SEC Tournament: Biggest Playmakers to Watch in Nashville
No player in the SEC tournament will be as heavily watched and scrutinized as LSU forward Ben Simmons.
The 6'10" Australian native, widely considered to be the top pick in the 2016 NBA draft, has been a double-double machine this season. His per-game averages of 19.6 points and 11.9 rebounds each rank in the SEC's top-five figures.
Though Simmons is invaluable to the Tigers' chances to win the tournament, he is by no means the clear favorite as the SEC's biggest playmaker entering the tournament.
Texas A&M boasts a potent backcourt of Jalen Jones and Danuel House, both of whom average more than 15 points per game. Kentucky is led by sophomore guard Tyler Ulis, winner of both the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
Of course, we can't forget about underrated Ole Miss guard Stefan Moody, whose 23.1 points per game lead the SEC and makes the Rebels an interesting pick to make some serious noise in the tournament.
Which players will prove to be the biggest playmakers throughout the tournament?
This list will help you break down the best candidates throughout the conference, factoring in both their importance to the team and the difficulty of their team's path through the tournament.
Honorable Mention
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These five players will undoubtedly have a significant impact on their team's SEC tournament performance, though they aren't quite top-10 playmakers:
No. 15: Cinmeon Bowers, F, Auburn
No. 14: Gavin Ware, F, Mississippi St.
No. 13: Yante Maten, F, Georgia
No. 12: Danuel House, G, Texas A&M
No. 11: Dorian Finney-Smith, F, Florida
Of these five players, Finney-Smith was the hardest to leave off the list. The Second Team All-SEC selection led the Gators with 15 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, while playing a whopping 31.8 minutes per contest.
It would be very difficult to see the Gators making noise in the SEC tournament; even if they can defeat Arkansas, they would have a date with the top-seed Aggies in the next round.
Still, Finney-Smith has poured out four years into the Florida program after transferring from Virginia Tech after his freshman season, and he was a sophomore on the 2013-14 Final Four team. It will be interesting to see if he can conjure up one last run in a Gator uniform.
No. 10: Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt
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Between Damian Jones and Dorian Finney-Smith, the decision came down to which player was better on both ends of the floor. Jones wins that battle by a mile.
The 7-foot center averages 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, both of which rank second on the team. What truly separates Jones from Finney-Smith, however, is his superior blocking ability.
The junior averages 1.68 blocks per contest, which ranks eighth in the SEC. He and 7'1" forward Luke Kornet (2.96 blocks per game) have combined to form a potent shot-swatting duo that leaves opponents hesitant to drive to the hoop.
Jones has played his best basketball in SEC play, something that has to excite Commodore fans. His two most notable performances came back on Jan. 5 against Arkansas and Jan. 26 against Florida.
In the former contest, Jones posted a monstrous 24 points and 15 rebounds, going 9-of-13 from the field. In the latter, Jones' 20 points and 12 rebounds led Vanderbilt to a thrilling 60-59 victory.
The Commodores have a manageable path early on in the tournament. They will play the winner of Wednesday's Tennessee-Auburn contest, and a win in that game sets up a match with LSU in the quarterfinals.
In order for Vanderbilt to make an unexpected run to the SEC tournament title, Jones will need a few more of those January performances.
No. 9: Retin Obasohan, G, Alabama
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The Alabama Crimson Tide have struggled mightily in their last six contests, all of which have come at the hands of SEC rivals. Their 2-4 record is indicative of the belief that Alabama is destined for an early exit from the tournament.
It would be even worse if Retin Obasohan wasn't keeping things close.
A native of Belgium, the senior Alabama guard has averaged 17.7 points per game, fifth in the SEC. But in those last six contests, he has gone from very good to great.
In those six games, Obasohan has averaged nearly 25 points per game, including a season-high 35 in an upset road win over LSU. But a 29-point performance against Kentucky still resulted in a 78-53 loss, and a 32-point performance last Wednesday against Arkansas only resulted in a disappointing, one-point home loss.
The fact that even Obasohan's A-game hasn't resulted in key conference wins for the Crimson Tide shows how poorly the team plays around him.
With a matchup against Ole Miss looming, Alabama will get a chance to make a nice upset before a potential quarterfinal showdown with Kentucky likely knocks them out of the tournament.
Despite seemingly insurmountable odds to make some noise in the SEC tournament, there are no guarantees in basketball. Keep an eye on Obasohan in the Alabama-Ole Miss game; he just might be able to carry the team to an upset victory.
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No. 8: Michael Carrera, G, South Carolina
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Michael Carrera's talent is not under question right now—his health is.
Having missed South Carolina's regular-season finale against Arkansas, there is some question as to whether the First Team All-SEC selection will be able to play in the SEC tournament.
In an interview with David Caraviello of the Post and Courier, Gamecocks head coach Frank Martin was rather vague as to Carrera's playing status for the team's opening-round game against the winner of the Georgia-Mississippi State contest:
"Knowing Michael, if there’s a way he can play, he’s going to fight me if I don’t let him play. But if he’s not healthy enough, I think we’ve put ourselves in a pretty good spot for playing past this week. So we’ll rest him as long as we need to, to make sure when he gets on the court, he’s healthy and can remain healthy.
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Carrera would be sorely missed if he can't play, given that his averages of 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game both lead the team.
However, it would be shocking if he misses any more games, especially if Georgia advances to the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs have beaten South Carolina in both contests this season, including a 74-72 home loss back on March 3.
If the Gamecocks were to drop a third contest to arguably their biggest conference rival, it would be devastating to the program. In order to advance to the tournament semifinals and beyond, Carrera will have to be back in the South Carolina lineup.
No. 7: Jalen Jones, G, Texas A&M
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The Aggies surprised most people by winning the SEC regular-season title, an award that Kentucky had held for most years in recent memory.
When looking at the team's guard duo of Jalen Jones and Danuel House, however, it really shouldn't have been so surprising.
Jones, who averages 15.8 points per game, slightly bests House and his 15.3 points. While Jones has a superior rebounding ability (7.2 rebounds per contest) that gives him the advantage, House's similar stats inhibit Jones as a playmaker and therefore keeps him somewhat low on this list.
Regardless, Jones is the leader of the team, and it shows. In arguably the biggest game of the season for the Aggies, he rose to the occasion, scoring 24 points along with eight rebounds in the team's overtime victory against Kentucky.
Jones went 9-of-19 from the field, while House had an off night, going 2-of-13.
If the Aggies are to claim the SEC tournament title as well, they'll need Jones to keep up that type of performance. Keep an eye on him in the team's matchup with the winner of the Florida-Arkansas game.
No. 6: Jamal Murray, G, Kentucky
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What a surprise: John Calipari brought in another talented freshman to light up college basketball.
Jamal Murray has been sensational for the Wildcats this season, which was crucial to the team's success after Skal Labissiere struggled to find himself.
Murray's 20 points per game rank third in the conference, and it led to his placement on both the First Team All-SEC roster and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
As impressive as that is, it doesn't even come close to how well Murray has played since February.
In each of the 10 contests since the start of February, Murray has scored 21 points or more, averaging 25.4 points per game over that stretch. Kentucky has gone 7-3 over those 10 games.
Simply put, the Wildcats need to win the SEC tournament. They'll be in the NCAA tournament either way—ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently has them as a No. 4 seed—but winning the tournament would put some additional fear into their opponents heading into the teeth of March Madness.
With the team slated to face either Alabama or Ole Miss in the quarterfinals, look for Murray to post yet another stellar game as arguably Kentucky's most dynamic playmaker.
No. 5: J.J. Frazier, G, Georgia
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The Georgia Bulldogs have been fairly inconsistent all season, winning their last three contests after dropping the previous three.
There's no limit to what this team can achieve in the SEC tournament, but any success will primarily be the result of guard J.J. Frazier.
Frazier has averaged 16.4 points per game this season and in the last five contests has averaged 22.4 points. The 5'10" point guard is excellent at driving to the hoop, but his 40.4 three-point percentage shows his ability to hit just about anything from downtown.
Frazier and Yante Maten have formed a nice duo for Georgia, and both were rewarded with a spot on the Second Team All-SEC roster. Each player will need big performances in all of Georgia's remaining games, but Frazier's playmaking ability is incredible to watch.
The Bulldogs face Mississippi State in their first contest, and a victory there would pit them against South Carolina. This is a friendly scenario for Georgia, which is 3-0 against these two teams.
Keep an eye on Frazier in the opening game; if he gets into a rhythm from downtown, we'll likely get to see that matchup with the Gamecocks in the quarterfinals.
No. 4: Moses Kingsley, F, Arkansas
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When Bobby Portis left Arkansas for the NBA after last season, there was some concern as to whether the team could replace his production.
Fortunately for Razorback fans, Moses Kingsley has done just that.
Kingsley's averages of 16.1 points and 9.2 rebounds are both best on the team, and he spearheads a dynamic trio that includes guards Dusty Hannahs and Anthlon Bell.
The 6'10" Nigerian's ability to post a double-double on a given night is impressive in and of itself, but his shot-blocking ability truly separates him from most forwards. His 2.4 blocks per game easily lead the team.
But despite the production from Kingsley (not to mention Hannahs and Bell), the Razorbacks are woefully mediocre this season. Their 16-15 record has them in a matchup against Florida in their first game, and a win there sets them up for a date with Texas A&M.
Arkansas is capable of doing some damage in the tournament, especially since they took down the Aggies in their 74-71 regular-season victory. But for the team to get in a position for another upset, Kingsley will need a double-double performance—and a few shot blocks as well.
No. 3: Stefan Moody, G, Ole Miss
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Stefan Moody, the SEC's leading scorer, is the sole factor in determining how far Ole Miss goes in this tournament.
Moody's 23.2 points per game easily lead the team, as does his average of 34.5 minutes per game. He runs the floor well, and as a senior, he's experienced some of the best defenses the conference can throw at him.
With all due respect to Sebastian Saiz and his double-double abilities, Moody runs the show in Oxford.
Of all the biggest games Moody has played in this season, his performance in the penultimate regular-season game against Mississippi State is the most indicative of what he can do. In that 86-78 victory, Moody posted 43 points and six assists on 11-of-24 shooting.
Not bad for 35 minutes of playing time.
Against Alabama in the first round, Moody will surely be invigorated in what could potentially be his final basketball game. Look for one of the SEC's best playmakers to put together a performance for the ages against a reeling Crimson Tide squad.
No. 2: Tyler Ulis, G, Kentucky
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Jamal Murray is a very exciting player to watch, and he's certainly a playmaker for the Wildcats. But Ulis is the center of the team, the playmaker who controls what Kentucky does on the floor.
Ulis' stats aren't fully indicative of just how good he is. His per-game averages include 36.8 minutes, 16.6 points, 7.4 assists and 1.4 steals.
What makes Ulis so great is that he operates well on both ends of the floor; that's an impressive trait when considering the above-average quality of SEC guards. He deserves recognition for this, and he gets it.
Ulis was named SEC Player of the Year over Ben Simmons and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and he joined Murray on the First Team All-SEC roster.
The 5'9" guard plays with a lot of heart, and in the end that desire makes him a better player. With Kentucky's high hopes resting largely on its performance in the SEC tournament, keep an eye on Ulis and his playmaking abilities.
No. 1: Ben Simmons, F, LSU
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What can be said about Ben Simmons that hasn't already been said? He entered the season as the most watched player in college basketball with incredibly high expectations, and he has played very well.
The only player in the SEC to average a double-double, Simmons leads the team in every meaningful per-game category: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and field-goal percentage.
Why not just cast LSU head coach Johnny Jones aside and let Simmons call the shots?
Though he was robbed of SEC Player of the Year honors, Simmons was deserving of his spots on the First Team All-SEC squad and SEC All-Freshman Team, not to mention being named SEC Freshman of the Year.
Simmons absolutely deserves a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. His team, however, does not.
LSU has underwhelmed this season, and there's a very good chance that the Tigers won't be dancing this March. If they somehow do, Simmons will have to lead them there.
With a quarterfinal matchup against Vanderbilt all but certain, look for Simmons to continue his role as LSU's best (and only) playmaker—before he leaves college basketball for the NBA.
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