The game we've all been waiting for took place Saturday, but the top-five matchup between Tennessee and Kentucky wasn't the only big game in the SEC. Here's our weekly look around the conference.
As always, the conference standings and each team's KenPom and NET rating are included at the bottom.
Key results
No. 19 LSU 73
No. 5 Kentucky 71
The Tigers have won four games in a row since being upset by Arkansas and win No. 3 was a big one. LSU won in controversial fashion in a game that the Tigers had a 7.3 percent chance of winning at the 16:49 mark in the second half according to KenPom.
Kentucky was up 48-39 before a 19-8 run gave the Tigers a lead inside 10 minutes remaining and they never let go of it. It was a tip-in - or basket interference, if you ask the Wildcats - by Kavell Bigby-Williams at the buzzer that gave LSU a pivotal victory inside Rupp Arena.
Tremont Waters led the Tigers with 15 points, but shot just 3 of 13 from the field. Naz Reid added 12 points and seven rebounds. PJ Washington led both teams with 20 points in the loss.
Texas A&M 73
Georgia 56
The battle at the bottom did not quite live up to its heavyweight (lightweight?) billing as the Aggies surged late in the first half and never looked back. Texas A&M outscored Georgia 23-9 in the last 10 minutes of the opening half and went into the locker room up 34-21.
TJ Starks and Jay Jay Chandler both came off the bench and scored 19 and 18 points, respectively. Christian Mekowulu scored 15 points and matched a career high with 15 boards in the win.
Georgia’s Nicolas Claxton recorded his first double-double in SEC play after having six during the non-conference slate, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Texas A&M currently sits two games above Georgia for the 12th in the standings.
Ole Miss 60
Auburn 55
The Rebels are beginning to pull together after enduring a four-game losing streak to end January. They have now won four straight and pulled themselves out of the middle of the pack. Wednesday’s scrappy road win over Auburn completed the season sweep of the Tigers.
Breein Tyree dropped a 20 points for the 14th time this year and sixth consecutive gave. Devontae Shuler played Robin and tacked on 17 for Ole Miss.
Auburn’s Chuma Okeke scored a game-high 23 and made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. The Tigers dropped to 2-7 against KenPom top-50 teams with the loss.
Kentucky halts Tennessee
No. 5 Kentucky 86
No.1 Tennessee 69
Tennessee had not lost since Nov. 23, when it suffered its lone loss in an overtime contest against Kansas. A total of 20 games later, the Wildcats boat-raced the Volunteers, leading by as many as 24 points in the second half.
PJ Washington scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting and finished with 43 points on the week to earn SEC Player of the Week honors. Keldon Johnson hit three deep balls on his way to 19 points, while Tyler Herro and Reid Travis also reached double figures.
Tennessee, who is second in the country in assist percentage (63.7), had just 11 assists on 24 made baskets. Jordan Bone contributed 19 points and six assists, but the rest of the team shot just 34.8 percent from the floor.
That result pulled LSU into a first-place tie with the Vols, with the Wildcats just a game behind.
Next for Arkansas
The Razorbacks are looking for some rhythm down the home stretch after losing three straight, two of which the Hogs led at halftime. Up next for Arkansas is a road date with Bruce Pearl and Auburn before a home game against Texas A&M.
Arkansas will need to be ready for a Tiger defense that forces a turnover on 25.8 percent of opponent possessions, which leads the country. The Tigers’ 17.2 block percentage and 12.6 steal percentage are both top-10 nationally, as well.
Auburn’s biggest weakness is controlling the defensive glass, similar to Arkansas’ downfall. The Tigers are also prone to racking up high foul numbers. The Razorbacks may carve out a chance in this one by living inside and taking control of the paint.
On Saturday, Arkansas will host an Aggie team that struggles to put the ball through the hoop. Texas A&M has reached 80 points just once in conference play. The Aggies have watched 12.6 percent of their shots get blocked (341st) and 10.1 percent of possessions end with a steal (298th).
As a team, they shoot just 30.9 percent from deep and get only 27.7 percent of their points from beyond the arc. If Arkansas can establish its tempo early and reach the 80-point mark, sending Texas A&M home with a loss will be likely.
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