be top four in the league, but the results don’t back it up. The infighting died down last week and MSU won two games it had to have (overtime at South Carolina, and crushed Arkansas by 20). Mississippi State now has to avoid losing to Georgia in the first round of the SEC tourney.

8. Arkansas: The Hogs slumped down the stretch and lost five of their last six games. And losing at home to Ole Miss, Florida and Alabama took away some of the good vibe this team built at Bud Walton Arena earlier this season. Playing LSU in the SEC tournament could mean an early exit.

9. LSU: The Tigers finished with an improved 7-9 record as Trent Johnson has continued the rebuilding effort in Baton Rouge. But the three-game slide to end the regular season took some of the buzz out of the season. LSU can still salvage a possible postseason appearance with a win or two in New Orleans.

10. Georgia: The Bulldogs beat South Carolina by 12 to close the regular season with wins in two of their last three games. Mark Fox’s team can make perimeter shots, and if that happens this team can be a possible spoiler in the SEC tournament.

11. Auburn: The Tigers had a solid 15-point win over LSU to bookend a five-game set that started with a win over Mississippi State before they lost three in the middle. Auburn has had trouble scoring at times, but finally found production against the Tigers.

12. South Carolina: Darrin Horn is hoping he can continue to be the head coach of the Gamecocks, with a young team that will only improve in the offseason. There is talent in place, and there's no reason this team can’t climb a bit next season. Will Horn be around to see it?

The power structure in the SEC hasn’t moved one bit. Kentucky is king, and there doesn’t appear to be another team capable of getting to the Final Four.

1. Kentucky: Anthony Davis put on a show with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in a win against Vanderbilt. He’s a national player of the year co-favorite. UK is rolling right now as the No. 1 overall seed and the lead dog to win the national title.

2. Vanderbilt: The one thing you can say about the Commodores is that they don’t have bad SEC losses. Vandy fell to Kentucky twice, lost at Arkansas when the Hogs were unbeatable at home, and lost by one in overtime against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs were on a high. Vanderbilt still has the most experience in the league, even more so than Kentucky. That could serve it well in the coming weeks.

3. Florida: The Gators get this spot by default. Florida continues to befuddle. The Gators can look like a Final Four team at Arkansas, then appear to be a team that couldn’t get out of the First Four when they lose at Georgia. If this team makes 3s, it will advance. If it does not, it won’t. It's pretty simple.

4. Alabama: Credit Anthony Grant for the way he handled the suspensions. Despite the disciplinary actions, the Tide have moved up into the top four with three straight wins against Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State. Alabama will now go to the NCAA tournament barring a complete collapse. JaMychal Green certainly got Grant’s message, and the Tide will go forward without Tony Mitchell, who remains suspended for the rest of the season.

5. Tennessee: Cuonzo Martin has the Vols believing in his philosophy of defense first. This team continues to be a spirited group that could be a spoiler in the SEC tournament. The numbers don’t add up in terms of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but there’s no reason to dismiss this team as a threat in New Orleans next week.

6. LSU: The Tigers are on the rebound from a disastrous two-year period. With seven league wins so far, LSU has been more than respectable. Trent Johnson has a postseason team that will benefit from playing a few extra games in March. The Tigers, like the Vols, could pose some problems at the SEC tournament in New Orleans.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have lost five in a row and are one of the most perplexing teams in the SEC. Yes, Renardo Sidney has had injuries (back), but no, he can't be the only reason for the slide. Losing to Kentucky at home is acceptable. But dropping a home game to Georgia and failing to win one road game during this stretch at LSU, Auburn or Alabama is not. Still, don’t be surprised to see the Bulldogs leapfrog a number of these teams into the NCAAs because of their overall résumé.

8. Ole Miss: The Rebels humbled LSU 72-48 on Saturday. The Tigers have been more consistent, but the Rebels deserve plenty of credit for being resourceful of late. A depleted team that has had some squabbling within, the Rebs haven’t stopped playing. Ole Miss can be a spoiler in the final two weeks. What happens next in terms of the coaching position is a question for the administration.

9. Georgia: If the Bulldogs make shots, they suddenly are a viable team to be a winner in the final week of the SEC and into the conference tournament. Georgia won’t win at Kentucky, but it can beat South Carolina and finish with five SEC wins. The Bulldogs have impressive wins against Mississippi State and Florida at home.

10. Arkansas: The Hogs finally rallied and won at Auburn after a number of poor performances, including two at home. Arkansas can put forth a more efficient and productive effort. It needs to here down the stretch to salvage the rest of the season with winnable games against Ole Miss and at Mississippi State.

11. Auburn: The Tigers looked like a tough out, one that would be hard to chase down in a home win against Mississippi State. But suspensions to Varez Ward and Chris Denson for a violation of team rules didn’t help the cause in a six-point home loss to Arkansas.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have won two games in the SEC. And the numbers in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage are all below 300 in Division I. This is a team that looks good in the airport but not on the floor.

Kentucky is the national favorite, but Florida’s dominant play at Arkansas and Vanderbilt’s complete game at Ole Miss should give hope that the SEC has three teams with the potential of Elite Eight appearances.

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats had one game last week and got off to a sluggish start against Ole Miss. But that was over quickly in the second half. Seeing Terrence Jones and Darius Miller star for the Wildcats is yet another indication of the talent depth of this squad. So much has been made, and rightfully so, of freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, as well as the development of Marquis Teague. But the play of veterans (yes, sophomores qualify as veterans at UK) will ultimately decide Kentucky’s title fate.

2. Florida: The Gators absolutely obliterated Arkansas by 30 on the road. It was Florida’s most complete performance, home or road, this season. The Gators can’t figure out how to play Tennessee and they couldn’t handle Kentucky in the second half. But if UF shoots, runs and rebounds as well as it did in Fayetteville, it will finish second in the SEC. And there's no shame in that this season.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had their most dominant SEC effort with a 102-76 win at Ole Miss, followed up by a nine-point road win at Georgia. The play of Vandy in that first game is exactly what everyone expected in the preseason. Watch the Commodores’ offense in that game and you’ll see a team that can win multiple games in the NCAA tournament. Vandy still has the talent to win the SEC tournament if Kentucky loses focus.

4. LSU: The Tigers are suddenly back to .500 in league play, which puts them in a four-way tie for fourth. So why not have them leading that pack? Trent Johnson has taken advantage of a depleted Alabama and a Mississippi State team that continues not to close late in games. LSU’s schedule down the stretch is so favorable that it’s not out of the question that the Tigers could win four of the next five games and finish with 10 SEC wins.

5. Alabama: The Tide still are without suspended players JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell, but Alabama has reconstituted itself, and the 12-point win over Tennessee is a strong indication that Bama may still be a factor down the stretch. The Tide defense was as solid as it has been this season in allowing the Vols to score only 50 points. If Mitchell and Green do return and buy into Grant, then Alabama will be in play down the stretch in the SEC.

6. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have top-two talent, but they have not played that way of late. Mississippi State has inexplicably lost three games in a row. The loss at home in overtime to Georgia was a clear sign something was off. The road loss in overtime at LSU is acceptable. The Tigers at home are more than formidable. But losing by 10 at Auburn, even without Renardo Sidney (back spasms), signifies some serious issues. The Bulldogs have a tough slate ahead in the next two games in hosting Kentucky and going to Alabama. Losing five in a row is a realistic scenario that will have MSU right on the bubble.

7. Tennessee: The Vols had been one of the hottest teams in the SEC with a four-game win streak. But then they ran into Alabama’s defense and went cold on 3s by going 4-of-20. Tennessee still has a chance to finish in the top half of the SEC. The schedule of hosting Ole Miss and going to South Carolina this week puts UT in a favorable position. The final two (at LSU, hosting rival Vandy) could decide this team's SEC fate.

8. Auburn: The Tigers jump up to No. 8 above Ole Miss and Arkansas simply because they played the most efficient game of the week. The win over Mississippi State was one of Auburn’s best of the season. Of course, the next game for the Tigers is at Florida, and Auburn still has to go to Alabama, so the good vibe could be short-lived. But Auburn’s defense was on lockdown against the Bulldogs, and that’s a positive sign.

9. Arkansas: The Hogs had their worst performance at home against Florida. Arkansas headed into the game as a team that had an unbeaten home résumé, but nothing to show for itself on the road. But the complete meltdown at Bud Walton essentially eliminates the Hogs from contention for an at-large bid. It’s hard to justify Arkansas, barring a run through the SEC, after losing by 30 to Florida for its fourth loss in five games.

10. Ole Miss: The Rebels were blitzed at home by Vanderbilt in embarrassing nature. Ole Miss then found a way and mustered up a solid effort in the first half against Kentucky. And then reality hit. The Wildcats ran past the Rebs. Credit Andy Kennedy for trying to keep this team together in the short term, but it has been an exceedingly difficult season for Ole Miss and it looks like it will only get more difficult.

11. South Carolina: The Gamecocks get the nod over Georgia with a win over the Bulldogs in Columbia. This has been a humbling season for South Carolina and it will likely get worse over the final couple of weeks. The next three are against Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

12. Georgia: The Bulldogs are in the infancy stages of a major rebuild and while the Mississippi State road win was a high, losing to South Carolina was another setback for a team that's now 3-9 in the SEC.

This Saturday was always going to be a bit more underwhelming than recent weeks, but boy, did it end well. Once it ended, that is. Creighton students rushed the court before the game was officially over. Their reverse storm, in which they calmly walked off the court, was one of the most surprisingly orderly things I've ever seen. Bravo, Bluejays fans. Bravo.

Read up on Long Beach State-Creighton, Michigan-Ohio State and the rest of Saturday night's action here. If you missed our afternoon recap, catch up now.

No. 19 Michigan 56, No. 6 Ohio State 51: Here's something I learned Saturday -- Michigan hasn't won a Big Ten title since 1986. As Dan Shulman said on the broadcast, that's kind of hard to believe. Here's something else we learned Saturday: The Wolverines have a legitimate chance to break that streak this season.

The race for the Big Ten title is officially a three-way affair. How did Michigan get there? By taking care of business at home. Saturday's win was the Wolverines' 16th consecutive victory in Ann Arbor. For much of the past 10 years, under Tommy Amaker and then John Beilein, Crisler was usually a cold, detached, almost lifeless place. On Saturday, it was rocking in Minute 1 and Minute 40 and constantly in between.

Of course, a home atmosphere is nice, but it doesn't mean much if your team can't play. And Michigan most certainly can play. Point guard Trey Burke continued his impressive freshman campaign against the Buckeyes, scoring 17 points -- including a flurry of much-needed late buckets, one of which he took straight at former grade-school teammate Jared Sullinger -- and dishing five dimes against the best perimeter defender in the country, Ohio State guard Aaron Craft. Tim Hardaway Jr. added efficient perimeter scoring, while forward Jordan Morgan scored 11 points and 11 rebounds against Sullinger. Those matchups -- point guard and forward -- should be Michigan's weaknesses, particularly against OSU. In this one, Burke and Morgan turned them into strengths.

That said, Michigan won the game on the defensive end, where it held the Buckeyes to .91 points per trip, and in some part it has the Buckeyes to thank. Shooting guard William Buford struggled yet again, going 3-of-12 and continuing his senior slump. Credit the Wolverines for forcing the Bucks into perimeter jump shots, but also blame Ohio State, which often settled for those jumpers without first attempting to get Sully into an iso situation on the low block. When Sullinger did touch the ball, the Buckeyes usually got a score. They figured this out eventually, which is what got them back into the game in the second half. But it was too little, too late. You wouldn't think you'd need to "figure out" that you should probably give the ball to Sullinger because, you know, he's really good.

Look, Ohio State remains a very good defensive team. After all, holding Michigan to 56 points on its own floor is no easy task. But the Buckeyes' offense, particularly its perimeter shooting (or lack thereof), looks like a serious liability. It lurched helplessly against Michigan State's defense last Saturday, and it played right into Michigan's hands tonight. As a result, OSU allowed its sworn rival to tie it in the league standings, a game behind MSU in the loss column. If the Buckeyes can't fix these problems, their March ceiling -- once as limitless as any team's in the country -- will suffer accordingly.

No. 14 Murray State 65, No. 16 Saint Mary's 51: How much fun is Murray, Ky., having right now? With a rare national audience and Dickie V in the house, the Racers played as well as they have all season, as their fans -- an intense, buoyant bunch -- gleefully soaked it all in. Judging by Vitale's rave reviews of the small burgh, I'd say Murray might be one of the best places in the country to spend this exact Saturday night. I kind of wish I was there. (My colleague Jason King is and had this to say about the game.)

In any case, the nation got a chance to see what this Murray State team was all about, and the timing couldn't have been better. After its loss to Tennessee State two weeks ago, the tone of the discussion around the Racers changed from "Whoa, this team could go undefeated!" to "Well, that was fun, but check out that at-large profile -- Murray State could miss the tournament!" I think we can put that debate to rest. The Racers might not be a national title contender, but with Isaiah Canaan leading the way (he had 23 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, a 5-for-8 mark beyond the arc and at least two or three downright crossovers that made this viewer yelp in enjoyment), they are certainly one of the better mid-major teams in the country and one that can give plenty of outfits issues in the NCAA tournament. Sure, some of the wins were shaky, and sure, the Ohio Valley Conference is bad, but when you win your first 23 games, guess what? You're pretty good.

Saint Mary's was far less convincing. The Gaels' offense was hobbled by Matthew Dellavedova's rolled ankle and Rob Jones' early foul trouble, but those weren't the primary causes -- and the road atmosphere and tough Murray defense don't explain it all, either. In reality, the Gaels, who have lost three of their past four (all by double digits), are just flat-out struggling. Over the course of the WCC season, the Gaels have posted about 1.17 points per possession (adjusted), best in the league. In their three recent losses, Dellavedova & Co. have failed to exceed a point per trip. Much like Creighton, this team's defense isn't nearly good enough to get the job done when the offense struggles. Much like Creighton, if the Gaels don't throw points in at something near their usual rate, they're going to lose. It's really just that simple.

Creighton 81, Long Beach State 79: Speaking of fun, how much fun was this? The finish -- Antoine Young's brilliant left-handed, last-second game winner -- was merely the icing on the cake. The 40 minutes that preceded that shot were chock full of high-octane mid-major awesomeness. LBSU's Casper Ware, T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson trading deep 3s and inside moves with Young and Doug McDermott? Yes, please.

We couldn't have predicted the ending, but we should have seen the entertainment value coming. These teams both excel most at one thing: scoring the basketball. That's what Creighton does. When the Bluejays don't put the ball in at a high rate, they lose, as they did in their recent three-game losing streak, culminating with a home blowout at the hands of Wichita State last weekend. The defense simply isn't good enough to save Creighton from an off night.

Fortunately, Creighton has Doug McDermott. McDermott has been great all season, though he's struggled of late, and it's no coincidence his team had lost three of its past four in that span. But on Saturday night, he was amazing. Not "amazing" in a "wow, this sesame chicken is amazing" sort of way; McDermott was actually, literally amazing. He scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and added 11 rebounds, six of which on the offensive end. The most impressive came late in the second half, when McDermott flew to the hoop and somehow tipped in a wayward shot arcing halfway over his head. Once it was clear McDermott was on, LBSU coach Dan Monson ordered his charges to begin aggressively double-teaming the opposing coach's son. But McDermott's eager passing and ability to make plays without the ball in his hands -- see the aforementioned tip-in -- neutralized that strategy. He was just so good. And at the perfect time, too.

As entertaining as this game was, as memorably as McDermott performed, the good news for Long Beach is that a loss at Creighton hardly hurts its at-large profile. Chances are, this team will continue its blistering Big West pace and get to the NCAA tournament in academic, auto-bid fashion. But if something goes awry in the conference tournament, LBSU's crazy nonconference schedule -- the toughest in the country by, like, a lot -- should be more than worthy of the committee's respect. Whatever happens, we'll always have Saturday night in Omaha. What a game, man. What a game.

Other observations from the night that was:

• All season, Arkansas has been bad on the road (where it is still winless) but great in its own building (where it was undefeated). That trend ended emphatically against the Gators. Florida hung a 98-68 offensive blitz on the young, up-tempo Razorbacks, led by Erving Walker's career-high 31 points on 9-of-11 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3, and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Walker has been criticized this season, and rightfully so; his insistence on forcing bad shots in bad situations (at Kentucky, for example) is maddening. But you can't really play much better than he did Saturday night. Insane line.
• Harvard's vaunted defense handled rival Yale with relative ease, which immediately brings to mind images of old men in smoking jackets, teasing each other over cigars and snifters of cognac. (This is how I see Harvard-Yale. I know it's silly, but I can't help it.) This creates a rather compelling finish to the conference season: Harvard, the long-dormant program with sudden title expectations, will face traditional league powers Penn and Princeton at home this week. If the Crimson win, they'll sew up at least a share of the Ivy title, maybe more. There's something slightly poetic about that.
• Huge win for Xavier, which held on to its slim margin in the final seconds of overtime to beat Dayton, 86-83. The Musketeers have been flagging badly along the bubble cut line lately and they desperately needed a home win tonight to stay viable. Oh, and here's a fun fact (unless you're a Dayton fan): This loss made it 27 straight for the Flyers at rival Xavier. Dayton hasn't won there since -- get this -- 1981. Yikes.
• Speaking of fun facts, after an 18-point effort in a 64-53 win over Minnesota, Northwestern forward John Shurna became the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer, toppling Billy McKinney's 35-year hold on the honor. That's all well and good, but Shurna is no doubt more focused on the here and now, where the Wildcats couldn't afford to drop this game and still hope to land an at-large NCAA tournament bid, at least if the bracket was selected tomorrow. The victory keeps Northwestern very much alive. Minnesota's chances, unfortunately, will suffer in proportion.
• When it rains, it -- well, you know. The cliche certainly applies to Villanova, which is struggling through an uncharacteristically bad season but had, even without Maalik Wayns (knee) and James Bell (ankle), a 20-point lead in this game. Notre Dame came back and won in overtime and, well, yeah: That's a tough way to lose. Villanova could surely have used some brief flash of sunlight in an otherwise dark year. It was so, so close Saturday. And then it wasn't. Brutal. Notre Dame, meanwhile, won its eighth game in a row. The Irish don't always look pretty, but they get the job done.
• Southern Miss lost at Houston. Yep. That happened. It's bad news for Larry Eustachy's team, of course -- it puts a definite dent into the Golden Eagles' otherwise stellar tourney résumé, which features gaudy RPI and SOS numbers -- but also bad news for Conference USA, which would no doubt prefer to be a multi-bid league this season. Speaking of which, Memphis took its own awful loss today, too, 60-58 at home to UTEP. Yes, Memphis lost to UTEP at home. The Tigers had been quietly working their way through C-USA play with relative ease, but the offensive inconsistency that plagued them in their nonconference slate crept back in against the Miners, and that doesn't bode well for the coming tournament. Mild C-USA intrigue abounds!
• Speaking of bad losses by Mississippi teams, what is going on at Mississippi State? The Bulldogs were listless at Auburn -- Auburn! -- in a 65-55 loss, MSU's third in a row in a season that is stunningly spiraling in the direction of the bubble. The Bulldogs are just 6-6 in the SEC and have games against Kentucky and at Alabama this week. Uh-oh.
• And speaking of uh-oh and three-game losing streaks, Gonzaga lost in the closing seconds at San Francisco -- the third consecutive year it's lost to the Dons on the road. The Zags shot 51 percent and yet still lost, falling into a tie with BYU for second in the WCC, one game behind 12-2 Saint Mary's.
• Colorado State held on for a rather ugly win over Wyoming. This was a definite bubble elimination game, one Wyoming couldn't afford to drop if it wanted to preserve any chance of at-large consideration. The victory won't put CSU in the field by any means, but it keeps the Rams alive, if only barely.
• Watching Georgetown, it's hard not to be impressed with the Hoyas' pinpoint Princeton offense. But this team's real strength is its defense. We saw that again Saturday, as Georgetown held Providence to 25 percent shooting at the Dunk, a win that pushed Georgetown to 10-4 in the Big East and should quell any lingering concerns its fans may have had about another late-season collapse. That's not happening.

Kenny Gabriel's 15 points and 9 rebounds propelled Auburn to a 65-55 upset of the No. 23 Bulldogs.

The SEC waited to see how Kentucky would fare with "College GameDay" at fired-up Vanderbilt in what appeared to be UK's toughest road test to date.

Well, the Wildcats passed -- and now the SEC must deal with the possibility that Big Blue could run the table and win the conference handily. There are no givens, but UK appears to be as much of a lock to win its league title as any other favorite in the country.

1. Kentucky: The one potential problem for the Wildcats was at the point. Well, Marquis Teague played one of his best games of the season at Vanderbilt, dishing out eight assists. If Teague can distribute the ball, make smart decisions and not turn the ball over, the Cats have a legit shot to win the national title, not just cruise to an undefeated SEC record.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores are in the No. 2 spot by default. No one else appears to want this position, and Vandy did push Kentucky 'til the end this past weekend and had the Wildcats on the ropes. But the Dores got rushed at the end and tried to shoot over Anthony Davis -- a big mistake. Vanderbilt needs to be more patient in late-game situations.

3. Florida: The Gators are also in this spot because no one else stood up and grabbed it. Florida should know better than to come out flat against a Tennessee team that clearly played with more purpose and passion on Saturday. UT was the aggressor on the offensive backboard and found the holes in the Gators’ defense. If Florida doesn’t shoot its way to a win, it simply can't physically outmuscle teams. This loss was a major concern for UF going forward.

4. Mississippi State: Hey, look: We have a full-blown trend here. The Bulldogs could easily be at No. 2 in the SEC Power Rankings had they actually won a home game against a lower-level team. Instead, State fell flat in overtime to Georgia and took the air out of the marquee remaining home game against Kentucky on Feb. 21. The Bulldogs still have the frontcourt talent, shot-blocking ability and perimeter shooting to be a dangerous team in the NCAA tournament. But their lack of consistency makes them a hard team to back in March.

5. Tennessee: The Volunteers are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time, having won three in a row and five of their past seven. If Tennessee can bottle the way it played at Florida, this team has danger written all over it going into the SEC tournament. The Vols could be a major spoiler, as UT has the size and strength to cause serious problems for teams. The win in Gainesville showed how defense and board work can get this team far during the next three weeks. Cuonzo Martin may be the coach of the year in the SEC if he continues on this run.

6. LSU: The Tigers took advantage of a depleted Alabama squad and won a convincing home game Saturday night. LSU is making shots, looking like it has figured out how to score efficiently and defending at the right time. The Tigers won't be an NCAA tournament team but now are playing like a team that could at least make the NIT. Trent Johnson’s rebuilding plan is finally looking like it took a turn upward.

7. Arkansas: If the games are at home, the Hogs have a shot to be in the NCAA tournament. But they’re not. Arkansas simply can’t win a road game this season -- the latest evidence being that beatdown it took in Athens. The Razorbacks can still beat Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss at home to finish with eight wins in the conference. But there is no indication that this young group will win a road game -- which is essential for any bubble team.

8. Alabama: The Crimson Tide are now the big unknown. Anthony Grant made a choice of choosing character in his program over possible wins and the NCAA tournament when he suspended Tony Mitchell, JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele. There is no timetable for any of their returns. If they don’t come back soon, the Tide won’t be on the bubble any longer. But it’s the right choice for Grant to show that he has a program built on character.

9. Georgia: The Bulldogs have won two in a row and are now a team that may be trouble going forward. Georgia blew out Arkansas and then won at Mississippi State, a home court that had become as difficult as any other in the SEC. UGA didn’t hesitate to go right at Arnett Moultrie and challenge him in the post. The Bulldogs are playing loosely and without the pressure of making the Dance. That’s a dangerous combination in the final three weeks of the season for teams that need wins to impress the selection committee.

10. Ole Miss: The depleted Rebels are playing hard and staying in games, but they just don’t have the personnel to finish. Andy Kennedy had to make a similar choice to Grant when key players were suspended. In his case, they won’t return. That was the end of the Rebels’ NCAA chances. But it was worth the risk. He has to run a program with ethics and character. This squad simply doesn’t have enough scoring to win key games late.

11. Auburn: The Tigers’ rebuilding progress has hit a serious bump with losses in five of their past six games. Auburn looked like it could turn its season around with a home win over Alabama after nearly winning at Mississippi State. But the Tigers couldn’t score against their archrival and lost by 18. Losing to Auburn from this point forward will be considered a bad loss for teams trying to impress the selection committee (see Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida).

12. South Carolina: Darrin Horn has tried to turn the Gamecocks around during his tenure, but it’s getting harder to believe that this will happen in the short term. This team is simply struggling to put together two quality halves. The five-game losing streak needs to end against Georgia and LSU this week, or it could continue all the way to the SEC tournament.

Now that Florida has clearly established itself as the top challenger to No. 1 Kentucky, here is where we stand in the Southeastern Conference.

1. Kentucky: Anthony Davis is having not just an SEC Payer of the Year season but is now a serious candidate for the national honor. He was simply dominant against Tennessee and South Carolina.

2. Florida: The Gators are making 3s in bunches, beating Vanderbilt to set up a top-10 showdown at Kentucky on Tuesday. The Gators can shoot the 3-pointer as effectively any team in the country. Now they’ve got to board and defend.

3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs need to continue to hold serve at home, but that 91-88 victory over Auburn on Saturday was a little too close for comfort. Though after losing to rival Ole Miss last month, any win over the Rebels this week would be welcome.

4. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had a rough road swing, losing at Arkansas and at Florida. The Commodores had chances in both games but still aren’t ready to win and close out late. I’m still convinced the Dores can advance in March in a single-elimination format.

5. Alabama: For now, at least, the Crimson Tide have re-emerged as a top-five SEC team after a much-needed double-overtime win over Ole Miss. Bama easily could have given this game away but made the necessary plays down the stretch, notably guard Andrew Steele, who was clutch from the field and the free throw line. Remember, Steele was out with concussion symptoms earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss: Coach Andy Kennedy has had to remake this team and has turned Ole Miss into a tough out. But the Rebels continue to fall flat in crucial moments. They had a double-figure lead on Florida and couldn’t hold the Gators down in Oxford and had multiple shots to beat the Tide in Tuscaloosa. Those wins have to come soon if we're to take them seriously as a bubble team.

7. Arkansas: Coach Mike Anderson has Bud Walton Arena rocking again, but now the challenge is for the Hogs to bottle up that consistency when they hit road. Don’t hold your breath just yet. That weekend loss in Baton Rouge was highly disappointing for a team that had started to talk bubble.

8. Auburn: The Tigers nearly clipped Mississippi State on the road in Starkville. Auburn has suddenly found its offense and has a legit shot to upset archrival Alabama this week.

9. LSU: This group has meandered through the season without any kind of flow. But LSU's home victory over Arkansas may change the confidence level of this crew. The problem is that a trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt is next.

10. Tennessee: The Vols are one of the hardest-working teams in the SEC, but the consistent results aren’t there yet. Tennessee is tough at home but pretty awful on the road. Give coach Cuonzo Martin time and this team will be a factor again.

11. Georgia: The Bulldogs have struggled to score during a four-game losing streak, failing to reach 64 points in any of the four games. Playing three of the next five on the road won’t help cure the offensive woes.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks got obliterated at home by Kentucky 86-52, and it wasn’t ever close. South Carolina can’t allow itself to get run out of its own house like that against anyone.

Kentucky is at the top of the national rankings and the conference rankings. But who comes next in the SEC?

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to take everyone's best shot and keep on winning. The problems of winning on the road in conference play seem to be a thing of the past. Still tough spots to come at Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but smooth sailing so far.

2. Florida: The Gators haven't lost since the SEC opener at Tennessee. If you jumped off this bandwagon, it was probably a mistake. Florida had arguably its best week of the season with a comeback win at Ole Miss and a convincing home win over Mississippi State.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores hold steady at No. 3 with two solid home wins over rival Tennessee and dangerous mid-major Middle Tennessee, who entered Saturday's game 20-2. It was a good week for Vandy, but the consistency has been lacking. Let's see another good week from the Dores.

4. Mississippi State: Yes, the Bulldogs won at Vanderbilt in overtime the previous week but they looked overmatched in their road loss at Florida. Mississippi State needs to get back on track this week. Still, this is at worst the fourth-best team in the SEC.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide have been all over the map during the conference season. But after a terrible loss at South Carolina, they did hold on to beat Arkansas at home over the weekend and this team clearly has SEC top-five talent. Still think this is the right spot for them.

6. Arkansas: Mike Anderson has made the Razorbacks a tough out even though they are depleted. Winning in Fayetteville is a chore for any team this season. Don't be surprised to see Arkansas cause trouble in the conference tournament.

7. Tennessee: The Vols have hit a bit of a skid lately, but the effort has been solid. The addition of Jarnell Stokes changes the dynamic for this team and makes them a force inside. UT will likely pull another upset here soon, although don't expect one Tuesday night in Lexington.

8. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy has done a fine job reconstituting this team after two dismissals. The Rebels had Florida down by double digits at the half in Oxford and then still had a chance after giving up the lead to force overtime. But poor late-game decisions cost them dearly. Still, Ole Miss is 4-2 over its past six games.

9. LSU: The Tigers were legitimately playing like one of the four best teams in the league in December. But reality hit during this rebuilding process. The play against Kentucky was a bit chippy and the Tigers were blown out at home. I'm not sure if LSU can be a major factor in the second half of the conference season. Doesn't appear so.

10. Auburn: The Tigers were dreadful on offense Saturday in Knoxville, but give Tony Barbee some time to see if he can make this team into a pest by season's end. They did just miss out on winning at Arkansas earlier in the week and were coming off home wins against Ole Miss and South Carolina.

11. Georgia: Mark Fox has to be patient with this team because it is still incredibly young and inexperienced. The Bulldogs are 1-5 in the SEC and play four of their next five on the road. Ouch.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks did beat Alabama at home, but that's their only conference win so far and it might be their last for a while. Of their next four games, three are on the road at Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas -- with a home game against No. 1 Kentucky squeezed in between.

After a banner weekend in the SEC during which a pair of midlevel teams (Arkansas, Tennessee) beat ranked foes (Michigan, Connecticut) in nonconference play, let's attempt to rank the conference 1 to 12:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats got pushed by Alabama more than I thought they would. That's a credit to the Tide. Kentucky still won but has to get tougher.

2. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs again looked like the second-best team in the league with a gritty overtime win at Vanderbilt on Saturday night. If they had played like that to start the SEC, they wouldn't have ever slipped out of this slot in the first place.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had the Bulldogs beat -- at the half. But Vandy allowed MSU back in it and then failed to make a stop in overtime. Tough home loss. This team still can't quite find its footing.

4. Florida: The Gators are now getting the consistent play from Erik Murphy and Bradley Beal that will make a difference in March. Now can this group consistently win on the road? Big one Thursday at Ole Miss.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide did lose twice this week, at home to Vandy and at Kentucky, but the effort and production at Rupp on Saturday proves this team has the potential to be a pest going forward.

6. Tennessee: The Vols pulled off a huge win over Connecticut, the second signature victory under Cuonzo Martin. The addition of just-turned-18 freshman Jarnell Stokes makes this team a tough matchup to deal with. Expect a few more upsets out of UT.

7. Arkansas: The Razorbacks held off Michigan at home for another quality win at Bud Walton Arena. Mike Anderson's chore is to get the Hogs to hunt their shots on the road, too.

8. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy has done a great job of rallying this team after some off-the-court turmoil. The Rebels beat Mississippi State at home and won at Georgia last week. They aren't at-large worthy, but can make the NIT.

9. LSU: The Tigers have been given a reality check lately and it hasn't been pretty, having dropped four of their past six games. It's evident LSU is still a young team learning how to win on the road.

10. Georgia: The Bulldogs can't seem to break through with that signature conference win this season, even though they did gut out an OT win against Tennessee. But would it have been too much to ask for a follow-up home win against Ole Miss?

11. Auburn: The Tigers need to ensure they have an identity during this rebuilding phase and at least they're proving themselves to be a tough out at home. They've knocked off South Carolina and Ole Miss in Auburn and pushed Kentucky 'til the final few minutes.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have become a team you can pick up a win against. That needs to change fast or Darrin Horn is in trouble.

Kentucky is No. 1. That much we know. The rest is anyone's guess at this point. Vanderbilt's games at Alabama and against Mississippi State this week should tell us a lot about slots 2 through 5. But for now ...

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats struggled in two road games at Auburn and Tennessee. But they still found ways to win. UK has two consistent stars in freshmen Anthony Davis (now at both ends of the court) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist; look for those two to continue to shine at home this week against Arkansas and Alabama.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores have won seven straight, including three in a row in the SEC. But it was against three of the league's worst teams. Now Vandy gets to the thrust of its schedule with games against Alabama, Mississippi State, rival Tennessee and then one of the surging teams outside the Big Six in Middle Tennessee State.

3. Mississippi State: Some nerves were frayed in Starkville last week after nail-biting wins over Tennessee and Alabama. But the threesome of Arnett Moultrie inside and Dee Bost and Rodney Hood on the perimeter make the Bulldogs a formidable force.

4. Florida: The Gators finally won a road game, albeit against struggling South Carolina. Freshman Brad Beal is starting to find his groove. If that continues, the Gators will be in the thick of this race in March.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide weren’t able to steal a road win at Mississippi State, but the game was in the 50s, a real indication of how tough Bama is defensively under Anthony Grant. But the schedule continues to get tougher with Vanderbilt and a road game at Kentucky this week.

6. Tennessee: The Volunteers didn’t beat Mississippi State or Kentucky, but they came darn close, and Tennessee's effort and overall quality of play against three of the top four teams in the SEC tells me UT will end up finishing in the upper half of the conference.

7. Arkansas: The Hogs had a disappointing loss at Ole Miss, but recovered by beating LSU by nine. Mike Anderson has again made Bud Walton Arena one of the toughest places to play for opponents. Michigan had better be on upset alert Saturday when the Wolverines come to Fayetteville.

8. LSU: The Tigers were one of the surprise teams in the SEC a few weeks ago, but LSU is starting to show its inexperience. That’s why beating Auburn is a must, and giving a great show at Florida later in the week would also be encouraging.

9. Auburn: Meanwhile, these Tigers deserve plenty of credit for the way they played last week, even in a losing effort against Kentucky. Auburn was in the game well into the second half, flustering UK multiple times. Then the Tigers held on to beat Ole Miss by one in double overtime.

10. Ole Miss: The Rebels are a thin bunch after multiple dismissals. But they’ve remained competitive at least after an initial drubbing at LSU. Ole Miss beat Arkansas and then lost a heartbreaker at Auburn.

11. Georgia: The Bulldogs are better than their talent has shown of late. Georgia has really struggled to score in its first three SEC games, getting blown out against Alabama and at Florida before a better effort in a loss at Vandy.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks had a rough schedule to start the SEC with a road trip to Kentucky and visits from Vanderbilt and Florida. But the difference between a team like South Carolina and Tennessee is the home court. The latter has a distinct advantage in that category.

How did Florida and Mississippi State dropping their SEC openers affect my latest conference rankings? Let's take a look:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats have Anthony Davis and everyone else does not. Terrence Jones' return as a scorer against South Carolina makes this team even more dangerous.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores may end up being the second-best team in the SEC, as predicted in the preseason. They should be. They have the most experience at key positions.

3. Alabama: These spots will rotate from No. 2 to No. 5 over the next few weeks. But the Tide’s defensive domination in a road sweep of Georgia Tech and Georgia was impressive.

4. Mississippi State: I can hear the Arkansas fans chirping at keeping the Bulldogs this high after the Razorbacks thumped them on Saturday night. But it was a difficult road game and I can’t lower MSU too much after that loss.

5. Florida: The Gators continue to come up with ways to lose on the road. The first two losses were legitimate at Ohio State and Syracuse. The Rutgers loss was a failure to finish. The Tennessee loss was more about overall execution.

6. LSU: The Tigers did lose earlier in the week at home to Virginia, but then did what they should: beat a depleted Ole Miss, even without Johnny O’Bryant (hand injury). This will be a huge week for LSU as it hits the road to Alabama and Arkansas.

7. Arkansas: The Razorbacks crept closer to the top half with an impressive offensive performance in the win over the Bulldogs. Mike Anderson and his explosive Hogs had Bud Walton Arena rocking again Saturday night.

8. Tennessee: The certainty you’ll get from a Cuonzo Martin team is a tough, hard-working defensive team. The win over Florida was wildly impressive, from the game plan to the execution. The Vols aren’t going to be an NCAA team, but they will become a tough out from this point forward.

9. Georgia: The Bulldogs are inexperienced in key spots, but are like Tennessee in that they are tough to punch out. The Bulldogs should remain pesky during the conference season.

10. South Carolina: The Gamecocks got rocked at Kentucky as expected. But this team still has the length and athleticism that could pose some problems in Columbia, as it did for a spell against Ohio State.

11. Ole Miss: The Rebels take the deepest drop after booting leading scorer Dundrecous Nelson and reserve Jamal Jones from the team, following Nelson’s arrest. The pair was tossed, according to a source, for multiple failed drug tests. Ole Miss then was wiped out at LSU.

12. Auburn: The Tigers are still in rebuilding mode. Scoring just 35 points in a 30-point loss at Vanderbilt is a strong indication that the project still is in toddler stage. Up next for Auburn: Kentucky. Yikes.

Utah’s futile Pac-12 debut
Colorado defeated Utah 73-33 in the first Pac-12 game for both schools. It marked the fewest points allowed by Colorado since beating Kansas 42-30 in January 1949. Utah hasn’t had this low of a scoring total since 1980, and the Utes’ 22.8 field goal percentage was the fourth lowest in school history. The 40-point loss stands as the fourth worst in school history. Utah’s 11 first-half points are the fewest ever allowed by Colorado.

Oglesby hasn’t missed since November
Torian Oglesby made history on Sunday in Bowling Green’s overtime loss to UTSA. He came off the bech to hit all 10 of his field goals, setting a school record for attempts without a miss. Even more impressive than that? Oglesby hasn’t missed a shot since November. After finishing December 16-for-16 from the field, Oglesby has now hit a Division I record 26 straight shots. That broke the record set by Ray Voekel of American University, who hit 25 shots in a row in 1978.

Robinson impersonates Wilt
Thomas Robinson had career highs with 30 points and 21 rebounds in Kansas’ 84-58 win over North Dakota on Saturday. It was the first 30-point, 20-rebound game in the Big 12 since Blake Griffin did so. It had been 50 years since a Jayhawk had done it. The last 30-20 game in Kansas history came on February 13, 1961 against Missouri when Wayne Hightower scored 36 points to go with 21 rebounds. The only other Jayhawk to record a 30-20 game? Wilt Chamberlain, who did it seven times.

Gabriel makes Auburn history
In the 106 years and 2,322 games of Auburn basketball history, no one had recorded a triple double. Until Monday. Kenny Gabriel recorded the first triple-double in Auburn history as the Tigers beat Bethune-Cookman 67-41. Gabriel matched career-highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, while setting a new career-high with 10 blocks. He’s the first SEC player with a points-rebounds-blocks triple-double since Jarvis Varnado in January 2010.

BYU’s 1st 20-20 game in over 35 years
Brandon Davies pulled down a career-high 22 rebounds to go with 21 points, as BYU defeated San Diego 88-52 for its first West Coast Conference win. The 22 rebounds are the most for a Cougar since Steve Trumbo’s 23 in January 1982. It’s the first 20-20 game by a BYU player since the 1974-75 season.

Conference play begins Saturday. Before then, let's take another stab at ranking the SEC teams in terms of how they're playing right now:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats have the most talent and now may have the top defensive player (Anthony Davis), two of the best freshmen (adding in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) and could end up with the SEC player of the year, too (MKG).

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had the second-best win of the week with a convincing road victory at Marquette, a game they dominated from start to finish. So the Dores make a leap in these snapshot rankings and suddenly look like a league contender again. Now let's see some consistency.

3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lost to Baylor by one possession in Dallas. No shame in that. Mississippi State still has the frontline to contend with any team in this league.

4. Florida: The Gators lost in double overtime at the RAC. That’s always been a tough place for road teams, but Rutgers is still a bottom-feeder in the Big East. That was a bad, bad loss.

5. LSU: The Tigers head into their game against Virginia with a chance for another significant home win. If LSU beats the Cavaliers, it must be taken seriously as a possible NCAA tournament team.

6. Alabama: The Tide seemed to have found their footing again. Alabama easily coasted past Jacksonville and heads into two games in the state of Georgia (struggling Georgia Tech and UGA) with a chance to get on a bit of a roll.

7. Georgia: The Bulldogs continue to move toward relevancy with five straight wins. Georgia heads into its SEC home opener against Alabama with a chance to get the rest of the league’s attention.

8. Arkansas: The Hogs have also won five straight. All were at home against softer competition, but if Arkansas can knock off Mississippi State in the SEC home opener Saturday, the Razorbacks should be taken seriously.

9. Ole Miss: The Rebels have a frontcourt that can cause problems, but this team consistently has missed opportunities in the nonconference to jump up and get everyone’s attention.

10. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have the most intriguing talent of any of the bottom-level SEC teams. Let’s see if they can turn that into wins here soon. It won't help confidence levels that South Carolina opens the SEC at Kentucky.

11. Auburn: The Tigers stumbled in Hawaii and then got back to beating lesser competition. The problem for the Auburn will be the next three games. AU has a chance at Florida State, but then going to Vandy and hosting Kentucky will certainly tell a lot about this team’s growth.

12. Tennessee: This is a major rebuilding project for Cuonzo Martin. The Vols are taking small steps in becoming relevant again and will certainly get a boost from freshman Jarnell Stokes in mid-January.