SEC Tournament 2012: Breaking Down Every Team

I always hear that Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year.  I have to disagree—we're six days away from Selection Sunday and the conference tournaments are really going to pick up this week.

On Thursday, the SEC tournament will begin.  Clearly, the Kentucky Wildcats are the favorites, but anyone who's watched college basketball before knows that nothing is a guarantee.  Do we remember 2008?  That was when Georgia entered the SEC tournament with a losing record and wound up winning the tournament, earning an NCAA bid.

That being said, here's a breakdown of all 12 teams vying for the title. 

12. South Carolina

The South Carolina Gamecocks will enter the SEC tournament at 10-20, 2-14 in the SEC.  Unless you want to consider Alabama a good win, they don't have any of note.

Right now, the Gamecocks are in a bit of a transitional mode.  They don't really have any players who could step up and be impact players.  Their leading scorer, Malik Cooke, averages 12.5 points per game and shoots just over 41 percent.

They rank in the 200s in just about every statistical category, averaging only 61 points per game.  While I said college ball can be unpredictable, if South Carolina were to win the SEC championship, it would be one of the most stunning runs of all-time.

11. Georgia

Not to say I'm trying to predict anything bold, but these Georgia Bulldogs are similar to the 2008 version that won the SEC tournament—under .500, lowly seeded, etc.

Still, not going to happen in 2012. The Dogs have a couple of good wins over Mississippi State and Florida, so there's a lot of potential here.  I'm not buying into their whopping 300th-ranked offense and lack of any real effective big man underneath.

Donte Williams is the team's leading rebounder with just over five a game, and their leading scorer, Gerald Robinson, averages around 14 points per game.  Neither of these stats are that staggering.

They'll be facing Mississippi State in the first round, so a little first round upset potential is there, given Georgia has beaten them once already. 

10. Auburn

The Auburn Tigers will step into the tournament at 15-15, only 5-11 in SEC play.  To their credit, they've beaten Mississippi State this year (while losing by only three in their other meeting) and beat bubble team South Florida.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot to be impressed with.  As with the two previous teams, no stats are really all that staggering—their leading scorer is shooting under 40 percent and averages under 13 points per game. 

Kenny Gabriel is, by far, their leading rebounder with over seven per game.  They face Ole Miss in the first round, whom they beat earlier this season.  If they win, they will meet second-seeded Tennessee, who is beatable. 

Don't sleep on the Tigers.

9. Arkansas

Arkansas began the season 12-3, which is a pretty impressive start, but two of those losses came against Houston and Oklahoma, so I think everyone knew not to jump on that bandwagon. 

Despite bad losses, we have to look at the fact that they've got victories over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Michigan.  At 18-13 and 6-10 in the SEC, the Razorbacks are not a bubble team.  Barring an epic run to (at least) the SEC championship game (that, by the way, would have to go through the Kentucky Wildcats), the Hogs will be in the NIT.

Despite not being a tournament contender, Arkansas is certainly a step up from their previous three foes.  Offensively, the Hogs are fourth in the SEC, averaging 72 points per game—their issue is defense, as they're 11th in that category.

Junior forward Marshawn Powell can definitely lead this team to some glory, as he averages 19.5 points per game on over 70 percent shooting.

8. LSU

Despite having no real playmakers, LSU has some pretty impressive victories—Marquette, Alabama and Mississippi State (am I the only one noticing a recurring theme?) have all fallen to the Tigers.

LSU is quite the polar opposite of Arkansas—they're decent on defense, but just not great offensively.  As a team, they shoot only 40.7 percent, but they average 63.6 opponents' points per game. 

Justin Hamilton gives this team with a lot of hope as the team's leading scorer and rebounder.  Still, he can't do everything himself.  Looking at the team's schedule, they definitely were a potential tournament team prior to the previous three-game losing streak they just went through. 

If they won those three, they would be 20-10 overall with a decent 10-6 SEC stand. 

LSU will face Arkansas in a battle of two teams who will need at least three SEC Tournament victories to get into the Big Dance.

7. Ole Miss

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than it is to be good.  That's how I feel about Ole Miss.  In terms of stats, the Rebels aren't that impressive in any category.

Still, they're 18-12 overall with a respectable 8-8 SEC record.  Good wins here include Mississippi State (the pattern continues), Alabama and bubble-team Miami. 

Overall, the impressive thing about Ole Miss is their ability to attack the boards.  Murphy Holloway and Reginald Buckner both average over eight rebounds per game and the team is 26th in the nation.  Unfortunately, those rebounds don't translate into points, as the team shoots only 43 percent.

Mississippi can make a good run at an at-large bid if they can get by Auburn and Tennessee.

6. Mississippi State

In case you haven't noticed, Mississippi State has fallen victim to quite a few teams on this list.  At 21-10, they have one of the better overall records in the conference, but they are only 8-8 in the SEC, causing them to fall from NCAA sure thing to bubble team. 

If they lose to Georgia on Thursday, they don't have a prayer.  Offensively, they're in the top 100, but mostly outside of the top 50.  Taking a look at their strong points, they've beaten Arizona, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Alabama and they lost to Baylor by only two.

Led by junior Arnett Moultrie, who averages 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, the Bulldogs certainly have NCAA Tournament-caliber talent.  However, inconsistency has hurt them, so they need to get on track. 

5. Alabama

Alabama has the best defense in the SEC—they allow just over 57 points per game.  Their season-long issue has been scoring points, as they're ninth in the SEC. 

I find it hard to believe that the Crimson Tide are not considered a bubble team.  At 20-10 and 9-7 in the SEC, the record certainly seems impressive, but good wins of note are hard to find.  However, they have lost to South Carolina, which is a bad loss.

Tony Mitchell and Jamychal Greene lead the charge for the Tide, and they need the first-round win over South Carolina on Thursday.  While they're not a bubble team, a first-round loss—and two overall losses—to the Gamecocks could be deadly for Bama. 

4. Florida

At 22-9, the Gators have the second-best overall record in the SEC.  Florida has a lot of potential with good wins over Florida State, Vandy, Alabama and Texas A&M.

Offensively, they're solid.  Top 20 in the nation solid. They are led by Kenny Boynton, who is averaging over 16 points per game.

Defensively, they've got to be better.  That's what will kill them in this tournament and beyond—if their defense can improve, you better watch out for Billy Donovan's club.

Florida meets the winner of South Carolina and Alabama.

3. Vanderbilt

Coming into the 2011-12 season, the Vanderbilt Commodores were a top-10 team.  Now, they're unranked and haven't been ranked in quite some time.  Inconsistency has hurt them badly.

Wins over Marquette, Alabama and Florida help them look stronger.  On the flip side, losses to Indiana State and Cleveland State weaken their resume.  Still, they have some power.

John Jenkins is the team's leading scorer at 20 points per game.  In terms of shooting as a whole, the team isn't too bad.  Attacking the boards and having a big man to do that is where they've run into some issues.  They rank 183rd in the country in rebounds. 

At 10-6 in SEC play, Vandy has earned a bye in the SEC tournament and will be facing the winner of Mississippi State and Georgia.

2. Tennessee

Despite what has mostly been a down season, the Volunteers from Tennessee have the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament.  That comes with a 10-6 SEC record, and an 18-13 season overall.  A couple of wins in the tourney could wind up earning them a surprise ticket to the Big Dance.

They rank in the top 100 in rebounds per game, which is really the only thing that stands out about Tennessee.  Jarnell Stokes and Trae Golden lead the charge for the Vols, but they are pretty average playmakers.

Let's look at facts though—they beat Florida twice, Connecticut (though that's not so impressive anymore), Vanderbilt and they played Kentucky very well at home, losing by only three.

Tennessee, while an average team on paper, can definitely make a run to the championship game and perhaps punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament, which seemed out of reach just a couple of months ago.

1. Kentucky

Naturally, the top-seeded Wildcats are the favorites to win the SEC title.  On the season, they're 30-1, and only a buzzer beater in Bloomington away from an unbeaten season.

Kentucky is a top-20 team in the nation in both offense and defense, led by freshman Anthony Davis.  He's pulling down almost 10 rebounds per game and shoots around 66.3 percent.  In addition, he leads the nation in blocks per game, averaging around 4.7. 

He's got a great cast around him, as senior Darius Miller, sophomore Terrence Jones and freshmen Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer all supply amazing talent.

Write it down—Kentucky will be victorious for the third year in a row.