sec basketball – Syndication Server

How Kentucky fared the last time they took on Tennessee

Kentucky plays Tennessee on Tuesday, but here’s how their last matchup went.

Kentucky basketball is set to play one of their toughest matchups tonight against the Tennessee Volunteers. With the Vols ranked eighth in the country, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Kentucky isn’t far behind, although they did drop from ninth to twelfth nationally in the latest AP Poll.

The matchup in Knoxville could be one for the ages, as was the last time the two teams faced off.

That last one came on March 9th of last season, where the Wildcats took down the Volunteers 85-81 to spoil their Senior night.

Although it was Senior night, it was a freshman that shined brightest for Kentucky. First-year guard Reed Sheppard, from London, KY, played 33 minutes off the bench. In those 33 minutes, the 6’2″ all-around guard dropped 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Related: Lamont Butler to miss Tennessee game

Sheppard went on to be selected third overall in the following NBA draft, while teammate Antonio Reeves was selected in the second round (47th overall) this past spring.

The fifth-year senior matched Sheppard on points in that matchup with the Volunteers. He also chipped in 7 rebounds.

Future Lakers first round pick Dalton Knecht starred for Tennessee in the matchup, putting up 40 points of his own. Ultimately it didn’t matter, as Kentucky dished out a loss to their SEC neighbors.

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, the two teams will matchup again on February 11 in Lexington.

Texas A&M men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams is ‘talking less than’ he ‘ever’ has before

“I’m talking less than I ever have in my career. I’m trying to give them more ownership. I ask more questions so it engages them to answer.”

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams spoke about his new methods of leadership this week on the latest episode of the Aggie Basketball Hour.

“This year you only play three teams twice, so that’s different than five. With Oklahoma, there is our game study from before. They’re a different team than before the bye with how they use their pieces, but there is some familiarity,” Williams explained Monday. “Because they grew up in an era of looking at screens, our guys learn best by watching. Every day we work, we watch film. Tomorrow at 11:31 a.m., we’ll have film. The kids know what I’m going to talk about tomorrow.

“I’m talking less than I ever have in my career. I’m trying to give them more ownership. I ask more questions so it engages them to answer and let them talk about it. Our players are using more words. It creates continuity and belief.”

The No. 15 Aggies (15-5, 4-3 SEC) host Oklahoma (15-4, 2-4) at Reed Arena tonight at 8 p.m. on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

‘On to the next,’ Texas A&M men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams reflects on close games

“From a statistical standpoint, this is the best league in the country. We’re +1 after 7 games. You want to keep it going,” Williams said.

While the Texas A&M men’s basketball team is attempting to bounce back from a buzzer beat loss at Texas this past weekend, head coach Buzz Williams is remaining positive.

Williams discussed the Aggies‘ nine close games on the latest episode of the Aggie Basketball Hour.

“We’ve played 15 games in Quad 1 and Quad 2, and nine of them have been decided by one or two possessions. We’re 6-3 so far in those close games. We need to handle the results the same way and move on to the next one,” Williams said Monday. “From a statistical standpoint, this is the best league in the country. We’re plus one after seven games. You want to keep it going, but how can you respond to the next thing? No matter who we play, it’s one or two possessions.

“We address things in real-time. I think our staff has done a phenomenal job. If 60% of your games have been decided by one or two possessions and you’re 6-3, that means you could easily have been 3-6.”

No. 15 Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) hosts Oklahoma (15-4, 2-4) at Reed Arena tonight at 8 p.m. on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Auburn basketball has ‘firm grasp’ on college basketball after win over Tennessee

Auburn proved why it is the nation’s best team on Saturday by taking down Tennessee in a slug fest.

Auburn basketball proved last Saturday that any win is a good win.

The No. 1 Tigers defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 53-51, on Saturday at Neville Arena despite shooting 31% from the field. Two of its offensive weapons, [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag], were shut out from the field, and freshman [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] shot 33% on the night.

Despite its struggles, Auburn made the right plays down the stretch. The Tigers went on a 6-0 run to close the game and forced Tennessee to miss six of its final seven shots to close the game.

Jordan Mendoza of USA TODAY Sports says that Auburn’s win over the Volunteers proved that the Tigers have a “firm grasp on top of the sport” as the calendar flips to February in the weekly winners and losers feature.

Does Saturday’s game determine who will win the SEC or become national champion? No, but what the contest did prove is Auburn is indeed the best team in the country. It’s been three weeks into the conference slate, and every team tasted defeat in the talent-heavy league − except Auburn. A perfect 6-0 start in the SEC likely couldn’t be done by any other team in the country, nor could a 11-1 record in Quad 1 games.

It helped matters that forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] returned to action on Saturday. Broome played 33 minutes off the bench in the win, where he scored 16 points and secured 13 rebounds. Broome and the Tigers will look to continue its run of dominance this week with road games at LSU on Wednesday and Ole Miss on Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Where did Texas A&M basketball land in the US LBM Coaches poll after Week 12?

After going 1-1 for the second consecutive week, Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) is 2.5 games behind in the SEC, sitting in fifth place.

Week 12 was a stressful week for fans and the Aggie basketball team. Both games played were decided by one point and the winning team took their first lead of the game in the final seconds.

A&M went on the road against Ole Miss and in what felt like a football game they clawed their way back in the second half winning the game on a Manny Obaseki three-point shot. Unfortunately, against Texas they let a 22-point lead slip away with the Longhorns hitting a clutch layup to win the second match-up of the Lone Star Showdown.

Movement in the pool was minimal in the top 10 but Purdue captured the No. 10 spot while Kentucky fell to No.12. The biggest jump came from St. John’s who went up seven spots to No. 14. The Aggies didn’t look that impressive in the two games they played and dropped two spots to No.15.

Below is the most recent US LBM Coaches Top 25 Poll after Week 12:

Rank	School	Record	Points
1	Auburn	18-1	775 (31)
2	Duke	17-2	741
3	Iowa State	17-2	689
4	Alabama	17-3	676
5	Houston	16-3	635
6	Florida	18-2	634
7	Michigan State	17-2	583
8	Tennessee	17-3	564
9	Marquette	17-3	536
10	Purdue	16-5	476
11	Kansas	14-5	429
12	Kentucky	14-5	399
13	Mississippi State	16-4	324
14	St. John’s	17-3	318
15	Texas A&M	15-5	310
16	Memphis	16-4	242
17	Wisconsin	16-4	214
18	Oregon	16-4	201
19	Texas Tech	15-4	169
20	Illinois	14-6	166
21	Missouri	14-6	163
22	Louisville	15-5	162
23	Ole Miss	15-5	104
24	UConn	14-6	100
25	Clemson	17-4	96

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 Michigan; No. 23 West Virginia;

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 67; Gonzaga 55; Maryland 50; Vanderbilt 44; Saint Mary’s 41; Arizona 41; Utah State 22; Creighton 18; West Virginia 17; Georgia 6; Baylor 4; New Mexico 3; UC Irvine 1;

Texas A&M will return to Reed Arena to host Oklahoma on Jan. 28 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on the SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Where Auburn lands in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll after Tennessee win

Does Auburn keep its No. 1 ranking after squeaking by Tennessee last Saturday?

The Auburn Tigers kept its unbeaten streak in SEC play alive last Saturday by defeating then-No. 7 Tennessee, 53-51, in front of a sellout crowd at Neville Arena.

Despite its struggles, Auburn kept its place in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, staying put at No. 1 in the poll for the third straight week. The loss pushes Tennessee to No. 8, a one-spot drop from last week’s poll.

The shake-up is minimal as the top five remain the same, with two programs trading places. Iowa State jumped Alabama for the right to earn the No. 3 ranking this week, while the Crimson Tide occupies the spot left behind by the Cyclones at No. 4. Duke remains No. 2 while Houston stays put at No. 5.

The SEC is represented by nine teams in this week’s rankings. Joining Auburn, Alabama, and Tennessee in the top 10 is the Florida Gators, who remain at No. 6. Kentucky was kicked out of the top 10 following its road loss to Vanderbilt, dropping three places to No. 12. Mississippi State and Texas A&M round out the top 20 at No. 13 and No. 15 respectively while Missouri and Ole Miss close out this week’s representation at No. 21 and No. 23.

USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

Rank	School	Record	Points
1	Auburn	18-1	775 (31)
2	Duke	17-2	741
3	Iowa State	17-2	689
4	Alabama	17-3	676
5	Houston	16-3	635
6	Florida	18-2	634
7	Michigan State	17-2	583
8	Tennessee	17-3	564
9	Marquette	17-3	536
10	Purdue	16-5	476
11	Kansas	14-5	429
12	Kentucky	14-5	399
13	Mississippi State	16-4	324
14	St. John’s	17-3	318
15	Texas A&M	15-5	310
16	Memphis	16-4	242
17	Wisconsin	16-4	214
18	Oregon	16-4	201
19	Texas Tech	15-4	169
20	Illinois	14-6	166
21	Missouri	14-6	163
22	Louisville	15-5	162
23	Ole Miss	15-5	104
24	UConn	14-6	100
25	Clemson	17-4	96

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 Michigan; No. 23 West Virginia

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 67; Gonzaga 55; Maryland 50; Vanderbilt 44; Saint Mary’s 41; Arizona 41; Utah State 22; Creighton 18; West Virginia 17; Georgia 6; Baylor 4; New Mexico 3; UC Irvine 1

Viva Las Vegas: Auburn set to join talented Players Era field

Auburn will compete in “the most competitive field ever assembled for a men’s in-season tournament” for the next three seasons.

Auburn basketball has climbed to the top of the polls due to its stellar performance against the nation’s best teams. The trend will continue over the next three seasons as the Tigers have signed a deal to compete in the Players Era in Las Vegas.

Last week, Auburn Athletics announced that Bruce Pearl’s squad will compete in Players Era at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada against a challenging field over the next three seasons. Alabama, Creighton, Houston, Oregon, and Notre Dame are several programs that will return to Players Era next season while Baylor, Kansas, Iowa State, and Gonzaga are among those who will join Auburn as new participants.

“Auburn Basketball is really excited about being a part of the field at the Players Era Festival the next three years,” head coach Bruce Pearl said in a press release. “It is an opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at a very high level and be included in this revolutionary concept of scheduling. It also ensures that we will be playing against the best teams in the non-conference in college basketball. Our fans will no doubt enjoy the opportunity to travel and be a part of this experience.”

Auburn is no stranger to facing strong competition. The Tigers are currently 11-1 this season against “quad-1 teams” and are 6-0 against SEC competition. Next season’s Players Era tournament will further challenge the program, thus preparing for a run at the NCAA championship.

Broome, Pearl earn midseason SEC superlatives

How many accolades will Johni Broome and Bruce Pearl by seasons end?

The SEC portion of the schedule is one-third of the way finished, and two members of Auburn’s basketball squad are in prime position to earn postseason accolades.

As the 2024-25 season reaches its halfway point, Jamie Shaw of On3 has taken a crack at predicting who will take home all-SEC honors at season’s end. Auburn forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] are at the center of discussions.

Shaw has honored Broome as “midseason player of the year” after deeming him the most impactful player on the country’s best team.

“His defensive presence has held the back line strong for Auburn and his ability to clean the boards has been big as well. Broome has played efficiently this season and had some of his biggest games on the biggest stages.”

Broome has also earned midseason All-SEC first-team honors and midseason defensive player of the year. The talented senior averages 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists despite missing two games due to an ankle injury. In his return to the floor last Saturday, Broome scored 16 points and hauled in 13 rebounds off the bench in the Tigers’ 53-51 win over No. 7 Tennessee at Neville Arena.

Pearl has been named SEC midseason coach of the year by Shaw. With 12 games remaining in the regular season, Auburn is 18-1 overall and 6-0 in SEC play. The Tigers also boast an 11-1 mark over Quad-1 competition in the NCAA net rankings; eight wins came against ranked competition.

Broome, Pearl, and the rest of the Auburn Tigers will look to continue their hot streak this week by facing LSU and Ole Miss on the road. Auburn’s next game, against the LSU Tigers, will begin at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday.

In photos: Auburn tops Tennessee in top-10 battle at Neville Arena

Check out the best images from Auburn’s 53-51 win over Tennessee on Saturday.

The No. 1 Auburn Tigers passed a major test Saturday by taking down No. 7 Tennessee in front of the home crowd at Neville Arena in Auburn, 53-51.

The game was tight throughout, but it was far from the classic game that most fans were expecting. Both teams shot 31% from the field while connecting on less than 20% of its three-point tries. Tennessee connected on just one of its final seven field goal attempts while Auburn finished the game on a 6-0 run.

Senior guard [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] returned from an ankle injury Saturday to score 16 points and secure 13 rebounds while blocking four shots. [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] was next in line, scoring 10 points and reeling in four boards.

Re-live the excitement of Auburn’s win over Tennessee by checking out the photo gallery of Saturday’s game.

SEC standings after Week 12 in college basketball: Alabama on the rise, Kentucky falls

Here’s how the SEC shapes up after four weeks of conference play.

Week 12 of the 2024-25 college basketball season saw another action-packed week in the SEC.

Starting in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Crimson Tide won both of their conference games. Nate Oats’ team team took care of Vanderbilt in an impressive 103-87 win at Coleman Coliseum and then survived an upset bid against LSU, 80-72, in a game that saw the Tigers give the third-ranked Crimson Tide fits for much of the night.

Down on the Plains, the No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers remained unbeaten in SEC play after rallying late to get past Tennessee in a thrilling top 10 matchup that came down to the wire at Neville Arena Saturday night.

Nevertheless, Alabama rose in this week’s standings while Auburn stayed atop the SEC as the only unbeaten team in the league. Tennessee fell two spots in the standings while the Florida Gators rose.

Among the others teams that fell in the conference standings were Kentucky, Texas A&M and Georgia. The Bulldogs have now lost four straight, including a 30-point blowout loss on Saturday in Gainesville to Florida after a 13-2 overall start to the season.

With Kentucky’s 74-69 upset loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville, the Wildcats dropped their second straight after falling 102-97 to Alabama at Rupp Arena a week earlier. Elsewhere in the SEC, Texas A&M let a 22-point second-half lead against the rival Texas Longhorns slip away, falling 70-69 on a game-winning basket from Tramon Mark with 3 seconds left.

Before the release of the new Top 25 polls Monday, here’s an updated look at the current SEC standings.

Updated SEC basketball Standings by conference record, win percentage after Week 4 in league play

1. Auburn Tigers (7-0, 1.000)

2. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1, .857)

T-3. Missouri Tigers (5-2, .714)

T-3. Florida Gators (5-2, .714)

T-5. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-3, .571)

T-5. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-3, .571)

T-5. Tennessee Volunteers (4-3, .571)

T-5. Texas A&M Aggies (4-3, .571)

T-5. Ole Miss Rebels (4-3, .571)

10. Kentucky Wildcats (3-3, .500)

11. Texas Longhorns (3-4, .429)

12. Oklahoma Sooners (2-4, 333)

13. Georgia Bulldogs (2-5, .286)

14. LSU Tigers (1-5, .167)

15. Arkansas Razorbacks (1-6, .143)

16. South Carolina Gamecocks (0-7, .000)

Overall SEC records after Week 12 in college basketball

1. Auburn (18-1 overall)

2. Florida (18-2)

3. Tennessee (18-3)

4. Alabama (17-3)

T-5. Mississippi State (16-4)

T-5. Vanderbilt (16-4)

T-5. Missouri (16-4)

8. Oklahoma (15-4)

T-9. Texas A&M (15-5)

T-9. Ole Miss (15-5)

11. Kentucky (14-5)

T-12. Georgia (14-6)

T-12. Texas (14-6)

14. LSU (12-7)

15. Arkansas (12-8)

16. South Carolina (10-10)

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