No Amazon horror stories to share with you today, but there is an announcement that you won’t wanna miss.
So, let’s get right to the action.
Arrests and suspensions at Auburn
On Monday, Auburn lost at Madison Square Garden to a Boston College team that had already compiled losses to Nicholls State and Hartford this season.
On Wednesday, head coach Bruce Pearl announced that Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer were suspended for at least one game after being arrested for marijuana possession.
Yeah, it hasn’t been a great week for Auburn basketball.
Brown is currently averaging 6.9 points per game (and simply hasn’t been able to find his shooting form from outside after shooting 37% from three last season), while Spencer is contributing 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Both are playing over 20 minutes per contest.
Here’s a look at the Tigers’ upcoming schedule:
- vs. Coastal Carolina (tonight)
- vs. Mercer (12/18)
- vs. Oklahoma (12/21, neutral)
- at UConn (12/23)
It’s safe to say that Auburn fans would like to see those two back before the clash with Oklahoma.
The good news is that Mustapha Heron and Danjel Purifoy have been outstanding, so those two will continue to carry the load even with Brown and Spencer out indefinitely.
Struggles continue for Mississippi State
Even with Quinndary Weatherspoon in the lineup, Mississippi State is a work in progress. I know that. You know that. Ben Howland knows that.
After all, the Bulldogs are the most inexperienced team in the country according to KenPom.
So, Wednesday night’s loss to East Tennessee State was far from shocking. Steve Forbes has a team that will challenge for the Southern Conference title this season, and they showed why in winning 67-65 in Starkville.
Howland said before the season that his team still had a long way to go before being competitive in the SEC.
And while it’s obvious that the Bulldogs have talent at a lot of positions, it looks like it’s gonna take a bit longer before everything comes together.
Georgia returns to the floor with a win
After a 10-day layoff, the Bulldogs shook off some rest and won 73-60 over Louisiana-Lafayette in Athens.
Yante Maten was once again the star of the show in scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
Remember, before the season started, several coaches around the league said at SEC Media Day that Maten was the most underrated player in the league. And thus far, he’s proving them right.
He’ll need to continue having a monster season (along with J.J. Frazier) if Georgia wants to make the NCAA tournament for the third time in the Mark Fox era.
Video of the day
Speaking of Georgia hoops, this is a cool inside look into the program:
Zach Cunningham makes even more history
Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham already made his history with his monster season on the field. And now, he has another spectacular honor to add to the list.
On Wednesday, Cunningham became only the seventh consensus All-American in the history of Vandy football.
It’s the first time since 1958 that a position player for the Commodores has earned the honor.
NFL scouts are already in love with this guy, as they should be. Cunningham won’t have any trouble fitting in on Sundays.
Tonight’s SEC hoops schedule
There are four games on tonight’s SEC slate:
- Tennessee (5-4) vs. Lipscomb – (7 PM ET)
- Alabama (4-4) vs. USC Upstate – (8 PM ET)
- Ole Miss (6-3) vs. Murray State – (8 PM ET)
- Auburn (6-2) vs. Coastal Carolina – (9 PM ET)
Tennessee and Alabama should be fine.
As for Ole Miss, you never know what to expect because of their inconsistent play on defense. The Rebels should still be able to get a double-digit win here.
And there’s Auburn. We’ve already discussed the roster issues for the Tigers thanks to the Brown and Spencer suspensions, but there’s also the fact that the Chanticleers are pretty good. Don’t let the 5-6 record fool you. They’ve played a tough schedule early on, and Cliff Ellis knows how to coach.
I can’t see Pearl’s team losing this game. But then again, I didn’t see them losing to Boston College, either.
An announcement
I’ve launched a brand new Soundcloud page that will include tons of interviews, analysis, and more in the near future. You will not want to miss it.
If you’re on Soundcloud, give it a follow: Blake Lovell Sports on Soundcloud.
Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.