Player of the Week
Jimmy Bell Jr. Forward, Mississippi State- Bell had an incredible game “slaying” Rutgers. He truly dominated, scoring 17 points and grabbing an insane 18 rebounds while also blocking three shots. This performance alone has earns him player of the week. The 280 lb senior from Saginaw, Michigan is averaging a near double double on the year with 9.6 ppg and 9.4 rpg.
Freshman of the Week
Reed Sheppard Guard, Kentucky- While his scoring was down this week at just 11 points per game, Shepperd showed out in other facets of the game. He recorded his first career double-double against Louisville with 11 points and 11 assists. He also grabbed four rebounds and had two steals. Against UNC, he scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds, while blocking a shot and having two steals. Shepperd showed he can do a little bit of everything, even when he isn’t scoring.
Who’s Hot
Ezra Manjon Guard, Vanderbilt- Despite the teams struggles, Manjon averaged 20 points this week in two games. Against West Carolina, he scored 18 points. Manjon scored 22 points against Memphis, which was his second-best scoring performance on the year.
Tramon Mark Guard, Arkansas- Mark has been a huge spark off the bench for the Razorbacks. Against Lipscomb, Mark scored 17 points. In his last game, he recorded his first double-double on the season posting 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Ole Miss- The Rebels are the last undefeated team in the SEC with twelve wins to start the season. Led by senior Matthew Murrell, the Rebels have taken care of business so far.
Who’s Not
Mike Williams III Forward, LSU- Williams has struggled in his last two games, hitting only one of his nine shots. Williams has not been taking advantage of his limited opportunities as of late. Time will tell if this continues to be a trend for the forward.
Vanderbilt- The Commodores have lost four games in a row. They are at the bottom of the conference with a four and eight record. Both of their loses this week were very close, but they were unable to escape with a win. West Carolina beat them at home 63-62. They faced Memphis in their last game and lost 77-75.
Top Five Upcoming Games
1. Ole Miss vs Tennessee 1/6
2. Tennessee vs Mississippi State 1/10
3. Texas A&M vs Kentucky 1/13
4. Mississippi State vs Kentucky 1/17
5. Arkansas vs Texas A&M 1/16