All Conference Wrap-Up: Week 6

Each week The Intentional Foul takes a look at the top players in each of the BCS conferences (sorry Mountain West) and selects a Player of the Year, All-Conference Team, and a Freshman of the Year. In the 2013-14 season all teams play 18 conference games over a span of 2.5 months. While most fans only see the pre-season and post-season awards, this feature will monitor the ebbs and flows of conference play with weekly awards. Big East and Big XII awards are written by Dan Russo, a life-long Hoya fan while the AAC and SEC conferences are covered by Stephen Kalayil, a Louisville alum. All awards are free of bias but for any disagreement feel free to send out a tweet.

AAC:

In a close race for the AAC regular season title, Louisville got a signature road win in dramatic fashion over No. 7 Cincinnati to pull within half a game of UC for the AAC lead. The UofL/Cincy matchup might be the last time these two rivals play as UofL departs to the ACC after this season.  SMU continued their surprising year by defeating UCONN on the road. The SMU win might have sealed their first NCAA birth since 1993.    

 

Player of the Year:

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) – 21.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg

There may not be a closer race for conference player of the year than the AAC. Kilpatrick, Russ Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Montrezl Harrell are making strong cases for POY, but Kilpatrick is still clinging to the top spot.  In a heartbreaking loss to Louisville, Kilpatrick joined the 2000 point club and became only the second Cincinnati player in history to accomplish that feat, joining the great Oscar Robinson.  Kilpatrick had 28 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal against the Cardinals staunch defense. He was the only offense for a cold shooting UC team and singlehandedly almost won the game for them.  In a romp over UCF, Kilpatrick notched 23 points, one assist and two rebounds.

 

All Conference Team: 

 

Shabazz Napier (UCONN) – 19.8 ppg, 5.0 apg

All season, Napier has put up superstar numbers in AAC play. In this past week, his performance wasn’t at his normal superstar status against a tough SMU team.  In a loss to SMU, Napier had a balanced line of 15 points, two rebounds, two assist and three steals but committed five turnovers. In a win over Temple, Napier had 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dominating performance.   

Russ Smith (Louisville) – 18.0 ppg, 4.1 apg

Russ Smith may have had the biggest shot of his career against Cincinnati by draining a jumper with 2.2 seconds left to defeat Cincinnati.  Russdiculous was plagued by foul trouble in the game but still managed a very balanced stat line of 10 points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds.  In a 26 point win over USF, Smith had 19 points, two assists and five rebounds.

Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) – 13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Trez just keeps getting better and better every week for the Cardinals.  In the matchup with Cincinnati, Harrell was a force on both ends of the floor and posted a stat line of 21 points, 10 rebounds (6 offensive), two steals and one block. Harrell was UofL’s go to scorer and much of the offense was ran through him. He dominated his matchup with UC’s Justin Jackson and helped get him into early foul trouble.  In the early week game against USF, Harrell posted 14 points, four rebounds and two assists on the Bulls and set the UofL single season dunk record. 

Markus Kennedy (SMU) – 12.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg

Kennedy had one dud game this week against Houston by only posting four points and three boards in a forgettable outing. However, this game shouldn’t take away from his overall performance this season in AAC competition and keep him on the all conference team.  In an upset win over UCONN, Kennedy redeemed himself with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He punished the underwhelming UCONN frontline. 

On the Verge: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Nic Moore (SMU), TaShawn Thomas (Houston), Isaiah Sykes (UCF), Justin Jackson (UC)

Freshman of the Year:

Terry Rozier (Louisville) – 9.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Despite not being a starter, Rozier has taken a firm hold on the AAC freshman of the year race.  The freshman has been making plays beyond his years as demonstrated by making the game winning pass to Russ Smith in the Cardinal’s win at Cincinnati. Against UC, Rozier had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.  In the USF game, Rozier had 13 points, five rebounds and two steals.

BIG 12:

Kansas continued to roll with a 2-0 week including a pasting over Texas. With a good week Kansas can clinch the top spot in the Big 12 this week. Iowa State stopped their slide with a 2-0 week and moved back into a tie for second with Oklahoma (1-0) and a now-reeling Texas team, who lost to both Iowa State and Kansas this week. Marcus Smart returned for Oklahoma State and helped them stop a seven game skid. They are still on the wrong side of the bubble but with Smart back they have a chance to play their way back into the tournament. The other team now that had a good week was Baylor, who went 2-0 with wins over Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

Player of the Year:

Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) – 16.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg,

Wiggins had two good games this past week to reclaim the top spot. He hit a game winning layup with two seconds left against Texas Tech on Tuesday. In the game he had 19 points and six assists. He followed that up with 21 points and six assists on only 12 shots in a stomping of Texas, helping Kansas gain revenge on one of its two conference losses. Wiggins has become more efficient as the season as prolonged, now shooting 45% during conference play. He leads the best team in the conference at 17 ppg, good for tenth in the conference.

 

All Conference Team:  

 

Juwan Staten (West Virginia) – 19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.8 apg

Staten only had one game this week which was a loss to the Baylor Bears. In the game Juwan put up 16 points, eight boards, and six assists. Staten is tied for the lead league in scoring, is second in assists, and the 6’1 guard is 20th in rebounding.

Melvin Ejim (Iowa State) – 19.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg

Ejim helped lead the Cyclones to a 2-0 week and back into a tie for second place in the conference. In a big win over then second place Texas, Ejim dropped 25 points and chipped in eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Melvin had 14 points, four boards, and two assists in a Saturday win over TCU. Ejim is tied for the league lead in scoring and is second in rebounding. He also leads the conference, shooting 54% from the floor in conference play.

Deandre Kane (Iowa State) – 17.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.9 apg

Rinse and repeat, Kane stuffed the statsheet again. This time he did it in two wins. He put up 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a big win over Texas and followed that up with 20, six, and five in a win over TCU. Kane is top ten in scoring (No. 7), top 20 in rebounding (No. 20), and leads the conference in assists. He’s also second in the conference in steals.

Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) – 17.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Hield holds on to his first team all-conference spot this week even though Oklahoma played only one game. The Sooners beat Kansas State to move into a tie for second place. Hield led the way with 18 points, three boards, four assists, and three steals.

 

On the Verge: – Perry Ellis (Kansas), Marcus Foster (Kansas State), Javan Felix (Texas), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)

Freshman of the Year: 

 

Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)

ACC:

Two weeks left in ACC play and after several close calls, Syracuse finally dropped from the unbeaten ranks. UVA sits alone in first place with an unexpected 14-1 conference record after they squeaked by the rival Hokies in Blacksburg and then pounded a hapless Notre Dame team in Charlottesville on Saturday. Whether it’s easy scheduling or great play, the Cavaliers are primed for a one seed in the ACC tourney. With the postponed UNC-Duke game being made up this week; both schools were forced to play three games. UNC went 3-0 as the Tar Heels are on a nine game win streak and Duke went 2-1 with a close home victory over Syracuse. Two weeks left and the POY and the ACC First Team are still up for debate.

Player of the Year:

Jabari Parker (Duke) – 17.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg

There is a lot to like about Parker’s chances for ACC POY as a freshman, but there is also a lot I have reservations about. First off, Parker had a fantastic week averaging 17.3 ppg and 11.7 rpg in a 2-1 week for Duke. He had his most efficient game against Syracuse going 6-8 from the field and 3-3 from the three point line. He also added in 10 rebounds. Against UNC Parker went for 17 and 11 and was absolutely unstoppable in the first half before disappearing in the second. After a rough four game start the ACC season, Parker has picked his play up and attacked the basket aggressively. While he is fifth in the conference in points and first in rebounds there are several factors that could go against his POY chances. He is shooting 44% from the floor in ACC play despite shooting 56% this week. His outside shooting against Syracuse bumped his three point percentage over 30% for the first time all year as he is now shooting just 31% from the three point line in conference play. Last but not least is his defense. Parker is an atrocious defender to put it mildly. When Leslie McDonald drives by you, well, you know that your lateral quickness is struggling. Parker has been Duke’s workhorse offensively, but has struggled on the other side. For now, he takes the top spot but that can easily change over the next two weeks.

All Conference Team:

TJ Warren (N.C. State) – 22.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg

The sophomore star is the ACC’s leading scorer, but he is hurt by the fact that his team is just 7-7 in league play. Warren led the Wolfpack to a road win over Virginia Tech with 31 points on 12-21 shooting. N.C. State lost on the road earlier in the week to Clemson, but Warren chipped in with 20 points and five rebounds. He has scored in double figures every game but one and is shooting over 50% from the floor and last shot under 50% eight games ago. Last year Erik Green won the POY despite playing for a last placed team which gives Warren hope with his impressive scoring ability.

C.J. Fair (Syracuse) – 15.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg

Fair drops out of the top spot after a lengthy stay on top as Cuse lost both of their games they played including a home game to Boston College. Fair went for 20 points and 11 rebounds against BC, but only scored 12 points in a loss to Duke although his potential game winning lay-up was called a charge. Fair has been in double figures in almost every game and has scored numerous key baskets that keyed the Orange’s undefeated start.

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 14.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.4 spg

Brogdon is the only player to score in double figures in every ACC game and is the best player on the top ranked team in the conference. His assist and steal numbers are down over the past few games but he did go for 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a blowout win over Notre Dame.

Marcus Paige (UNC) – 15.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.1 apg

Paige has led the Tar Heels to nine straight wins and had a huge second half against Florida State on the road and against Duke at home. Paige hit big three after big three in Tallahassee and then scored all 13 of his points in the second half against Duke. After barely touching the ball in the first half, Paige got aggressive and started attacking the slower Duke defenders. Paige has averaged 17 ppg during the nine game winning streak.

On The Verge: KJ McDaniels (Clemson), Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh), Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)

Freshman of the Year:

Jabari Parker (Duke)

BIG 10:

Who wants to win the Big 10? With two weeks left the conference is up for grabs. Bo Ryan’s squad is on a five game win streak with wins at Michigan and at Iowa to cap a fantastic week. Nebraska extended their win streak in two games they were favored to win and Michigan knocked off Michigan State for the second time this year.

Player of the Year:

Terran Petteway (Nebraska) – 19.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Don’t look know but Nebraska has won five conference games in a row with home wins over Penn State and Purdue this week. On Thursday the leading scorer in conference play went for 26 points and then followed that up with 29 points on 10-19 shooting. He has scored in double-figures 13 out of 14 games including a 35 point game earlier in the year. The Texas Tech transfer has been a god send for Tim Miles and he will have to continue to produce with games at Illinois and Northwestern on deck.

All Conference Team:

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – 16.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg

In a battle for first place in the conference, Stauskas came alive in a win over rival Michigan State. 25 points on 3-5 shooting from deep led the way for the Wolverines after their home loss to Wisconsin earlier in the week. The sharp shooter from Canada is shooting 42 percent from the three point line in conference play.

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – 17.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg

After a postponed game in Bloomington, IN, the Hawkeyes suffered a home loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. In the loss Marble went for 21 points and also added 11 assists on 8-19 shooting. The Hawkeyes have two road games this week and will need the most consistent player in the Big 10 to continue his high scoring ways.

Gary Harris (Michigan State) – 17.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Harris got Michigan State back on the winning track with 25 points in a blowout win over Purdue and then scored 21 points in a tough road loss to the Wolverines. Harris is getting a little too happy from the outside with 22 three point attempts over the past two games.

Sam Decker (Wisconsin) – 12.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg

The Badgers are right behind the Cornhuskers as the hottest team in the Big 10. Decker averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds in two big wins over Michigan and Iowa. The sophomore wing has four games in double figures. While teammate Frank Kaminsky was the top player for Wisconsin this week, it’s Decker who has been the most consistent over 13 games.

Freshman of the Year:

Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – 11.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg

Another solid game for the best freshman in the Big 10. The Hoosiers got back on track in conference play with a win at Northwestern after three straight losses. Vonleh had 12 points and eight rebounds and is averaging close to a double-double. No other freshman is even close to Vonleh’s consistency in the Big 10.

PAC 12:

It was a huge week for the Arizona Wildcats. After suffering a double OT loss to rival Arizona State, the top team in the conference had to make the trip out east to take on Utah and Colorado as slight road favorites. The Wildcats did enough to just get by Utah in overtime and then made a statement in a blowout win over Colorado. Meanwhile UCLA suffered a loss on Saturday to Stanford which squashed any hopes of challenging Arizona for the regular season crown.

Player of the Year:

Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – 16.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.8 apg

The Bruins came out of Northern California with one win against California before they suffered a loss over the weekend to Stanford. Slo-mo went for 11 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a win over Cal before struggling against Stanford. Even in the loss he still added nine assists. So far this season, Anderson has six double figure rebound games and three double figure assist games. It’s gonna be tough for Anderson to let go of this top spot over the last two weeks.

All Conference Team:

Nick Johnson (Arizona) – 15.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg

It’s no secret that Johnson has struggled with the absence of Brandon Ashley but he might have got his mojo back on a huge trip to Utah and Colorado. In two wins, Johnson scored 15 points against Utah and followed that up with 20 points at Colorado on 8-15 shooting which was his first game over 50% since January 26. 

Justin Cobbs (California) – 17.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.2 apg

The Bears got embarrassed against UCLA, but bounced back in the second half against USC to go 1-1 over the weekend. Cobbs went for 22 points and seven assists on a very efficient 8-10 shooting performance. He struggled against the Bruins going just 2-8 from the field in his first single digit scoring performance of the year. Cal currently sits at 8-5 in the PAC-12 after starting 5-0.

Delon Wright (Utah) – 17.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.9 apg

The versatile Wright struggled in a big time showdown with the Arizona Wildcats, but then quickly bounced back with one of his better games of the year in a blowout win over Arizona State. On Sunday night, Wright went 7-7 from the field and finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Behind Slo-Mo, Wright is one of the most versatile and best stat stuffers in the country. The 6’5” junior has led Utah to a 7-8 record where their only home conference losses have come to Oregon and Arizona in overtime. 

Chasson Randle (Stanford) – 18.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.5 apg

Randle leapfrogs the ASU pair of Jahii Carson and Jordan Bachynski with wins over USC and UCLA. In an important win over UCLA, Randle went for 26 points on seven made three’s. Against USC Randle scored 18 points and is now averaging 18.9 ppg on the year. Stanford sits at 9-5 in the PAC 12, tied with Cal and will need a strong push to break their NCAA tournament drought.

On The Verge: Jahii Carson (Arizona State), Josh Scott (Colorado), C.J. Wilcox (Washington)

Freshman of the Year:

Aaron Gordon (Arizona) – 11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg

The highly touted freshman had his worst game of the year at Utah with just three points and three rebounds, but bounced back quickly with 23 points and eight rebounds at Colorado. In a close game, Gordon scored seven points in a row for the Wildcats which turned a close game into a soon to be blowout. He hit just his second three of the year (in conference) and used his speed and athleticism to attack the basket. Once again Gordon stays on top, even though Nigel Williams-Goss is nipping on his heels. The U-Dub freshman is averaging 13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 3.9 apg.

BIG EAST:

The top two teams in the conference, Villanova and Creighton both went 2-0 this week. Every other school in the conference either went 1-1 or 0-2. The Wildcats sneaked by St. John’s and Providence. The question is whether Villanova can continue to win out or whether Creighton will be able to win the conference outright. On the bubble picture, Xavier, Marquette, St. John’s, and Providence all went 1-1. If this continues the Big East will likely only get three NCAA tournament bids.

Player of the Year:

Doug McDermott (Creighton) – 26.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg

Creighton’s Doug McDermott keeps rolling as the best player in the conference, and probably the best player in the country. McDermott had 25 and eight boards in a win over Marquette on Wednesday. He followed that up with 29 points and three boards in a one point win over Seton Hall. With his play, McDermott is currently No. 10 on the NCAA-scoring list.  

All Conference Team: 

 

Bryce Cotton (Providence) – 23 ppg, 6.2 apg

Providence went 1-1 this week, losing a heartbreaker to Villanova in double-overtime before beating Butler in a close game. Cotton put up 22, seven rebounds, and nine assists against Villanova, doing everything he could to lead his team what would have been a big win in the eyes of the tournament committee. Coming back from that disappointment, Cotton led the Friars with 22 points and six assists in a win over the Butler Bulldogs. Cotton is second in the conference in scoring and first in assists.

Semaj Christon (Xavier) – 18.2 ppg, 4.1 apg

Christon led Xavier to a 1-1 week with some steady play. In a blowout win over Depaul he 14, four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Unable to capitalize on that win, Xavier was blown out by a reeling Hoyas team in DC on Saturday. Christon was the only Muskateer to show up, scoring 18 of the teams 52 points. He also chipped in two assists. Christon is third in the conference in scoring and seventh in assists.

JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) – 14.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Pinkston led the Wildcats down the stretch in wins over both Providence and St. John’s. He scored 5 of his team’s 10 points in double-OT as Villanova pulled away from Providence. Pinkston finished with 20 points and six boards in the win. Against the Red Storm Pinkston only scored five points but he contributed nine boards and a block in the win.

James Bell (Villanova) - 15.4 ppg, 6 rpg

Bell had only nine points and seven boards in a win against St. John’s as the Wildcats role players really stepped up in the win. However, in the Providence win Bell nearly had a double-double with 17 points and nine boards.

On the Verge: Markel Starks (Georgetown), D’vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown), D’Angelo Harrison (St. John’s)

Freshman of the Year: 

 

Rysheed Jordan (St. John’s) – 10.4 ppg, 3 rbg, 3.3 apg

Jordan is really coming into his as the season progresses.  Rysheed had laid claim to a starting spot for the streaking Red Men and contributed two solid games this week. He had 7 points, three assists, a rebound and a steal in the team’s sixth straight win, a 77-52 pasting of the Butler Bulldogs. Jordan followed that up with 13, six, and two in a loss to Villanova. 

SEC:

Florida has taken a firm control over the SEC regular season conference race after achieving their 18th and 19th wins in a row over Auburn and Ole Miss. Second place UK is 3 games back of the Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs are in 3rd place with a (9-5) record.  

Player of the Year:

Scotty Wilbekin (Florida) – 14.9 ppg, 3.7 apg

Wilbekin’s outstanding point guard play for No. 1 Florida has pushed him to the top spot in the SEC at this point of the season, edging out Jabari Brown of Missouri.  Against Auburn this week, Scottie had 15 points and four assists in a closer than expected game. He helped contain Auburn’s Chris Denson (No. 2 leading scorer in SEC) to 15 points, which is six under his average. In a battle against one of the better SEC backcourts of Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers of Ole Miss, Scottie had 18 points, two rebounds and seven assists.  Scottie has averaged 18.6 ppg and 4.3 apg over the past six contests for the Gators.      

All Conference Team: 

Julius Randle (Kentucky) – 13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg

The freshman star had a monster game against Ole Miss with a 25 point, 13 rebound explosion. He was 13-14 from the charity stripe and 6-7 from the field against an Ole Miss team that had no answer for him.  Although Randle struggled a bit against a tough LSU frontline, he had the biggest points of the game by hitting the winning shot with 3.9 seconds left in overtime to give the (2nd place SEC) Wildcats a chance in the SEC conference race. Randle finished up with eight points and 15 big time rebounds against the Tigers.   

Jabari Brown (Missouri) – 21.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg

After having arguably the best week of any player in the SEC, Brown came back to earth this past week in a win over Vanderbilt and loss to Alabama.  In the Vandy win, Brown was contained to just 10 points which is well under his SEC leading average.  In the loss to Bama, Brown responded with 23 points and five assists. Missouri’s chances to get to the tourney are slipping and will need Brown to return to form in order to get back into the March Madness conversation.    

Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) – 15.0 ppg, 11.6 rpg

Stokes just keeps on producing for the NCAA bubble Volunteers. In a big conference win over a surprising Georgia team, Stokes had an impressive stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three assists. In a loss to lowly Texas A&M, he put up another huge stat line of 16 points, 16 rebounds and four assists.  Stokes and Randle are the only players averaging a double-double in the SEC.

Trevor Releford (Alabama) -19.4 ppg, 3.35 apg, 1.8 spg

The Crimson Tide’s senior guard is making his first appearance on the all conference team this season after some prime time performances against Texas A&M and Missouri.  As the lone bright spot for an underachieving Alabama team, Releford is the SEC’s 5th leading scorer, 8th in assists and 3rd in steals. Releford cannot be overlooked anymore after posting 20 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals in a tough loss to A&M. In an upset win over Missouri, he had 18 points, six assists and two steals.

On the Verge: Johnny O’Bryant, Casey Prather (Florida), Marshall Henderson (Ole Miss), Andrew Harrison (UK), Jarvis Summers (Ole Miss)

Freshman of the Year:

Julius Randle (Kentucky)

 

Big Man Battle Part 3: Preview

Okafor vs. Cliff in 2013 - Chicago Sun Times

The most anticipated match-up of the high school season is finally here. On Friday night two of the top players in the country will face-off for Chicago bragging rights. 6’10” Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young and 6’8” Cliff Alexander of Curie are set to do battle in the Chicago Public League Championship. The two five-star prospects have been on a collision course since Day 1 of their senior seasons when both put on dominating performances at the Chicago Elite Classic and finally get to go head to head.

Curie is currently the No. 1 ranked team in the state of Illinois while Whitney Young is right behind them at No. 2. Curie is ranked No. 3 in the country by MaxPreps while Whitney Young is ranked No. 15. Both teams have a recent history with the Chicago Public League championship game. In 2012 Curie made it to the city championship where they lost to a Jabari Parker led Simeon squad and last year Whitney Young took home the championship. Both teams were favored to make it this far in 2014, but they both had close calls in the quarterfinals and then again in the semi-finals. Curie defeated Hyde Park in a squeaker 58-56 while Whitney Young needed a massive comeback to top Orr 55-53. The top two teams in the city get to meet up for the first time this year; however all eyes will be on the men in middle. 

Up until the past few months Cliff Alexander always lived in the shadow of Jahlil Okafor. Earlier in their high school careers, Okafor was always regarded as a Top 5 player while Alexander lagged behind in the low teens. As a junior Alexander started to close the gap, but it was Okafor who put together a dominant junior campaign that earned him honors as the top player in the country. Okafor played on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit while Alexander toiled in relative obscurity playing for the D Rose All-Stars before they teamed up this past summer. Even when it came time to make a college decision, Alexander got second billing and had his announcement bumped in order to highlight Okafor’s announcement on ESPNU. Now as a senior, Alexander is attempting to surpass his talented classmate and could do so with a strong performance Friday night.

Senior Season Comparison:

Alexander and Okafor have put together outstanding senior campaigns; however Alexander has been outright transcendent at all times. He started the season off with a 22 point, 20 rebound, and five block performance against Bishop Gorman which featured two five-star junior big men in Stephen Zimmerman and Chase Jeter who were rendered useless. Alexander used this game to jump start a string of impressive double-double efforts that always included rim-rattling dunks and monster blocks. He got to show off his dominance to the nation in January at the HoopHall Classic when he led a come from behind victory over the then No. 1 ranked Montverde. In this game he went for 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks. 

While Alexander’s been busy putting up ridiculous stat lines and highlight reel jams, Okafor has quietly gone about his business. After dominating play his junior year while winning the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year award over Parker, Okafor has been forced to deal with constant double and triple teams in addition to frequent foul trouble. Despite the extra attention, Okafor has certainly shown why many consider him to be the top player in the county. In the City of Palms third place game Okafor shot 8-9 from the field and tallied 22 points and 23 rebounds. In the Les Schwab Invitational over the Christmas holidays he averaged 31 points and 12.5 rebounds. 

Past Match-Ups:

Okafor and Alexander have faced off before. The first time came in a regular season game when both were sophomores and then last year the two faced off in the Argo semi-final sectionals. Both games could be considered a draw in terms of head to head match-ups while Alexander’s team won the first game it was Whitney Young who won last year. In their sophomore match-up Alexander put up 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks while battling foul trouble. Okafor scored nine points to go along with eight rebounds with all four baskets coming right at the rim. As juniors it was Okafor who got in foul trouble early and finished with 13 points to Alexander’s 14. In both games, Curie played a majority of zone defense which only allowed for brief moments over mano y mano action. Guard play was a key in both victories as the two big men basically cancelled each other out. In 2012, it was the Curie guards who stepped up, while in 2013 it was future Hoya, L.J. Peak who led the way with 23 points.

THE MATCH-UP:

The two players are a contrast in styles. Okafor is a true big man with a well refined arsenal in the post. With huge hands and a powerful body, he loves to overpower people down low. Okafor is able to hold the ball out like a tennis ball before backing his defender down for a bucket. He loves to catch the ball on the right block and take one to two dribbles before utilizing a left to right spin move. The advantage goes to Okafor when it comes to low post moves, but Alexander shines in other departments. Alexander, with his broad shoulders and long stride is a freak of an athlete. He runs the floor hard and fast and attempts to rip the rim down every chance he gets. He attacks the glass hard and is relentless pursuing the ball. He is a monster in the paint on the defensive end and tries to block every shot he sees, usually with great success. His low post game is not nearly as refined as Okafor’s (although its steadily improving) but he does like to shoot a right handed hook when he isn’t busy dunking on helpless defenders.

Okafor and Alexander are both once in a generation type players and they get to go against each other with city bragging rights on the line. What could be better than that? While the individual match-up will get the hype, if the past two years has taught us anything it’s that the match-up will most likely be dead even. That means someone other than the five-star big men will need to step up to help decide the outcome. The most likely candidate would be Whitney Young’s Paul White. The future Georgetown Hoya is a 6’8” match-up nightmare but has been slowed by a leg injury this past week. With White not 100 percent, it could be Curie junior guard Josh Stamps that could provide the deciding edge. 

Chicago has been the king of high school basketball over the past few years. Three years ago it was Chicago native Anthony Davis, who came out of nowhere to become the top player in the class of 2011. He subsequently led Kentucky to a national championship in 2012 and then became the No. 1 draft pick soon thereafter. After Davis, it was Sports Illustrated cover boy Jabari Parker who won four straight Illinois state titles with Simeon and is now making his own run at the No. 1 draft slot. Now it is the two big men, Okafor and Alexander who are kings of the city. As two of the top players in their class they both have the city buzzing about this being the biggest individual match-up in city history. No matter how the game turns out, the big men battle part III will be a treat to witness. 

2012 Match-Up
2013 Match-Up

All Conference Wrap-Up: Week 5

Each week The Intentional Foul takes a look at the top players in each of the BCS conferences (sorry Mountain West) and selects a Player of the Year, All-Conference Team, and a Freshman of the Year. In the 2013-14 season all teams play 18 conference games over a span of 2.5 months. While most fans only see the pre-season and post-season awards, this feature will monitor the ebbs and flows of conference play with weekly awards. Big East and Big XII awards are written by Dan Russo, a life-long Hoya fan while the AAC and SEC conferences are covered by Stephen Kalayil, a Louisville alum. All awards are free of bias but for any disagreement feel free to send out a tweet.

PAC 12:

Arizona dropped another game in a devastating double overtime loss to the in-state rival. While the Wildcats are hurting big time without Brandon Ashley, the Sun Devils and Bruins are streaking. 

Player of the Year:

Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – 16.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.8 apg

Another two easy wins for the Bruins and all of a sudden they are just one game back with six to go. Slo-Mo continued his impressive statistical season with 22 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists against Colorado and then turned around and scored 16 points against Utah with ten rebounds and five assists. 

All Conference Team:

Nick Johnson (Arizona) – 15.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Johnson scored 14 points in a loss to Arizona State, but the former leader for Player of the Year has struggled mightily since Brandon Ashley went down. Johnson went 5-20 against ASU and is only 15-50 in his last four games. With several weeks left, Johnson is going to need to find his groove again to keep the Wildcats in first place. 

Justin Cobbs (California) – 18.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.1 apg

California got back on the right track taking both games in the state of Washington starting with a tough overtime victory against Washington State. Cobbs scored 22 points to go along with four rebounds and seven assists against Wazzou and then added 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in a big win at Washington. Cobbs has scored in double figures in every conference game. 

Delon Wright (Utah) – 17.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.1 apg

Utah went 1-1 on their trip to Southern California and Delon Wright put together his typical all-around performance. In a win over USC, Wright put up 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. In a loss to UCLA, Wright scored 16 points to go with six rebounds and seven assists. The Utes are sitting at 6-7 in the PAC-12 but have been a tough out for almost every team. 

Jahii Carson / Jordan Bachynski (Arizona State)

ASU's shot blocking machine

Arizona State is the hottest team in the PAC-12 winning six of their last seven including an upset win over rival Arizona on Friday. Carson is the go-to guy on offense and is averaging 18.4 ppg, 4.75 rpg, and 4.1 apg. He struggled from the field going 7-17 from the field against Arizona, but continuously put pressure on the defense. Another main reason for ASU’s revival is the play of center Jordan Bachynski who sealed the win with a block. The all time conference leader in blocks has recorded 24 over the past three games and is averaging 4.3 blocks per game to go along with almost 12 points and eight rebounds. 

On the Verge – Roberto Nelson (Oregon State), CJ Wilcox (Washington), Chasson Randle (Stanford), Josh Scott (Colorado), Xavier Johnson (Colorado)

Freshman of the Year:

Aaron Gordon (Arizona) – 11 ppg, 8.5 rpg

Another week on top for Aaron Gordon. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds in a double overtime loss and would have been the hero of the game if it weren’t for Jermaine Marshall’s hot streak. Nigel Williams-Goss is still on his heels but struggled in a loss to Cal on Saturday going 4-13 from the field. Williams-Goss has six games in a row in double figures.

BIG 12:

Texas made moves going 2-0 this week with wins over a reeling Oklahoma State squad in addition to a home win against West Virginia. The big week moved Texas into sole possession of second place. They stand only one game back of Kansas who got an easy win over TCU after losing to Kansas State in OT at the Octagon earlier this week. Oklahoma State, a preseason top-10, went 0-2 this week to drop them to 4-8 in conference and put head Coach Travis Ford squarely on the hot seat. The middle of the conference, probably the best in the nation, is a logjam with Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State, and West Virginia all within a game of each other. 

Player of the Year:

Juwan Staten (West Virginia) – 20.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.4 apg

Regardless of whom the Mountaineers play, Staten continues to put up stats. He almost put up a triple double against Iowa State Monday, with 19 points, seven boards, and nine assists in WVU’s easy, but hotly contested 102-77 win. Staten then went for 14, six, and seven in a weekend loss to Texas. The junior guard leads the conference in scoring at 19.9 points while pulling down 5.7 boards and is second in the conference dishing out over 5.7 assists per game. 

All Conference Team: 

Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) – 16.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg,

Wiggins had 16 and five rebounds in an overtime loss to Kansas State, including a remarkable play where he showed his athleticism to tie the game with less than 10 seconds left. He then went for 17, four, and four in an easy win over TCU. Wiggins combined with Perry Ellis to lead the Jayhawks in both games as they played with a limited Joel Embiid against the Wildcats and without him against TCU.  

Melvin Ejim (Iowa State) – 19.7 ppg, 9 rpg

Ejim had a tough week after last week’s breakout. The Cyclones had few bright spots as they got drubbed by West Virginia 102-77 on Monday. Ejim finished the game with six points and 12 boards. ISU bounced back against Texas Tech on Saturday and Ejim chipped in 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Even with the down week he is second in the conference in scoring and rebounding and shooting 52% in conference play. Ejim will have to pick his game up over the season’s final few weeks as the Cyclones compete for conference and NCAA tournament seeding.

Deandre Kane (Iowa State) – 16.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 6.1 apg

The stat stuffer did it again. In what is becoming a weekly occurrence, Kane nearly had a triple double in Saturday’s win against Texas Tech, going for 17, eight, and nine. Kane is top ten in scoring, top 20 in rebounding, and leads the conference in assists. He’s also second in the conference in steals. 

Buddy Heild (Oklahoma) – 17.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg

Heild makes his way back onto the first team in the aftermath of Marcus Smart’s suspension. Oklahoma was upset at home by Texas Tech on Wednesday as Heild had a cold shooting night. He bounced back in the Bedlam matchup with Oklahoma State on Saturday. Heild led the team with 22 points including back to back threes in the last two minutes to tie and take the lead for the Sooners.

On the Verge – Perry Ellis (Kansas), Marcus Foster (Kansas State), Javan Felix (Texas), Markel Brown (Oklahoma State)

Freshman of the Year:

Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)

As first team All-Big 12 player Wiggins also gets the nod for Freshman of the Year. However, the conference has the best collection of freshman in the nation, including Joel Embiid, Marcus Foster, and Isaiah Taylor. 

ACC:

Only a third of conference play remains in the ACC, and the Orange still stand undefeated in their inaugural ACC season. Tyler Ennis hit the shot of the year to win at Pittsburgh and then CJ Fair got the game winning lay-up against N.C. State. The stretch gets tougher over the next few weeks with road games at Duke, UVA, Maryland, and Florida State. In order to remain at the top, the Orange will have to pick up their offensive production. 

Player of the Year:

C.J. Fair (Syracuse) – 15.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Fair continues to hold on to his ACC Player of the Year title. The Orange stayed undefeated with two last second victories. Against Pittsburgh, Fair scored 14 points including several key baskets at the end of the second half. Against N.C. State, Fair only scored 11 points but had the game winning lay-up. His stats aren’t as gaudy as some other players but his team is undefeated and he continues to make key plays.

All Conference Team:

Jabari Parker (Duke) – 17.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg

With the postponement of the UNC game, Duke and Parker only played once on Saturday. In their one game, the Blue Devils needed a come from behind victory in their last regular season conference game against Maryland. Down one, Parker caught the ball on the wing and after getting his slower defender off balance with a jab step he exploded to the rim for the go-ahead dunk off of one dribble. Parker finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. He made his first three pointer in four games and now has eight games in a row where he has recorded at least 14 points and seven rebounds.  

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 15.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.5 spg

The multi-faceted Brogdon is not getting a lot of national love but has stepped up his play significantly once conference play kicked in gear. This past week UVA went 2-0 with a home win against Maryland and a tough road win at Clemson. UVA sits at 12-1 in the conference with their newfound ability to win conference games on the road. Brogdon scored 14 points in both games this week and while he didn’t contribute in the assist or steal categories like he usually does he did add in eight rebounds against the Tigers. 

TJ Warren (N.C. State) – 22.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg

I can’t keep Warren from this list anymore. The one man show down in Raleigh had a fantastic week and almost gave the Orange their first ACC loss. Against Wake Forest, Warren put up 34 points and 10 rebounds on 15-26 shooting. Against the tough 2-3 Syracuse zone, Warren scored 23 points on 11-22 shooting. Right now Warren is leading the conference in scoring and keeping the Wolfpack afloat in the middle of the ACC. 

Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) / Marcus Paige (North Carolina)

Ennis is the point guard for the only undefeated team in conference play and hit the shot of the year to beat Pitt during the week. Ennis is averaging 11.8 ppg, and 5.9 apg to go with a 3.0 A/TO ratio. His production has slipped over the past few weeks, but he is still coming up big in the clutch. Marcus Paige stays on the list after his impressive 18 point, four rebound, and four assist performance against Pittsburgh. He hit five three’s in the Dean Dome and is averaging 18 points during the Tar Heels six game winning streak. UNC only played one game this past week due to Duke’s inability to make a 30 minute drive, but this week will certainly test Paige. UNC starts out on the road at Florida State and then has their make-up game against Duke and a weekend home game with Wake Forest. 

On the Verge –Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh), KJ McDaniels (Clemson), James Michael McAdoo (UNC)

Freshman of the Year:

Jabari Parker (Duke)

Tyler Ennis hit the shot of the year against Pittsburgh, but Parker holds on to the top freshmen spot in the ACC as he also hit the go ahead shot against Maryland. Ennis is averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.9 apg with a 3.3 A/TO ratio, but he has scored in single digits in three of the last four games. This award will most likely go back and forth over the next few weeks between Parker and Ennis.

BIG 10:

Nebraska goes 2-0 in conference play including their biggest win of their Big 10 tenure with an upset in East Lansing. Wisconsin went to Ann Arbor and got revenge on the Wolverines and have now won four in a row.

Player of the Year:

Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – 17.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg

Iowa won their only game of the week against Penn State and Marble led the way with 15 points. Iowa sits just one game back of first place thanks to Marble’s 17.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg. With a strong performance this week against Indiana and Wisconsin, Marble could entrench himself at the top spot. 

All-Conference Team:

Gary Harris (Michigan State) – 16.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg

The Spartans were supposed to have an easy 2-0 week with home games against Northwestern and Nebraska, but after an easy victory over Northwester, the Spartans were upset on Sunday. Harris scored 14 points in a win over Northwestern and 18 points against Nebraska. Harris had a better week than he did last week, but is still looking forward to get his running mate back in Keith Appling. 

Terran Petteway (Nebraska) – 18.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg

Despite playing for one of the bottom feeders of the Big 10, Nebraska is surprisingly 6-6 in the Big 10 and are on a three game win streak after a 2-0 week. The Cornhuskers beat a struggling Illinois team at home and then went to East Lansing and took out the Spartans. Petteway led the way against the Spartans with 23 points and five rebounds after scoring 16 points against Illinois. Not much was expected from the Cornhuskers in their second year in the Big 10, but so far Petteway and the Cornhuskers are making their mark. 

Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – 15.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.1 apg

A surprise road win and a tough home loss this week for Stauskas and the Wolverines. In a win against Ohio State, Stauskas scored 15 points on 3-6 shooting from deep and followed that up with 11 points in a loss to Wisconsin. Through the first eight games of conference play was probably the player of the year, but over the last five games his overall input has decreased in all statistical categories. 

Ben Brust (Wisconsin) – 14.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Don’t look now, but the Badgers are on a four game conference win streak after struggling in January. In conference play, Brust is averaging 14.2 ppg and has knocked in 23 three pointers. In a win over Minnesota, Brust scored 20 points and in an upset of Michigan, Brust only scored seven points but added nine rebounds. 

On the Verge – Keith Appling (Michigan State), Sam Decker (Wisconsin) 

Freshman of the Year:

Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – 11.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg

No surprise here. For the fifth week in a row, Indiana’s big man Noah Vonleh takes home the freshman of the year award. Coming close to averaging a double-double Vonleh had an eight point, 12 rebound performance in a loss to Indiana and then scored 14 points to go with six rebounds in a loss to Purdue. Things are not going well for the Hoosiers, but they are for Vonleh. 

Big East:

The story of the week was the big matchup Sunday night between Creighton and Villanova with first place on the line. Behind Doug McDermott Creighton rolled to a 101-80 win, sweeping the season series and giving them the inside track on the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Elsewhere, St. John’s went 2-0 to solidify their spot on the NCAA tournament bubble along with other Big East teams Providence, Xavier, and Marquette. 

Player of the Year:

Doug McDermott (Creighton) – 25.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Dougie McBuckets is a stud. In the biggest conference game of the year to date, McDermott dropped 39 on Villanova on just 17 shots which included Creighton’s first 13 points. During the game he also passed Larry Bird for 13th place on the Division I career scoring leaders. He had 26 points and five rebounds in Creighton’s win over Butler earlier in the week as well. McDermott, a consensus first team All-American has a chance at passing 3,000 career points in Creighton’s last home game if he can average 28 per game the rest of the way. 

All Conference Team: 

Bryce Cotton (Providence) – 23 ppg, 6 apg

Providence went 1-1 this week, losing at Georgetown and then beating DePaul. As I witnessed firsthand at the Georgetown game, Cotton is among the best scorers in the country. He put up 31 points on just 14 shots, singlehandedly giving Providence a lead late in the second half. Against Depaul, Cotton put up 22, four rebounds, and six assists. He’s the conference’s second leading scoring and top assist man and has kept Providence in the top half of the conference.  

Semaj Christon (Xavier) – 18.6 ppg, 4.1 apg

Christon led Xavier to a 1-1 week with some steady play. He put up 15, four rebounds, and three assists in a win over Butler than 10, four, and six in a loss against fellow bubble-team Marquette. Even with a fairly unspectacular week Christon easily keeps his spot on the first team.  with the blemish coming against Villanova. He is averaging nearly 20 points per game in conference, shooting a blistering 55.2% from the point guard spot and dishing out four assists per game. 

James Bell (Villanova) - 15.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg

Even with the tough loss at Creighton, Bell showed why he’s becoming Villanova’s best player and go-to guy. He had 18 points and six rebounds in the loss, and earlier in the week, he put up 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a win against Depaul. Bell is shooting a very good 48% from the field and 44% from three. 

JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) – 14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Pinkston has probably been Villanova’s most consistent player this year. He a quiet guy who doesn’t dominate or take a lot of shots but always has his team in a position to win. He had 14 and 11 rebounds in a win over DePaul on 5-7 shooting. In a lopsided loss at Creighton Pinkston had 15, five rebounds and three assists. 

On the Verge – Markel Starks (Georgetown), D’vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown), D’Angelo Harrison (St. John’s)

Freshman of the Year:

Rysheed Jordan (St. John’s) – 10.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.6 apg

Jordan is solidifying his hold on this award over the past few weeks. In a big Sunday night game against Georgetown with both conference seeding and NCAA tournament implications Jordan had his best game of the year. He put up a career high 22 points. Jordan also had 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists in a win over Seton Hall earlier in the week. 

AAC:

The AAC is shaping up to be a two team race between Cincinnati (12-1) and streaking Louisville (10-2). Louisville went 2-0 this week and moved into sole possession of second place by beating Temple and Rutgers by a combine 72 points.  This sets the stage for a showdown between the AAC elite on 2/22.  Southern Methodist, the upstart of the AAC a week ago with a win over Cincy was brought back down to reality with a loss to lowly Temple on Sunday.  In the AAC game of the week between nationally ranked opponents, UCONN knocked of Memphis in a thrilling overtime win to stay in the conference title hunt. 

Player of the Year: 

Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) – 21.2 ppg, 4.8 rbg

Going into this inaugural AAC season, most experts believed Kilpatrick would be a top performer, but I’m not sure anyone thought he would be in the lead for conference player of the year at this juncture of the season amongst the household names of Russ Smith and Shabazz Napier. Kilpatrick in his only game this week, had 28 points (19 in the second half), two rebounds, six assists and one steal in a win over a pesky Houston team.  The UC senior is still leading the AAC in scoring and is one of leaders in steals, averaging 1.4 a game. 

All Conference Team: 

Shabazz Napier (UCONN) – 20.5 ppg, 5.4 apg

After having his first single digit scoring game in conference play in a lopsided win over USF, Napier went off for a career high 34 points against Memphis in the AAC game of the week.  Napier battled with Memphis’s Joe Jackson all night and willed UCONN to a win. The UCONN senior leader is still second in the league in scoring and the leading assist man for arguably the best backcourt in the AAC.    

 

Russ Smith (Louisville) – 18.6 ppg, 4.6 apg

In a game I attended this week, Smith put up 15 points, two steals, two assists and two rebounds in a win over Temple that was postponed a day due to inclement weather in the Philadelphia area.  Against Rutgers, Russ took on more of a distributor role with seven points, five assists and four rebounds with only two turnovers in a lopsided win. Smith will have a tough assignment next week against Cincinnati and leading AAC POY, Sean Kilpatrick.

Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) – 13.3 ppg, 8.5 rbg, 1.9 bpg

Harrell continues to improve as he leads the AAC in rebounding and is fourth in blocks.  Trez Harrell had 22 points and 10 rebounds, including a myriad of jaw dropping dunks against an overmatched Temple front line.  He had a quieter night with just four points but had nine boards in a 48 point win over Rutgers.  Next week, Trez will get a true test against the best frontline in the AAC with Cincinnati.  

Markus Kennedy (SMU) – 13.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg

In a win over Rutgers, Kennedy posted a solid line of eight points, six rebounds and two blocks in game where he was in a bit of foul trouble.  The Philly native might have been the only bright spot in a shocking loss to Temple, posting a line of 18 points and five rebounds. The best big man in the league continues to be amongst the AAC leaders in rebounds, points, blocks, and steals for SMU.

On the Verge: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Luke Hancock (Louisville), Nic Moore (SMU), TaShawn Thomas (Houston), Isaiah Sykes (UCF).

Freshman of the Year:

Terry Rozier (Louisville) – 8.5 ppg, 3.1 rbg

Rozier steals away the freshman of the year honors from Austin Nichols (Memphis) with his solid play against Rutgers and Temple. Although not starting, Rozier arguably had his best game of season with 16 points (career high), four assists, two rebounds and three steals against Rutgers.  The freshman drained four three pointers in the first half to help set the tone in the Rutgers route. Although the freshman crop in the AAC is much weaker compared to other conferences, Rozier should be considered one of the top 10-15 freshmen in country.   

SEC:

In a match-up of the top SEC teams, Florida rallied and pulled away late for a big time road win over UK. UF stays undefeated in SEC hoops and is firmly in first place in the SEC at 12-0. Surprisingly, Georgia is just a game back of UK with an 8-4 SEC record with Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU all close behind.    

Player of the Year:
 

Jabari Brown (Missouri) – 22.8 ppg, 4.0 rbg, 2.4 apg

Brown’s clutch plays this week finally gets him over the hump as conference player of the year, unseating Julius Randle (Kentucky).  Mr. Consistent made the go ahead layup with 12.2 seconds left in regulation to defeat Arkansas and made the game sealing steal with 7.7 seconds left against Tennessee.  The leading scorer in the SEC, averaged 24.5 points and 4.5 rebounds this past week.  

All Conference Team: 

Julius Randle (Kentucky) – 13.0 ppg, 9.3 rbg

The best freshman in the SEC had a solid game in a win against Auburn with 12 points and 12 rebounds.  In a ten point loss to SEC leader Florida, Randle posted numbers of 13 points and 13 rebounds but didn’t register a made field goal in the second half of the game.  Casey Prather of Florida did his best to keep Randle in check most of the game. 

Scotty Wilbekin (Florida) – 14.6 ppg, 3.5 apg

Wilbekin is beginning to solidify his status as best PG in the SEC.  In a big win over Tennessee, Scottie had 21 points, three rebounds, six assists and four steals and outshined UT point guard Jordan McRae.  In the matchup against UK’s Andrew Harrison, Wilbekin notched 23 points and two assists while going 11-12 from the free throw line. The senior guard made timely plays for the Gators, including five crucial free throws down the stretch against UK.    

Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) – 14.5 ppg, 11.3 rbg

Stokes once again had a strong week in losing efforts against Florida and Missouri. The SEC’s leading rebounder had 20 points, 11 boards, and two assists as he held his own against the vaunted UF frontline.  Against Mizzou, he had 13 points, right rebounds and three assists. It’s hard to overlook Stokes because he is the SEC’s leading rebounder (by a wide margin) and the only player averaging a double-double.

Johnny O’Bryant (LSU) – 16.7 ppg, 7.8 rbg

Despite LSU dropping two games this week to lowly Texas A&M and Arkansas, O’Bryant still posted strong numbers for LSU.  In the Texas A&M loss, O’Bryant had 15 points and six rebounds.  Against Arkansas, he had 20 points and 16 rebounds but fouled out with 1:55 left in the game.  O’Bryant had a tough matchup against Arkansas starting center, Bobby Portis. 

On the Verge: Michael Frazier III (Florida), Casey Prather (Florida), Marshall Henderson (Ole Miss), Andrew Harrison (UK), Jarvis Summers (Ole Miss) 

Freshman of the Year:

Julius Randle – See above