SEC Player of the Week
Caleb Grill, Missouri
This week’s SEC Player of the Week is Missouri’s Caleb Grill. The Tigers’ 6th-year senior guard came off the bench and was the team’s leading scorer in an 83-82 upset victory over No. 5 Florida. In 30 minutes, the former Iowa State and UNLV product posted 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. He shot 7/11 from the field, 6/10 from beyond the arc and 2/4 from the charity stripe. On the season, Grill is averaging 12.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks while shooting 53.4% from the field, 48.6% from three-point range and 72% on his free throws.
Who’s Hot
Malik Dia, Ole Miss
Junior forward Malik Dia has been a big-time player for the Rebels recently. He’s scored in double digits in his last 3 conference games; achieving 23 points against No. 4 Alabama, 21 points against Arkansas and 19 points against LSU. On the year he is now putting up 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.9 blocks. The Belmont transfer is shooting just 26.8% from downtown and 62.5% from the free-throw line, but makes up for it with an overall 46% clip from the field. At 15-2 and ranked 21st in the country, Ole Miss has been spectacular and Dia is a huge reason why.
Auburn Tigers
It was reported a few days ago that star forward for the Tigers, Johni Broome, would miss some time after an MRI revealed an ankle sprain. While his absence from the court isn’t expected to be long-term, Broome will be out indefinitely. However, Auburn hasn’t missed a step without him. Thanks to Tennessee’s loss last week, they’re now ranked No. 1 in the country, and backed up that ranking with a dominant 88-66 win over No. 15 Mississippi State. They’re 4-0 overall in conference play, also defeating Missouri, Texas and South Carolina.
Who’s Not
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State
Matthews has been inconsistent since conference play began, but is coming off a very rough game. In Mississippi State’s blowout loss to No. 1 Auburn, he scored just 4 points on 2/10 shooting from the field and 0/2 shooting from three-point range. While he did grab 5 boards and dish out 2 assists, he failed at scoring the basketball while playing 36 minutes, tied for the most on the team that night. The good news is that Matthews is able to step up when called upon, as he scored 19 and 16 points in recent games. However, he’ll have to rebound from last game with the Bulldogs only 2-2 in conference play.
Arkansas
While SEC battles are something John Calipari is familiar with, it hasn’t been going according to plan this season. Once ranked Arkansas is 0-4 to begin conference play, suffering losses to Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida and LSU. In that span, their leading scorer, Adou Thiero (16.7 points per game), has done his best to keep the Razorbacks in games. Only having 2 losses before their first conference game, Arkansas is now 11-6 overall, and any more struggles could jeopardize Coach Cal’s squad of an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Top 5 SEC Players
Prior to going down with an injury, Johni Broome was considered one of the SEC’s top talents, if not the best. Now that a top-tier candidate for the National Player of the Year will miss some time, here are 5 names that could take over for Broome as the SEC’s marquee player during his time away from the court.
1. Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Perhaps the perfect player to enter this conversation is one of the SEC’s top scorers. This season for the Volunteers, senior guard Chaz Lanier is averaging 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals. His excellent 41.7% clip from beyond the arc is a big reason why Tennessee has stayed toward the top of the AP Poll this season, currently slotted at No. 6. A do-it-all player, Lanier is also shooting 41.1% from the field and 76.7% from the free-throw line. Your next chance to watch him play will be against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
2, Tre Johnson, Texas
A freshman guard, Johnson has wasted no time making an early impact in his collegiate career. The young star is posting 18.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season while shooting 47.1% from the field. His 41.1% mark from three and 85% mark from the charity stripe also stand out. While Texas has struggled in conference play, Johnson is not a reason for those struggles. Catch Johnson during his weekend action of hoops as the Longhorns face No. 5 Florida this Saturday.
3, Mark Sears, Alabama
Pat McAfee once said “give me Alabama.” I will say “give me Mark Sears.” A senior guard for the Crimson Tide, Sears is notching 18.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He’s a solid shooter in all three areas; 40.8% from the field, 35.3% from three-point range and 82.9% from the free-throw line. No. 4 Alabama’s next game is a big one, as they face No. 8 Kentucky in some weekend hoops. Tune in Saturday to see if Sears can shine against the Wildcats.
4. Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Despite losing to Missouri, the 15-2 Florida Gators are still having an amazing season thanks in large part to Walter Clayton Jr. A senior guard, Clayton Jr. is racking up 17.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 stocks (1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks). No. 6 Florida’s next matchup will be this Saturday against Texas, which will be a great opportunity for Clayton Jr. and the Gators to rebound.
5. Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Much like the aforementioned Walter Clayton Jr., Josh Hubbard and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are coming off a rough loss. However, they’ve still had a very good season and are ranked 15th nationally, largely due to Hubbard’s performance. He’s recording 17 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season. The sophomore guard’s shooting splits are 40.7/36.1/85.5, pretty good overall. Your next opportunity to watch him play will be this Saturday, as the Bulldogs play their in-state rivals, the No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels.